The Iraq Report

Josh Marshall on today's Washington Post report about the utter futility of trying to limit the testimony of Petraeus and Crocker:

Perhaps I'm missing something. But doesn't this sound like the anxiety is a little more pronounced on the White House side since they're the ones trying to bag on the report that has been the building focus of our Iraq policy for months now?

Absolutely right about that. But there is a misunderstanding here: Who writes the report was never really the issue. The White House wrote the last interim report, delivered circa July 15. The legislation says that it's the Administration's duty to issue a progress report to Congress.
The real controversy is that the White House seems to believe that it could get Petraeus and Crocker--both of whom will probably lambaste the current Iraqi government (and perhaps the Iraqi armed forces)--to testify in private. Ain't gonna happen.