<p>We’ve made a lot of the clash of the presidential candidates at the Iraq hearings. And, with John McCain, Hillary Clinton, and Barack Obama spending so much time on the trail, it is a rare treat to see them all on the Hill, taking their turns at questioning Gen. Petraeus under the spotlight.<br id="iw17" />

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But the hearings might have been most valuable for the chance they gave a handful of potential vice presidential candidates to strut their stuff.<br id="g.e3" />

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The Democratic side of the Senate Armed Services Committee was full of them: Jack Reed, Evan Bayh, Jim Webb — even Joe Lieberman, who has been spending so much time at the side of McCain that he gets mentioned as a possible veep candidate on the Republican ticket.<br id="hxyn" />

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I have to agree with Spencer: <a id="k..y" href="../../../view/webb-ice-grills" title="Webb was masterful">Webb was masterful</a>, invoking his son’s service in Iraq to underline what the surge hasn’t accomplished.<br id="hl5o" />

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Reed did just fine, asking hard questions about serious stuff like how to demobilize Moqtada Sadr&rsquo;s Mahdi Army. And Bayh demanded respect for politicians who disagree with the Bush strategy on the war.<br id="jzjr" />

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Then there was Lieberman, who complained about his colleagues who &quot;hear no<o:p id="vmh5"></o:p> progress in <st1:country-region w:st="on" id="fsji">Iraq</st1:country-region>, see no progress in Iraq, and most of all, speak of no progress in <st1:country-region w:st="on" id="z5q9"><st1:place w:st="on" id="uj6i">Iraq.&quot; Instead, he insisted,</st1:place></st1:country-region>there has been progress. &quot;I wish we could come to a point where we come to an agreement on the facts.&quot;</p>