Still waiting on further elaboration about just what a Brookings Benchmark on Iraq is — Mike O’Hanlon is having a message relayed from me at this moment — but Brookings spokeswoman Melissa Skolfield did tell me what she could. For instance: “I’d point out this is a New York Times op-chart, which is, by its nature, very brief. I think Mike’s intention was quite solid: to supplement military and security measurements with quantified [measurements of] political action. But I take your point about the need for further transparency.”

Strobe Talbott, alas, may not be able to get back to me today. But with luck O’Hanlon will. More to come.