That McCain-Hagel exchange

I caught a snippet of the questioning of Sec. Def.-designate Chuck Hagel by Sen. John McCain the other day. McCain wanted to know whether Hagel still would have opposed the 'surge' in Iraq if he had to do it over again. Hagel responded that he would let history write the verdict on the surge (that's a paraphrase, not a verbatim quote).

McCain replied that history had already written its verdict on the surge. My inclination is to think that's mostly b.s. It'll be a long time before the historical judgment on it is rendered. Yes, the surge reversed the U.S.'s (and the Iraqi government's) fortunes in Iraq in the short run, but in aid of what eventual outcome for Iraq? That very much, as of this writing, remains to be seen.

P.s. McCain has long believed that Americans are privileged 'makers' of history.