I have had a lot going on in my personal life the past month or so, so I have not really tracked politics, economics, or general goings on (aside from the NCAA Tournament, but even that peripherally).  This morning, however, I decided to thumb through some sources and see what is happening.

Given my agnosticism, how successful is the surge at this point?  Now that Al Sadr’s “cease fire” is over it appears that violence is on the rise again, at least in recent days.  If it continues, will this help or hurt McCain?