Today’s New York Times reports that Democratic leaders are exploring “ways to block financing for a military expansion without being accused of abandoning American forces already in Iraq.” But Speaker Pelosi and Majority Leader Reid are going to have to seek such a funding cut off over the likely objection of Gen. Petraeus and Gen. Odierno, the new senior ground commanders in Iraq. John Burns of the New York Times has done first-rate reporting from Iraq since the 2003 invasion. Here’s what he had to say on the surge issue the other day on CNN‘s Late Edition: