MoveOn’s ‘Betray Us’ Ad Attacks Gen. Petraeus, originally uploaded by Rob Bluey.

Later this afternoon, Gen. David Petraeus and Ambassador Ryan Crocker will testify before Congress about progress in Iraq. Both are expected to cite the reduction in violence as a result of the “surge” and speak about the difficult political situation facing the country. Kirk Johnson, formerly the deputy director for assessments at the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad, outlined the four things you can expect to hear today.

1. The “surge” has been effective at reducing civilian casualty rates, especially in Baghdad.

2. Engaging local tribal leaders and provincial leaders has been effective not only in aiding security but also in improving local governance.

3. Iran continues to train and equip insurgents in Iraq.

4. A withdrawal of U.S. troops at this time would spark a humanitarian disaster.

Kirk told me this morning that he wouldn’t be surprised to see war critics focus on the GAO report that painted a dim picture of the situation in Iraq. However, he cautioned about reading too much into its findings. The benchmarks Congress set for the Iraqi government take a top-down view, Kirk said, but many successes have come from the bottom up, as evidenced by the changing dynamics in Anbar and Diyala.

Anti-war advocates who want our troops out immediately fail to recognize that political progress does not happen overnight, he told me. Kirk cited our own development as a country and the years it took to form our government. He noted this quote from Crocker, his former boss:

After 35 years of injustice under Saddam Hussein, there are some problems since liberation and the problems of 40 years cannot be solved in a year or two. What is important is that there is progress.

Republicans on Capitol Hill, meanwhile, have stepped up their defense of Petraeus even before his testimony. After dozens of stories emerged over the weekend of liberals’ bashing Petraeus, the GOP has started hitting back. My colleagues at RedState want you to help by calling a targeted list of congressmen.

UPDATE — 5:07 p.m.: I’ve updated this post with the ad that’s causing so much controversy on Capitol Hill. Members of Congress have expressed outrage at MoveOn’s tactics.