Lt. Gen Douglas Lute, War Czar, surfaces after a month of silence

A month ago the Senate approved Lt. Gen Douglas Lute to be the new War Czar for Iraq and Afghanistan. That's the last anyone has seen or heard from him - until AP reports that he was seen today in the room as others briefed lawmakers on the progress in Iraq. This is their report.

The White House is pushing hard to buy time for its Iraq strategy, offering Congress unusual access to President Bush's top military and diplomatic advisers.

About 200 lawmakers were invited to the Pentagon for a classified question-and-answer session on Thursday with Crocker and Gen. David Petraeus, the top U.S. commander in Iraq. The two men briefed lawmakers via satellite from Baghdad.

Bush's new war adviser, Lt. Gen. Douglas Lute, also was to be in the room.

OK. So now he's been seen. Not heard from, but at least still seen.

What has he been doing? Holding down a place in Dick Cheney's secret redoubt? As the Carpetbagger says, no one knows what he's been up to.

Of course, there may be no need for him to do anything right now. The administration doesn't need a designated scapegoat - yet.