Not to be overly optimistic, but the Los Angeles Times reports on a significant shift taking place in Iraq:

Insurgent leaders and Sunni Arab politicians say divisions between insurgent groups and Al Qaeda in Iraq have widened and have led to combat in some areas of the country, a schism that U.S. officials hope to exploit.

The Sunni Arab insurgent leaders said they disagreed with the leadership of Al Qaeda in Iraq over tactics, including attacks on civilians, as well as over command of the movement.

U.S. Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad, on his last day in Iraq, said Monday that American officials were actively pursuing negotiations with the Sunni factions in an effort to further isolate Al Qaeda.

"Iraqis are uniting against Al Qaeda," Khalilzad said. "Coalition commanders have been able to engage some insurgents to explore ways to collaborate in fighting the terrorists."

Khalizad's comments came in the context of Prime Minister al-Maliki and President Talabani announcing a new proposal to allow former members of Saddam Hussein's Baath Party to serve in the Iraqi government. Along with the recently passed hydrocarbon law, a deal on de-Baathification is considered one of the three or four major stumbling blocks facing the Iraqi government.

All of this is occurring amid the ongoing debate and maneuvering on the war here in the United States. Democrats clearly believe they have the public on their side in forcing the President to accept a timetable for withdrawal as part of the funding package, and while it remains unclear whether such language will actually reach the President's desk for the promised veto, continued signs of progress in Iraq would certainly seem to strengthen his hand.