There's evidence the "surge" is working. Not the increase in U.S. troop levels in Iraq. We're talking about the surge in U.S. dollars -- nearly 3 billion -- that have been used to gain cooperation from Iraqis.

It's called CERP, the Commander's Emergency Response Program. Congress recently approved an additional $1.2 billion, with part of it for Afghanistan. The program involves the distribution of cash to Iraqi government officials, military officers, militia fighters and civilians to build good will and, if possible, keep them on the U.S. side.

In areas where money has been handed out liberally, violence has gone down, the Iraqis say. But a report by The Washington Post suggests CERP has gotten out of hand.

It found the program is now being used to fund schools, clinics, water plants, electric generators and the like at ever-increasing cost. Sen. John Warner, a Virginia Republican who was an early CERP supporter, said he was concerned about use of $33 million to put up a hotel, office and retail complex at Baghdad's airport.

The stated purpose of the program was to fund "urgent humanitarian relief and reconstruction" through short-term and small-scale projects, but the Post found that the money is being spent with little oversight.

Taxpayers weary of funding the war will cringe when they learn that CERP paid $14,250 for "I Love Iraq" T-shirts and $500,000 for action figures of Iraqi security forces. More broadly, the United States has spent $250 million to pay Iraqi militia men to be neighborhood security guards in cities, although some of the guards have been arrested because of opposition to the program by Iraqi officials.

If this tactic works to keep U.S. troops alive, that's good. But anyone who believes bribery will ensure loyalty also believes that democracy will magically take root in Iraq.