Prometheus 6

Americans Feel Military Is Best at Ending the War
By STEVEN LEE MYERS and MEGAN THEE

Americans trust military commanders far more than the Bush administration or Congress to bring the war in Iraq to a successful end, and while most favor a withdrawal of American troops beginning next year, they suggested they were open to doing so at a measured pace, according to the latest New York Times/CBS News Poll....

The poll found that both Congress, whose approval rating now stands at its lowest level since Democrats took control from the Republicans last year, and Mr. Bush enter the debate with little public confidence in their ability to deal with Iraq. Only 5 percent of Americans — a strikingly low number for a sitting president’s handling of such a dominant issue — said they most trusted the Bush administration to resolve the war, the poll found. Asked to choose among the administration, Congress and military commanders, 21 percent said they would most trust Congress and 68 percent expressed most trust in military commanders.

The question here is vague in a rather unhelpful way. The problem is the word "resolving." I don't think people see setting up a working government as part of the war. I think the question these numbers accurate answers is, "Whom would you say you trust the most to plan and command operations intended to physically break the ability of the Iraqi insurgency to operate?"

Still, interesting poll results. Even the Bush addicted want his hands off the wheel. A number of pundits will point out that Congress has a lower approval rating than Bush, suggesting Bush's position is more popular than that of Congressional Democrats. Which is true, but that's because they aren't standing up. Consider question 72, "Do you think the United States should or should not set a timetable for the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq sometime in 2008?" 64% says yes. That 64% is directing its ire at Congress as well as Bush.

In fact, most people have just stopped believing Bush is listening. Question 85 reads, "After the report is presented, do you think the U.S. will make whatever changes to its Iraq strategy that the report recommends, or do you expect U.S. Iraq strategy to pretty much continue as it has?" 71% said "Continue strategy"...seven in ten believe the Petraeus report will change nothing.

Why should it? The White House is writing the report. But I digress.

What Congress should be looking at is question 57 "From what you have seen or heard about the situation in Iraq, what should the United States do NOW — should the U.S. increase the number of U.S. troops in Iraq, keep the same number of U.S. troops in Iraq as there are now, decrease the number of U.S. troops in Iraq, or remove all its troops from Iraq?" 30% said increase or keep the same. 65% want the troops withdrawn.