OK what's been going on?

[Mayberry Machiavelli]

I've been in England then Paris the last 2 weeks mainly being a tourist and friend visitor with little exposure to news/internet (some CNNi/BBC on hotel TV and a little web browsing). Iraq war gone from bag of dog dung to bag of dog dung aflame, many US soldiers and Iraqis dead. Woodward book out/60 min. Bush still about 50/50 with JK when all polls considered in the aggregate? That's a bit dismaying, I would hope for 7-10% lead type numbers (at least 5%) going into the GE.

What's the mood, anything else happening? The exchange rate really sux and we are getting hammered (mainly financially) in both countries...

[boobooday]

1. Just a bunch of liars

Bush's lead is an illusion, and not impressive given that he is an incumbent. What I heard was that no president with a 50% approval rating at this point has ever been elected.

But of course this is our media, who can stand in front of a graphic showing a 50% approval rating and call Bush a "popular Wartime president" when his popularity is lower than Clinton's was during impeachment!

It sounds like a great trip!

http://www.wgoeshome.com

[Ready4Change]

2. Forget what's happening here! What's happening out there?

What's the word on the streets in England and Paris? Do the think the US is fighting the good fight? That the US is being it's typically vulgar, blundering self? That the US is evil and bent on militarily dominating any who would resist? What does the average European shopkeeper think?

[MichaelUK]

3. View from the UK

I watch the news every night. I read The Times every day (so that's about about 1 1/2 hrs of my day spent on news). I get more information about what's going on in Iraq and the US from 10 minutes here than I do in the UK. Unless Chimp-boy makes another huge mistake, in which case the papers are full of it.

Current news headlines are:

* David Beckham (the football player) had an affair
* There's going to be a referendum on joining Europe
* General political bickering
* Football
* The cricket
* Maybe something on Iraq, death tolls, current military news etc

General concensus is that if Bush wins the election, either the general citizens of America are as stupid as us Europeans assume or he rigged it.