Americans Trust Democrats Over Bush on Iraq Policy

[bigtree]

Jonathan Weisman
Washington Post
Monday, April 16, 2007; 5:30 PM

{snip}

Democrats appear to be standing on firm political ground, as they work toward a final bill this week. A Washington Post-ABC News poll of 1,141 adults, conducted April 12-15, found that 58 percent trusted the Democrats in Congress to do a better job handling the situation in Iraq, compared to 33 percent who trusted Bush.

The president has taken advantage of the congressional spring recess to pound Democrats over their legislation, which would impose benchmarks for the Iraqi government to meet, set strict rules for resting, equipping and training combat troops, and set a 2008 date for the final withdrawal of U.S. troops. Despite those efforts, Bush has actually lost a little ground to Democrats, who were trusted by 54 percent to set Iraq policy in February.

And pessimism about the war continues to grow. For the first time, a narrow majority of Americans, 51 percent, say the United States will lose the war in Iraq, compared to 35 percent who said the United States will win. Bush continued today to say victory in Iraq is pivotal to the larger war on terrorism, but Americans are increasingly siding with the Democratic view that the issues are separate. Some 57 percent now say the United States can succeed in the war on terrorism without winning the war in Iraq, a 10-percentage point increase since January, when Americans were almost evenly divided on the question.

The percentage of Americans who favor withdrawing U.S. forces from Iraq, even if that means civil order is not restored, held steady from February at 56 percent.

But Americans remain divided over specific policy changes. Some 51 percent support legislation such as the House bill, which would continue funding the war but would set a deadline of no later than August 2008 for the withdrawal of U.S. combat forces; 46 percent oppose such a bill.

While they fare better when compared with Bush, 62 percent in the poll disapproved of the way congressional Democrats have handled the situation in Iraq. Bush's disapproval on his handling of the war was 70 percent.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/04/16/AR2007041601099_pf.html



"According to a new CBS poll, only 29% of voters believe Congress should allow war funding without a time limit, while 67% either want to cut off funding or impose a time limit."

http://www.guardian.co.uk/international/story/0,,2058695,00.html



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