Poll: Most Americans Don’t Want Veto of Iraq Funding Bill

http://www.pensitoreview.com/2007/04/27/poll-most-americans-dont-want-veto-of-iraq-funding-bill/

Poll: Most Americans Don’t Want Veto of Iraq Funding Bill
Posted by Buck | Apr. 27, 2007, 2:06 pm

The Pew Research Center has just released a poll that found six out of 10 Americans do not want President Bush to veto the Iraq spending bill that calls for a timetable for troop withdrawal. That’s almost as many Americans as voted for Al Gore for president in 2000!
The poll detected deep-seated pessimism among Americans for prospects in Iraq.

The challenge is that neither side seems inclined to compromise: 54 percent of withdrawl timeline supporters do not want the Senate to compromise with Bush to avoid a veto; likewise, 54 percent of those opposed to a timeline for withdrawal do not want Bush to back down on his veto promise. Not that that’s very likely.

The poll detected deep-seated pessimism among Americans for prospects in Iraq, and for the first time a majority (51 percent) of respondents said they did not think the U.S. would succeed in establishing a stable democracy in Iraq. Only a quarter think that the troop surge is having a positive effect and only a third think it will have a positive long-term effect on the situation in Iraq. Forty-one percent believe that maintaining a military presence in Iraq increases the likelihood of a terrorist attack on the U.S., while 45 percent say withdrawing would increase the odds of a terrorist attack on American soil.

Even Republicans are growing disenchanted with Bush’s handling of the war. Almost half (45 percent) say they want a candidate for president who will take a different approach from Bush’s, while only 41 percent say they want a candidate who will cary on in Bush’s footsteps. When applied to both Republicans and Republican-leaning voters, however, the number wanting a change in strategy jumps to 52 percent.

it in the Rose Garden with lots of flags, soldiers and their families in the background. I want to hear him to say how much he supports the troops while he is putting his veto stamp on the bill that would fund their efforts while bringing them home. I want to hear him explain how the Democrats are unpatriotic because they have included timelines and benchmarks into this bill as outlined in the report from the Baker-Hamilton Commission. I want him to tell us why he is going to veto this bill even though it is contrary to the wishes of the American people. Even his most staunch supporters might find that to be a little hard to swallow.