Bush Faces Deepening War Opposition, Demand For Congress To Act Before He Kills Again

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601070&sid=aDgGLrXB8vQA&refer=home

Jan. 18 (Bloomberg) -- President George W. Bush failed to rally public support with his nationally televised speech announcing plans to send more soldiers to Iraq, as most Americans say they want Congress to find a way to stop the troop increase.

A new Bloomberg/Los Angeles Times poll shows the public opposes Bush's decision to dispatch 21,500 additional troops by a margin of 60 percent to 36 percent. Even so, there was little appetite for directly cutting funds for the buildup of forces as a means of thwarting the president's plan.

The poll, conducted days after Bush's Jan. 10 announcement, contains little good news for the president's war policy, which is under attack from both Democratic and Republican lawmakers, some of whom are exploring ways to block the latest deployment.

``Bush is not making a case for himself,'' said Susan Pinkus, the Los Angeles Times polling director. ``The public doesn't think this new strategy is going to work.''

Most Americans, however, ``are sort of pragmatic about the whole thing and trying to figure out ways to get out of this without our tail between our legs,'' said Pinkus.