USNews: Iraq Successes Buoying Bush

http://www.usnews.com/usnews/politics/bulletin/bulletin_071211.htm

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Iraq Successes Buoying Bush His job approval ratings are low and he is facing one new problem after another, from questions about the validity of US intelligence assessments of Iran's nuclear intentions to confrontations with Congress over many spending and taxes. But as 2007 draws to a close, aides tell the US News Political Bulletin that President Bush remains upbeat. One big reason, they explain, is because Bush thinks the military situation in Iraq has improved so much from a year ago. Violence is down, US troops are effectively taking control of trouble spots, and the American public is finally getting the message, according to the polls. Political reconciliation lags far behind, Bush acknowledges privately, but he is heartened by successes on the military side. A senior Bush adviser told the Political Bulletin, "The President always said what mattered most was progress on the ground in Iraq, and we've got that. This has gone a long way toward making the year a positive one."