Americans Think Bush Is Wrong On Iraq

It looks like the congressional Democrats are going to send Bush an Iraq war bill with timetables for withdrawal in it. Bush is still saying that he would veto a bill like that. A new poll shows that a solid majority of Americans think Bush is wrong.

Results of a new NBC News / Wall Street Journal Poll taken April 20-23 shows the Democrats to be on solid ground in demanding a timetable for withdrawal. The poll, which has a margin of error of only 3.1%, shows that a full 56% of Americans agree with Democrats and say that a timetable for withdrawal should be set.

About the same amount (55%) now believe that the war in Iraq can no longer be won, and 49% believe that things have gotten worse in Iraq in the last three months. Americans just don't have any faith that Bush's "troop surge" will work. Here are the full results on the three questions:

Should there be a deadline for withdrawal?

Yes (56%)

No (37%)

Others (7%)

Is victory still possible in Iraq?

Yes (36%)

No (55%)

Others (9%)

Has Iraq gotten better or worse in the last 3 months?

Better (12%)

Worse (49%)

Stayed Same (37%)

Others (2%)

Only 12% of Americans believe the "troop surge" is working. It would behoove Bush and Republicans to pay attention to this poll, as it looks like they could pay a political price for their continued support of the war in Iraq.

Bush says we must continue the war because if we withdraw a regional conflict would break out in the area and a bloodbath would occur inside Iraq. But not even everyone within the Bush administration believe that anymore.

Richard Wolffe and Holly Bailey, writing for Newsweek, quote an anonymous senior official in the White House who doubts that either scenario would occur. Far more likely is a scenario that says there would probably be little difference whether American troops are there or not.

If that is true, and I believe it is, then we should immediately withdraw our troops. Staying in Iraq only costs more American lives without accomplishing anything.

At the very least, we now know that Democrats are on solid political ground in their efforts to establish a timetable for withdrawal. The majority of Americans support them. If Bush does veto their bill, they need to continue their efforts and not give in to his empty threats.

The American people no longer believe in the war, and want our troops to come home.