Well, well, well, Democrats have lost support in the latest poll. The good
news is that the public doesn't like Bush or the Republicans any better, though that's hardly the real news in these numbers. But
is anyone really surprised by this development? After the complete failure of
Reid and Pelosi to send a bill to the president that curtailed the unbridled
escalation in Iraq, one couldn't blame the public if they entirely walked away
from the Democratic leadership. So don't blame us for the ten point drop in
Democratic approval. Democrats and others against the Iraq war, who are also willing to
do what's necessary to end it, have lost even more faith in Democrats, going
from 69% approval to 54% approval now. The Democratic leadership has so utterly
failed those who put them in office that it's hard to muster any faith that
they'll get the job done going forward. Blowback's a bitch.
The Democrats in Congress have lost much of the leadership edge they carried
out of the 2006 midterm election, with the lack of progress in Iraq being
the leading cause. Their only solace: President Bush and the Republicans aren't
doing any better.Six weeks ago the Democrats held a 24-point lead over Bush as the stronger
leadership force in Washington; today that's collapsed to a dead heat. The
Democrats' overall job approval rating likewise has dropped, from a 54 percent
majority to 44 percent now — with the decline occurring almost exclusively
among strong opponents of the Iraq War. …
We have lost a 24-point lead over Bush on leadership. What a revoltin' development.
Over three-quarters of the American people think the country is going in the
wrong direction. People still trust Congress over Bush by a wide margin
and for good reason. Obviously, Democrats in Congress have a chance to make
up for their disastrous lack of leadership on Iraq, but it better come soon,
especially since the “president's credibility gap” leaves 60% of the
American people feeling they “can't trust the Bush administration to
honestly and accurately report intelligence about security threats facing the
United States.”
The recent J.F.K. International non-threat has only added insult to the incompetence and political grandstanding. If you didn't see Keith Olbermann's take on Bush using terrorism for political gain, it's a must see.
But it's obvious that the real trouble for Democrats lies in their inaction so far on Iraq.
Indeed, the public still trusts the Democrats in Congress over Bush to handle
the situation in Iraq, by 51 percent to 35 percent. But the Democrats' number
has slipped from 58 percent in April and a high of 60 percent in January.
– ABC
Bush's approval on handling terrorism has been declining since before the '06
elections, now at 52% disapproving. His numbers on Iraq are worse, with on 31%
approving of his job on Iraq.
These numbers make it even harder to comprehend why Reid, Pelosi, Murtha, Webb,
Sestak, Biden and so many other Democrats bailed on their Iraq war responsibilities.
We've paid a price, too. Democrats have dropped from 52% approval on terrorism,
to 46%. It's an overall lack of toughness to stand up against a weak president
and push back where it's needed. It affects everything, including our gains
on security.
It's also infuriating that the Democrats who voted for the recent funding on Iraq believe that pushing back on Bush regarding funding isn't supporting the troops. It's a slap in the face to every Democrat who knows that the way to truly support our troops is to get them out of the middle of the civil war. Biden was wrong when he said in the New Hampshire debate that voting against funding was the politically safe thing to do. It was brave and incredibly important. It's not about pulling out irresponsibly either. I'm one of the people who believe we will have a residual force in Iraq. But our armed forces are suffering terribly, to the point of breaking, and taking a serious hit that could affect the long-term national security of this country. On top of this reality, by all accounts, except the fantasy wingnut brigade, the surge is not working.
“I think if we do the right things politically and economically with the right Iraqi leadership we could still salvage at least a stalemate, if you will — not a stalemate but at least stave off defeat,” Sanchez told the San Antonio Express-News. “It's also kind of important for us to answer the question, 'What is victory?', and at this point I'm not sure America really knows what victory is.”
When you listen to the latest news coming out of Iraq, including Barry McCaffrey's bleak assessment recently, it makes this situation even harder to swallow, the latest poll numbers maddening, and the Democratic “leadership” on Iraq unfathomable, and I use the term “leadership” very loosely.
Comments are closed.