The Irresistible Force And The Immovable Object

By Mimikatz

The drama that will play out over the rest of the year is the meeting of the irresistible force of public opinion and the immovable objects Bush and Cheney, as of this moment still surrounded by a circle of steadfast  Republicans, all of them in collective denial about things in Iraq.

But the public is not.  According to the CBS poll,

HOW IS THE WAR GOING?

Well
22%
Badly
77%

Fewer than one in five thinks that the troop increase is helping to improve the situation in Iraq, while about half think the war is actually creating more terrorists.

The poll has bad news for President Bush, too. His job approval rating slipped to 27 percent, his lowest number ever in a CBS News poll — 3 points less than last month and 1 point below his previous low of 28 percent in January. His disapproval rating is also at an all-time high of 65 percent.

And there is other evidence as well.  From Think Progress:

According to an analysis of public opinion polls by American Progress fellow Ruy Teixeira, 54 percent of Americans believe that the situation in Iraq has gotten worse and only 29 percent believe that the United States is winning the war on terrorism.

And what does the public think we should do about this situation?

U.S. TROOP LEVELS IN IRAQ SHOULD

Increase
11%
Keep the same number
17%
Decrease
26%
Remove all troops
40%

From the CBS Poll. that is 66% who think we should decrease troop levels or withdraw all the troops.  Sure Senator Lugar has backtracked on his earlier statements that things aren't going too well, indicating that he won't do anything to challenge Bush/Cheney.  But he's not up for reelection.  Senator John Sununu, in New Hampshire, is, and he can't he heartened by a poll that has him losing to Jean Shaheen, former governor and as yet undeclared candidate by 57% to 29%.  And with even a Fox Poll showing that Americans trust the Democrats by more than 3 percentage points over the GOP in handling an "all-out war with Muslim radicals," it can't be a happy Fourth for the Bush/Cheney regime and the GOP. 

When Congress returns, the Dems will renew their own offensive against Bush/Cheney in light of the surge in public opinion away from Bush.  What will happen?  Watch it unfold this summer.

Comments

[ab initio]

The trajectory of the polls have been very consistent from before last Nov mid-term elections. In poll after poll over the past year the revulsion to the occupation of Iraq is clear. Although the MSM and the Cheney regime's spin about the connection between AQ & Iraq is still in high gear the American people are clear that the occupation is increasing terrorism. The right track/wrong track is also moving consistently against the Cheney regime.

It seems we are having a reprise of last summer/fall when the Dems leadership were afraid of challenging the regime while the base were consistent with the American people. Due to the success of Ned Lamont against LieberLiar and other primary challengers to the DC anointed - the DC Dems finally began to get it and moved their campaigns to focus on Iraq and US withdrawal. As a result they now have a majority in Congress.

I hope as they return from the summer recess they stop getting spooked by their shadows and begin a serious challenge of the Cheney regime with the intent to demolish 6 years of creeping authoritarianism and rampant cronyism. And bring those clearly involved in criminal activities to justice and hold those who violated their oaths to preserve and protect the Constitution accountable. This means direct confrontation and impeachment proceedings.

Let's see if the current Dems leadership deserve the continued support of the American people. Or substantially more challengers need to be encouraged in the upcoming primaries.

[bill in turkey]

Nice post - but you might want to fix the typo in the title :-)

[sojourner]

I have been reading Greenwald's book, and he had confirmed some feelings I have held for quite some time about our president. What it comes down to is that Bush will insist on being 'right,' no matter what. Coupled with Cheney, the two will go down in history as the dark forces of America because of Iraq.

We can be critical of the Democratic leadership, but I suspect they have realized that they are dealing with nut cases, and have done their best to avoid the Bush-Cheney unholy alliance digging in its heels, which is exactly what is happening. Sadly, Bush and Cheney can never admit being wrong, because neither of them understands the concept. Of course, more people will die, and our United States will lose more of its light.

The country's Democratic leadership is the only hope that we have to lead us out of this mess. Maybe it is time for us to trust their skills...

[Jodi]

Just strickly a personal desire and opinion from a sad, sad girl.

Pull the troops out. In stages if you have to. To isolated bases in Iraq. To neighboring countries. To ships at sea. Or just bring them home.

But whatever is done, bring my big brother, who has spend over 3 1/2 years in Afghanistan and Iraq, home in one piece. He has already been home after being seriously wounded but he went back. And not just to make rank which he does have. He believes in his country, his job, and his troops, men and women, are his life.

Let the next President probably a Democrat deal with Terrorism, with car bombs, with bombs on buses.

Impeach Bush..

Bush had a surge of 20,000 men. He needed 120,000 or more.
If Bush had had 270,000 men in Iraq at the time the statue fell, instead of 135,000, all this mess wouldn't have happened.
Bush tried to do war on the cheap and give tax breaks to his friends.

He is a dangerous fool. He isn't dumb like is popular to believe. He just thinks that he can have his cake and eat it too.

Impeach Bush. Succeed or fail, let that be his legacy.
To be tried for Iraq.

Put it on the record. Put it in the History Books.

[John]

When all is said and done we will withdraw from Iraq. There will be a bloodbath and neighboring muslim countries will invade and occupy Iraqi territory along religious lines. All this while Dick Cheney, Karl Rove, Richard Pearle, Paul Wolfiwitz, George Bush, Donald Rumsfeld, and Condileeza Rice enjoy the spoils of war, that were handed to them by our brave fighting men and woman.

[pol]

John, you are SO right.

[Mimikatz]

Typos fixed.

The Dems plan several votes in both House and Senate according to the linked article, both as part of the appropriations process and also some stand-alone measures. The plan seems to be to have the GOP members have to vote to defend Bush and the War over and over.

Meanwhile, the investigations and subpoenas continue. Bush heads to the OK Corral as weakened as any President in the last 85 years. He is dependent on the kindness of GOP Senators, 21 of whom are placing their futures in jeopardy by defending what to the public is rapidly becoming indefensible. Sure, a bozo like Jeff Sessions or Saxby Chambliss can be reelected, but if they lose the open seats in CO and (probably) AK and VA, and the seats held by Sununu (NH), Domenici (NM), Gordon Smith (OR) and maybe even Susan Collins (ME), Norm Coleman (MN), or even Inhofe (OK--praise be), to say nothing of the one of the two WY seats or even ID, we could be looking at a real minority for the GOP and a filibuster-proof majority for the Dems. It could happen if the war-loving and obstructionist tactics of the GOP Senators, who have blocked almost every bill of any importance from coming to a vote, backfire.

[freepatriot]

well, let's see, there have been two car bombs found in Britian, and there's also a fishy story about an SUV burning in front of an entrance to Glasgow Airport

so tell me again about fighting them "Over There" so we don't have to "fight them here"

how's that working out ???

anybody think george bush will survive an attack in America now ???

[Sojourner]

Mimikatz, I do not know how vulnerable he might be, but I am ready to do whatever I can to get rid of John Cornyn of Texas. I am beginning to suspect that there are a lot of others who are not particularly happy with his continued support of Bush (even though he did break with him on immigration).

Actually, the Republican Party in Texas (which I recently left) has managed to shoot itself in the foot with its activities in the legislature. People are really tired of being gouged for electricity (thanks to the Republicans), and having people like Rick Perry (governor) ordering them to have their daughters vaccinated against HPV.

I look forward to a wholesale slaughter at the polls next year...