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Politics : TRIAL OF SADDAM HUSSEIN -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: calgal who wrote (59)	12/17/2003 10:22:24 PM
From: calgal	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 493

jewishworldreview.com

To: calgal who wrote (59)	12/17/2003 10:22:34 PM
From: calgal	Respond to of 493

jewishworldreview.com

To: calgal who wrote (59)	12/17/2003 10:24:50 PM
From: MKTBUZZ	Respond to of 493

That's funny!

To: calgal who wrote (59)	12/17/2003 10:35:08 PM
From: calgal	Respond to of 493

Saddam's capture boosts Bush By Judy Keen and Jill Lawrence, USA TODAY WASHINGTON — The capture of Saddam Hussein has given President Bush his highest job-approval rating in six months, improved his standing against Democrats who want his job and increased confidence that U.S. goals in Iraq will be accomplished. A USA TODAY/CNN/Gallup Poll Monday and Tuesday found 63% of Americans approve of the overall job Bush is doing. His rating just before Saddam's arrest was 54%. The 9 percentage point increase is the third largest of Bush's presidency. His approval shot up 35 points after the Sept. 11 attacks and 13 points after the invasion of Iraq. Strategists in both parties warn that poll "bounces" often are temporary. "Political physics is, the faster you go up, the faster you go down," says Paul Begala, a former adviser to President Clinton. Matthew Dowd, a strategist for Bush's campaign, says he still expects a very competitive presidential race. "Big jumps and big stuff won't dramatically alter" the evenly divided electorate, he says. The poll also found an increase in approval of the way postwar Iraq has been handled, from 46% two weeks ago to 65% now. And 51% said Bush has a clear plan for Iraq. In September, 40% said so. But there was no increase in those who thought Iraq was worth going to war over. Republican pollster Whit Ayres says most opponents of the war are Democrats and "there's no reason for Saddam's capture to have changed their view about the fundamental wisdom of the war." Saddam's arrest also was followed by diminished Democratic support for Howard Dean, a consistent critic of the war. He remains at the top of the Democratic field, but fell 6 points since last week. Before Saddam's arrest, 33% of registered Democrats and Democratic leaners said they'd choose him for the nomination; 27% picked him this week. Dean's standing in a matchup with Bush plummeted. If the vote were today, the poll found, Bush would beat him 59%-37%, vs. 52%-44% in November. Retired general Wesley Clark and Connecticut Sen. Joe Lieberman, two other Democratic candidates, tested against Bush, also lost ground. Bush went from besting Clark by 7 points in November to 15 points now. He'd beat Lieberman by 20 points, up from 7 points last month. Geoffrey Garin, a pollster for Clark, says "You would expect a bump for the president in the immediate wake of Saddam's capture," he said. "These measurements are taken in the immediate afterglow." He added, recent concern about the war is driven by casualties and the high cost of the war, not Saddam. "Over the longer term, the question is whether people feel we are starting to extricate ourselves from what had been a very messy and costly postwar situation." URL:http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2003-12-17-poll_x.htm