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Politics : PRESIDENT GEORGE W. BUSH -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Hope Praytochange who wrote (723958)	2/2/2006 5:22:13 PM
From: DuckTapeSunroof	Respond to of 769670

"earmarks" <GGG>.

To: Hope Praytochange who wrote (723958)	2/2/2006 6:20:14 PM
From: DuckTapeSunroof	Respond to of 769670

Polling Project, Fifth Release by Chris Bowers, Tue Jan 31, 2006 at 11:56:11 AM EST mydd.com Like the fourth release, the fifth release of the polling project focuses on Iraq. It covers two questions, #14 and #15, which describe two different troop deployment proposals: Q14. Given events since the invasion, do you support the decision to maintain a U.S. combat force of over 100,000 troops in Iraq for the next few years? All Dem Rep Ind Strongly Support 15.6 5.2 29.2 13.7 Support 38.2 28.2 49.3 38.0 Oppose 24.0 30.7 16.0 24.6 Strongly Oppose 22.2 35.9 5.6 23.7 Q15. A new troop deployment plan was proposed recently. The plan is to withdraw US troops from Iraq but to keep them close by in neighboring countries like Kuwait to be sent back in if they are needed to maintain civil order. Do you, strongly support, support, oppose or strongly oppose this new troop deployment plan for Iraq? All Dem Rep Ind Strongly Support 11.8 8.8 17.9 9.5 Support 51.5 50.5 46.8 56.4 Oppose 22.3 25.1 23.6 18.7 Strongly Oppose 14.4 15.6 11.8 15.4 The second proposal might look familiar to many on the blogosphere. This is because, as I understand it, it is the proposal made by Congressman John Murtha back in November. As you can see from the numbers, it polls higher than the "stay the course indefinitely" proposal that many commentators, especially those who are supportive of the Bush administration, have argued we must follow. Overall, 63% of the country support Murtha's proposal, while 55% of the country supports the "stay the course" proposal. What is perhaps most stunning about the Murtha proposal is how it is supported almost exactly the same by Democrats (59.3%), Republicans (63.7%) and Independents (65.9%). Considering the size of these sub-samples, those differences are within the margin for error. The non-partisan nature of support for Murtha's plan stands in sharp contrast to the "say the course" plan, which features only 33% support from Democrats, and 79% support from Republicans. The broad support for Murtha's plan also stands in sharp contrast to the November vote on his plan in the House of Representatives, when only 3 members of Congress actually cast a vote in favor. Looking a little more closely at these numbers, I also notice something else. Murth'a proposal does not have a lot of strong support or strong opposition. I think this indicates both that people are not familiar with his proposal, and that people are very, very interested in hearing new ideas about how to deploy our troops in relation to Iraq. Relating to the latter, the country is divided along partisan lines over Bush's plan, but wants to hear alternatives. Relating to the former, it is particularly interesting that in all the media fury over Murtha suggesting troop withdrawal, that the nation is still so unfamiliar with his plan, yet still very willing to listen to it and support it. If only this was a debate that the media and the Republican Noise Machine actually waned to have. Instead, they have focused on attacking Murtha's personally, and even on attempts to slander his service record in order to keep a real debate on troop deployment off the table. People want to hear alternatives on Iraq, and they like what Murtha has proposed.... Murtha's troop deployment plan is incredibly popular. That really should be big news.

To: Hope Praytochange who wrote (723958)	2/2/2006 6:23:46 PM
From: DuckTapeSunroof	Respond to of 769670

According to a new poll [PDF] of 1150 Iraqis conducted by the Program on International Policy Attitudes at the University of Maryland, 70 percent of Iraqis want the fledgling government to request a U.S. timetable for withdrawal, including 64 percent of Kurds and 90 percent of Shi'ites. The Kurds - a small, historically-repressed minority -- are, understandably the most cautious. Among the more than two-thirds of Iraqis who want the U.S. to withdrawal, the number is evenly divided between those calling for a rapid pull-out and others who want a withdrawal to be completed within two years. The Kurds - who make up about a quarter of the population -- are the only group in which a majority (57%) wants the U.S. to stay until the security situation improves. Overall, only 29 percent of Iraqis desire U.S. forces to remain until then. There may be a risk of the country descending into civil war, but Iraqis seem willing to take that chance. ...while a large majority of Iraqis want their government to ask the U.S. for a timetable to get out, three quarters of them don't believe the U.S. will honor such a request. That cuts across sectarian lines: two-thirds of Shi'Ites and three quarters of Kurds agree. Eight out of ten Iraqis believe the U.S. plans to build and maintain permanent bases in Iraq. That, right there, is the difference between being viewed as a liberator or an occupier. That explains why almost half of all Iraqis -- including four in ten Shi'ites - approve of attacks on American forces.... pipa.org