“72% of Americans who disapprove of the way Bush has handled the Iraq war are in favor of escalating the war?”
Response: The war is escalating without the added troops. THAT’S the problem. The troops are to stop-gap and reverse the tide of escalation. To take the term “escalate troop levels” to mean “escalate war” is a liberal twist. Besides, raising troop levels and giving those troops a different mandate than the current troops is doing something different, which 72% of Americans want. Admittedly, some of the 72% would like to cut-and-run and rely on the good will of the jihadist NOT to rape their daughters when they finally reach our shores, but there is no evidence to suggest that many and certainly not most of the 72% want to lose.

“YOU think it’s still possible to “win” in Iraq”
Response: Yes I do, I don’t hate my country.

“YOU don’t want to admit that the U.S. war against Iraq is an utter, abject failure”
Response: Base on THAT comment, YOU should stop trying to keep President Bush from fighting this war since up till now your efforts to keep Bush from fighting this war have been an “abject failure”. If you feel instead that your effort might succeed in the future despite the results up till now, then why do you deny such a reality for those who don’t want to cow-tow to the jihadists and feel a new strategy COULD work better than the current strategy.

“You are saying that the 57% of Americans who now believe that sending troops to Iraq was a mistake are supportive of sending more troops to Iraq?”
Response: Once again BIG LEAP. And even you’re statement is revealing: “who now believe”. So based on your statement, when we actually DID go into Iraq it was right? It’s was only a mistake because “NOW” they feel that way?

“You are saying that the 72% of Americans who believe that Pres. Bush does not have a clear plan for handling the situation in Iraq would believe that sending 20,000 more troops to spot the Iraqi army fighting Shiites in Sadr City is a clear plan for handling the situation in Iraq?”
Response: Once again, you’re LEAPING to conclusions. Maybe they would. One does not negate the other. And btw, 80% of Americans believe that the Democrats don’t have a plan, not alone a clear plan.

You are saying that the 72% of Americans who disapprove of the way Bush has handled the Iraq war are in favor of escalating the war?

What about the 56% of Americans who think the Iraq war has gone much worse than Bush expected it to go? Think it’s logical to believe that 56% supports sending more troops?

Here’s what I think: YOU want Pres. Bush to send more troops. YOU think it’s still possible to “win” in Iraq. YOU don’t want to admit that the U.S. war against Iraq is an utter, abject failure. And although large majorities of Americans, AND military commanders in Iraq, AND large numbers of U.S. soldiers in Iraq (if not majorities), AND almost every military and foreign policy expert in Washington do not believe that sending more troops will make anything better in Iraq, YOU still want to do it — so you have to project your own desires onto the larger American public, because otherwise you would have to admit that your position has almost no support at all.

You are saying that the 57% of Americans who now believe that sending troops to Iraq was a mistake are supportive of sending more troops to Iraq?

You are saying that the 72% of Americans who believe that Pres. Bush does not have a clear plan for handling the situation in Iraq would believe that sending 20,000 more troops to spot the Iraqi army fighting Shiites in Sadr City is a clear plan for handling the situation in Iraq?

They seized on the publics discontent with the war to win back the majorities, but they realize (even if you do not) that discontent with the war and the way it is being waged is not the same thing as backing policies that leads to defeat.

Have you forgotten that Republicans were kicked out of their majority in Congress, Gaius? That did not happen because Americans want Bush to send more troops to Iraq and continue the war for at least the next two years. Americans did not put Democrats in power to see them vote for and support the same old disastrous Republican policies.

Despite record-high percentages of Americans who are opposed to any troop increase, Democrats in Congress are STILL out of their minds scared to death of King George. They are *terrified.* It’s really quite pathetic.