Poll: Calls To Get Out Of Iraq Escalate

77% In CBS News Poll Say War's Going Badly, 40% Urge Withdrawal Of All U.S. Troops

(CBS)  A CBS News poll shows Americans are increasingly dissatisfied with the Iraq war, President Bush and the Congress, as well as the overall direction of the country.

More Americans than ever before, 77 percent, say the war is going badly, up from 66 percent just two months ago. Nearly half, 47 percent, say it's going very badly.

While the springtime surge in U.S. troops to Iraq is now complete, more Americans than ever are calling for U.S. forces to withdraw. Sixty-six percent say the number of U.S. troops in Iraq should be decreased, including 40 percent who want all U.S. troops removed. That's a 7-point increase since April.

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.

U.S. TROOP LEVELS IN IRAQ SHOULD

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

"Presidents usually have popularity problems in their last two years in office," said Kathy Frankovic, CBS News director of surveys. "But the combination of shrinking support for the war in Iraq and opposition to domestic initiatives like the immigration bill has made assessment of this administration especially negative.

"Americans don't only disapprove of the president; they overwhelmingly see the country as on the wrong track," Frankovic said

But Congress also fared poorly in the poll. Its approval rating was also at 27 percent — a 9-point drop from last month. Nearly six in 10 among those surveyed said the 110th Congress has accomplished less during the last six months than Congress usually does.

Vice President Dick Cheney received a similarly low rating, with 28 percent approval and 59 percent disapproval.

The poll found a record number of Americans, 75 percent, believe the country is headed in the wrong direction. Only 19 percent think the U.S. is on the right track — the lowest number since CBS News first asked the question in 1983.

DIRECTION OF THE COUNTRY

Wrong track
75%
Right direction
19%

There's also rising concern about America's standing in the world.

Seven in 10 Americans say the United States is not respected around the world today. More than half say President Bush's foreign policy has made world leaders less likely to cooperate with the U.S.; just 10 percent say he's made foreign leaders more agreeable.

[NEALIET]

What are we commenting about today that was even worst yesterday? Why are we commenting anyway? what good is it going to do about the government and the world when there is nothing you can comment on ...the president has been in office almost 8 years and the country still is in bad shape and getting worse... lets bring God back into our world and it may turn out better... bless you the people of this USA and lets keep it as was before... follow your heart and soul, not your politicians...

[guysdigdirt]

The media has shed the wrong image and spewed untruths for so long and so deep that the American public does not know the truth of the situation and can only voice their opinion based on the garbage the media has fed them. Trash in, trash out.

It is too bad the media cannot tell the unbiased truth.

[manring99]

can you believe there are still some cars with a bush-cheney-o4 bumper sticker?

[sassycake]

for all of the deluded people who voted for bush for a second term, you got what you deserved. for the rest of us we are just trying hard not to say I TOLD YOU SO!

[baghdadshere]

WHERE ARE THE COMMENTS?

[baghdadshere]

WHERE ARE THE COMMENTS?

[baghdadshere]

WHERE ARE THE COMMENTS?

[alphaa10-2009]

"More Americans than ever before, 77 percent, say the war is going badly, up from 66 percent just two "months ago..."
---
Despite the so-called surge, which one military consultant called a "dribble", an expected wave of American public approval for Iraq has not materialized.

In fact, the harder the Bush regime cranks its propaganda machine, the worse the reception they find. The Iraq war has found its tipping point with the public.

But after years of growing doubt and criticism, why now? Have Bush, Cheney and their minions lost control of their mendacity? More likely, Americans are simply weary and wise to their tiresome lies about the war, its rationale and the massive cost of the Bush debacle.

Seven of ten respondents also said this country has lost the respect of the world. This will jolt the neocon cabal which planned to remake the MidEast in their own image. Apparently, raw military power is not the ticket to winning friends and influencing people.

[alphaa10-2009]

"More Americans than ever before, 77 percent, say the war is going badly, up from 66 percent just two "months ago..."
---
Despite the so-called surge, which one military consultant called a "dribble", an expected wave of American public support for Iraq hasn't materialized.

In fact, the harder the Bush regime cranks its propaganda machine, the worse the reception they find. The Iraq war has found its tipping point with public approval.

But after years of growing criticism, why now? Have Bush, Cheney and their minions become unskilled in their mendacity? More likely, Americans are simply weary and wise to their tiresome lies about the war, the war's rationale and the massive cost of the Bush debacle.

Seven in ten poll respondents said this country has lost the respect of the world. This overwhelming consensus will jolt the neocon cabal which planned to remake the world, not so many months ago. Apparently, military power is not the ticket to winning friends and influencing people.

[barbjc1]

What a surprise, a large majority thinks the country is heading the wrong way. Well, it started 40 years ago when the government starting dropping the education standards to get more votes.
How about this voters of America
Elect a new president in 2008
Elect a new vice president in 2008 but from a different party
Replace everyone in Congress
I think that is called starting with a clean slate

[barbjc1]

Overall disapproval about the direction the country is headed, my my my WHAT A SURPRISE. First 40 years ago they started dropping the educational standards so now all of our children have the opportunity to be stupid, second corporate greed is at an all time high, third if you are over 45 make sure you have plenty of money in the bank because the odds are you are going to lose your job. A war we have no business in an that is because those people have been fighting for over 2000 years which religious sect is the "one blessed by Mohammed" and next Give amnesty to illegal immigrants that broke the law to get here. Personally, I think we need a new president, that will come in 2008, the vice president should not be from the same party, and replace every member in the Congress. I think that is called starting with a clean slate. How about the rest of you voters out there? How do you feel?
"Women of American" do you understand if you put a man in office, his wife is going to be just another first lady with very little influence in Washington. Think about that before you vote for any man running. Really look at the mess all of them have made so far. Mothers, what about your children that have died in useless wars, who has started them. Do not misunderstand me, I am not a pacifist, but if our American soldiers lives are going to be lost make it count and for a good reason.

[liberalme]

And the real terrorists are still runnung America!!!

[jnbeaumont]

withdraw today!!!!

[tnichlsn]

Somewhere the clinical definition of retarted is stated as someone who continues to make the same mistakes over and over... These ~25% who still support this inept president/administration are retarded by any definition...

[firststate]

Wars are NOT a "pick and choose" proposition.
Posted by ralphj53

Wars shouldn't be a pick and choose proposition. The effort in Afghanistan was thrust upon us by the attacks on 9/11. The Iraq invasion WAS picked and chosen. The claims about WMD's were put forward after disregarding all the intel that didn't fit with the rush to war. No WMD's and No connection with al-Qaeda or 9/11. Bringing democracy to Iraq was nowhere to be found in the reasons for the war until the truth about the non-existent WMD's and no connection with 9/11 or al-Qaeda began to surface.

It's pretty high-handed to say that we need to keep killing Iraqis because we destroyed their defenses and let the Iranians and al-Qaeda move into their country. They had no civil war until we disbanded their police and military and let criminals and then the sectarian violence to take control and then we allowed the terrorists to move in during the confusion. Their new majority Shia had years of abuse to pay back to the newly out of power Sunni minority. The white house was warned to expect exactly the situation that has followed the invasion before the first shot was fired, but DickNBush were sure they knew better than the experts. They were clearly wrong. The picked the war, we choose to end it.

[rheola-2009]

'There's also rising concern about America's standing in the world.

Seven in 10 Americans say the United States is not respected around the world today. More than half say President Bush's foreign policy has made world leaders less likely to cooperate with the U.S.; just 10 percent say he's made foreign leaders more agreeable."


This person has done so much damage to America, and it's credibility around the world, it will be many decades, if ever America regains some credibility.

[baghdadshere]

40% democrats, 60% republicans.

[gkc99]

Perhaps the low approval rating for Congress reflects:
1) disapproval of the lock-step mindless supporters of the Bushit / Chickenshit adminstration that has rubber stamped their every demand;
2) disapproval of the failure of the Democrats elected in 2006 to initiate aggressive action to block the criminal acts of the Bushit / Chickenshit administration.

That encompasses at least 80% of the whole pathetic bunch.

Republicans toadies are history in 2008. But the spineless failure of Pelosi to take action on impeachment does not sit well either.

[micma-2009]

Bush is the worst President in U.S. history and his Republican cohorts in Congress are the most corrupt in history. Nothing good has come from either one.

[wjneill]

Okay, so there's massive dissatisfaction. So what? When is anyone gonna gather the teeming, huddled, and unwashed masses into one cohesive force to be reckoned with? Ain't nothin gonna happen until the masses rise up.

Or, as Adlai Stevenson once commented "Eggheads of the world, rise up and throw off your yokes!". Any eggheads out there in the netherworld?

Billy Bob