A Washington Post article under the headline, Most in Poll Want War Funding Cut, claims that most Americans 'oppose fully funding President Bush's $190 billion request for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.' The headline implies is that Americans are very much opposed to Bush's policy in Iraq and Afghanistan. In fact only 43 percent of those polled favor a sharp reduction in funding while 27 percent would approve all the money and 23 percent would approve most of the money.
And then we find this.
At the same time, there is no consensus about the pace of any U.S. troop withdrawals from Iraq. In July, nearly six in 10 said they wanted to decrease the number of troops there, but now a slim majority, 52 percent, think Bush's plan for removing some troops by next summer is either the right pace for withdrawal (38 percent) or too hasty (12 percent would like a slower reduction, and 2 percent want no force reduction). Fewer people (43 percent) want a quicker exit.
In July when nearly 6 in 10 favored decreasing the number of troops in Iraq, presumably there was consensus on the issue. Today, the Post describes a 'slim majority' of Americans, 52 percent to 43 percent that oppose reducing troop levels faster than called for in the President's plan, as no consensus on the 'pace for withdrawal.'
Once again, with events on the ground failing to provide sensational anti-Administration stories, the Post resorts to an opinion poll for 'facts' to fit its premise. I sincerely hope this fad in the mainstream press of giving aid and comfort to an enemy abroad in order to further their partisan preferences at home will fall out of style soon. I'm getting pretty damned tired of it.
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