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→Opinion polls
This 3-4 percentage drop in approval rating for the Congress is unlikely to be due to changes in Republican sentiment over the War, because Republicans have been supportive of the war effort all along, as evidenced by Senator McCain in a piece titled <i>McCain: Iraq War "Necessary And Just"</i> (April 07), where McCain insisted that Bush's troop increase showed "glimmers of progress." The piece cited the latest Associated Press-Ipsos poll which showed that, <b>among Republicans, roughly three in four say the United States made the right decision in going to war and call the cause worthy.</b>
This 3-4 percentage drop in approval rating for the Congress is unlikely to be due to changes in Republican sentiment over the War, because Republicans have been supportive of the war effort all along, as evidenced by Senator McCain in a piece titled <i>McCain: Iraq War "Necessary And Just"</i> (April 07), where McCain insisted that Bush's troop increase showed "glimmers of progress." The piece cited the latest Associated Press-Ipsos poll which showed that, <b>among Republicans, roughly three in four say the United States made the right decision in going to war and call the cause worthy.</b>
<ref>http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/04/11/politics/main2670426.shtml?source=RSSattr=HOME_2670426</ref> And, on May 8, 2007, in "McCain: Progress in Iraq may turn opinions on war" it states, "<b>more than half of Americans who identify themselves as Republican say they support Bush's execution of the war.</b>" <ref> http://desmoinesregister.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070508/NEWS09/705080330/1056 </ref>
<ref>http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/04/11/politics/main2670426.shtml?source=RSSattr=HOME_2670426</ref> And, on May 8, 2007, in "McCain: Progress in Iraq may turn opinions on war" it states, "<b>more than half of Americans who identify themselves as Republican say they support Bush's execution of the war.</b>" <ref> http://desmoinesregister.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070508/NEWS09/705080330/1056 </ref>
As Paul M. Weyrich noted, "It really comes down to this. Most Democrats think the country is so fed up with the war that is why they won last November. Thus, in advocating a bill to require timetables for withdrawal (which Sen. Hillary Clinton [D.-N.Y.] has said she opposes because it would signal the enemy just when we would be gone) they are doing what the public wants. Republicans are convinced (and have survey research data to prove their point) that the public does not want to go this far. Who is correct? If Democrats are then their poll numbers will soar after (such legislation) passes the House, if it does. If Republicans are they will witness an up tick in the polls. That is the curse of our times. Important public-policy questions are determined by the polls and not what is good for America." <ref> http://www.humanevents.com/article.php?id=19796 </ref> Because the House of Congress has passed such legislation, the disapproval of the American public across the board was anticipated as being caused by the direction they have taken requiring withdrawl.
Iraqi opposition to the American presence, both politically and militarily, has gradually increased since 2003. A secret British Ministry of Defence poll conducted in late 2005 found that 82 percent of Iraqis were "strongly opposed" to the presence of Coalition soldiers in Iraq.<ref>[http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2005/10/23/wirq23.xml Secret MoD poll: Iraqis support attacks on British troops], retrieved March 21, 2007</ref> The same poll found support for Iraqi rebels at 45%, rising to 65% in Maysan province, although a poll by the IRI in March 2006 found 78% of respondents answered that "violence is never acceptable"<ref>[http://www.iri.org/mena/iraq/pdfs/2006-04-27-Iraq%20poll%20March%20March.ppt Downloadable PowerPoint], retrieved March 21, 2007</ref>.
Iraqi opposition to the American presence, both politically and militarily, has gradually increased since 2003. A secret British Ministry of Defence poll conducted in late 2005 found that 82 percent of Iraqis were "strongly opposed" to the presence of Coalition soldiers in Iraq.<ref>[http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2005/10/23/wirq23.xml Secret MoD poll: Iraqis support attacks on British troops], retrieved March 21, 2007</ref> The same poll found support for Iraqi rebels at 45%, rising to 65% in Maysan province, although a poll by the IRI in March 2006 found 78% of respondents answered that "violence is never acceptable"<ref>[http://www.iri.org/mena/iraq/pdfs/2006-04-27-Iraq%20poll%20March%20March.ppt Downloadable PowerPoint], retrieved March 21, 2007</ref>.