War Mom vs. Peace Mom

Remember Last Summer?

From his speech yesterday: "I don't know if you know this or not, but 19 individuals have served both as Guardsmen and as President of the United States. And I'm proud to have been one."

Meetings With Families

After his speech, Bush met for three hours with 68 members of 19 families who have lost loved ones in Iraq or Afghanistan.

The Idaho Statesman reports: "Bill and Ann Thurber left their private session with President Bush on Wednesday believing that he feels their pain.

"The Thurbers, who recently moved to Mountain Home from Florida, lost their son Dec. 8. Army Staff Sgt. Arthur Williams IV was killed in Iraq by a sniper.

" 'The president made me feel like he cares,' Ann Thurber said. 'My son wasn't just lost in the numbers for him. He felt our grief the way we do.'

" 'I think he feels it every time a soldier dies,' her husband added. 'A little of him dies with them. It's like they're his kids, too.' "

Bush also talked to the Thurbers about fishing.

Also from the Statesman: "De Ann, Rachel and Tanna Isenberg of Moscow said they left a private meeting Wednesday feeling that George W. Bush genuinely felt their family's loss.

"Sgt. Benjamin Isenberg died in Taji, Iraq, in September after an explosive device detonated near his Humvee. Isenberg was a member of the Oregon National Guard's 162nd Infantry.

" 'The president walked right in with Mrs. Bush behind him -- with smiles and tears,' said De Ann, Benjamin's mother."

Poll Watch

After reporting yesterday that Bush's job-approval rating in the latest Harris Poll is down to an all-time low of 40 percent (see yesterday's column ), the Wall Street Journal is back today with more findings.

This chart (subscription required) shows: "Since October 2003, Harris has asked 'Do you favor keeping a large number of U.S. troops in Iraq until there is a stable government there or bringing most of our troops home in the next year?' The telephone poll from Aug. 9-16, 2005, shows 61% favor bringing troops home in the next year. That's little changed from a survey two months ago, but still much higher than when Harris first began asking the question. Thirty-six percent of Americans feel troops should remain until a stable Iraqi government is established."