Who Cares What You Think?

" Q So just to get this clear, the reason for the delay is, number one, the complexity of the Iraq issue, and not because the President learned something in the last week that changed his mind?

" MR. SNOW: That is correct. . . .

"Q Is it possible that the President does not want to announce the deployment of thousands of more U.S. troops to Iraq before the holidays?

"MR. SNOW: No, it has nothing to do with that. Cynical, but false. . . .

"Q. . . . [T]here have been a number of references here about the Baker-Hamilton commission. To what extent is this delay in the expected announcement an effort to put some distance between the release of, and the reaction to that?

" MR. SNOW: It has nothing to do with it, period. Nothing."

Poll Watch

The verdict from the public is in. And it couldn't be much clearer.

Susan Page writes for USA Today: "As President Bush weighs changing course in Iraq, Americans are increasingly pessimistic about the war and want most U.S. troops withdrawn within a year, a USA Today/Gallup Poll taken Friday through Sunday says. . . .

"By 76%-22%, those surveyed say Iraq is in a civil war. . . .

"While 55% of Americans want most U.S. troops withdrawn within a year, only 18% think that will happen. More than 4 in 10 predict American troops will be deployed in Iraq for more than two years, though just 14% endorse that idea."

Here are the USA Today/Gallup results.

Asked how much longer the U.S. should have a significant number of troops in Iraq, 30 percent said less than six months, 25 percent said six months to a year, 14 percent said one to two years, two percent said longer than two years -- and another two percent volunteered that all the troops should be withdrawn right away.