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[by David Baldinger]

While he still “believe it will work,” he is in the minority:

Less than two weeks after Bush unveiled his plan to increase troop levels in Iraq, a 68 percent majority of Americans strongly (45 percent) or moderately (23 percent) oppose Bush’s “surge” strategy, according to the January 17-18 Newsweek Poll. Fourteen percent moderately favor the plan and only 12 percent strongly favor it. Half (50 percent) of those polled advocate a reduction of troop levels in Iraq, versus 23 percent who want to increase the number of U.S. troops and 18 percent who want to keep troop levels the same. Generally, only 24 percent of Americans approve of how Bush is handling the war-an all-time low in the Newsweek Poll; 70 percent disapprove. And two-thirds (67 percent) say they think the United States is losing ground in its efforts to provide security and democracy in Iraq; only 24 percent say they are making progress.

There is still more bad news for the president in the poll: Bush’s job approval rating remains at its all-time low 62 percent of those polled disapprove of how he is handling his job as president. For the first time, more than half of the respondents (53 percent) disapprove of his approach to deterring terrorism. Only 30 percent say they are satisfied with how things are going in the United States; 62 percent are dissatisfied. On the subject of Bush’s leadership, 57 percent say he does not possess strong leadership qualities. In another turnaround, 54 percent say they do not think Bush is “honest and ethical”. Only 35 percent of respondents in the most recent poll feel Bush cares about “people like them,” versus 60 percent who do not.

Why I’m not surprised? Unfortunately this is what American democracy brought to White House; a Lame Duck!