James Zogby On Bush's Surge Speech And Two Iraq-Related Timebombs Ticking Down

Writes James Zogby:

There are two Iraq-related time bombs ticking downward, each of which will determine the fate of millions caught in the war's cross-hairs. The first is the U.S. public's growing dissatisfaction not only with the war, but with the president himself. The second involves the internal Iraqi dynamic, which all signs suggest is moving in the direction of an expanded civil war.

If either of the two, or both, reach their zero point, the U.S. adventure in Iraq is all but doomed.

The problem with President George W. Bush's most recent "new" plan to the win the war is that he has ignored the reality of both of these potentially explosive situations - at great risk. In deciding to escalate the U.S. military presence in order to strengthen what has been shown to be a decidedly sectarian Iraqi government, the President appears to be shortening the fuse on both bombs.

Bush's Wednesday night speech was billed as "the most important of his presidency." This was, at least, the third most important Iraq speech of his tenure - each of which was designed, at the time, to salvage his undertaking in Iraq. However, his long record of failure - in the war, in response to Katrina and elsewhere - has taken a toll. He has increasingly lost the trust of the American people - trust he must have - if they are to support his leadership in what has become an increasingly unpopular war.

If the President's approval rating were in the 60% range and support for the war were severely divided, he might have been able to succeed in pulling off this plan for a surge in troops. But with his approval rating at 35% and support for his leadership in the war at 25%, he appears more like a failed salesman offering rejected goods.

When hasn't Bush seemed like a failed salesman with rejected goods? But this just gets worse.