Bad Poll Numbers for Confronting Bush

LAST NIGHT, CBS put out some interesting numbers on the battle over the troop withdrawal deadline.

THE GOOD NEWS: The American public is breaking strongly in support of troop withdrawal with 64%-32% now supporting the deadlines in legislation just passed by Congress. The Democrats have won the deadline debate.

THE BAD NEWS: A 56%-36% majority also wants Congress to fund the war anyway. In other words, about 24% of the public would rather have a failed war than a bitter confrontation between Congress and the President over war funding. I've always suspected that a big chunk of the American public WANTS the Democrats to be the less aggressive alternative to the foaming-at-the-mouth types in the Bush administration and the right-wing.

WHAT SHOULD THE DEMS DO? Personally, I believe the Democrats should let the issue play out for a couple of months to see whether public opinion continues to break against the Bush administration. Public opinion has moved a long way toward opposing the war since the eleciton last Novemeber. Perhaps more people will start supporting confrontation with Bush.