No matter how good they are using around here is begging for the old apples and oranges gambit.

Of course I get your point but war weariness is ever-present in a democratic society. Not so much when the troops are on the march and goals are tangible but when the major battles are over and our guys are standing around getting killed in non-combat situations like getting shot in the head while buying a soft drink or catching an RPG while carrying the mail, each death is like a hundred.

I am still confident that we will get the situation under control by adding forces where needed, improving the infrastructure and getting the Iraqis involved in security.

To be brutally realistic, if we are still getting unabated daily casualties six months from now, I don't know how I'll feel, much less how the motoring public will feel.

For the balance of the Bush term, troop morale is probably more important than public opinion. Cooler weather will help but they will certainly want to see improvement in day to day security.