Americans are more than willing to give the President the benefit of the doubt if they perceive him as Commander-in-Chief over troops in trouble. Giving him support is seen as the way to support the troops, no matter what they think about the President.

His job approval rating was high even while a majority thought he shouldn't be re-elected.

Clearly GWB will have to escalate something before November - either Iraq, with some hope of "winning", or there will have to be a big terrorist attack, or something for him to regain that winning CiC image and support.

However, even if the US captures OBL, or brings him out after capturing him sometime previously, that might seem a bit weak. 3 years on the loose seems like a long time.

Just where GWB might find a bright spot for his unconscionable world vision and tactics doesn't seem clear right now.

And, I think many Americans will see that by refuting the Geneva Convention and stressing results at any cost, GWB & Co. are the ones responsible for the torture. Just as Nixon was responsible for Watergate, by stressing results no matter what the tactics.

And, as with Nixon, GWB & Co. regard National Security as themselves, not security for America and Americans.

Arf