President Bush Tries to Reverse Waning Support for Iraq War

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Without setting a specific deadline, President Bush said yesterday that, even though there will be more "chaos and carnage," there's been enough progress that much of Iraq will be turned over to newly trained Iraqi troops by the end of this year. Today, as if to validate the grimmest of his predictions, 86 apparently tortured bodies were found after two mass killings." As he begins his latest public relations campaign, even conservative backers complain the war's already a failure and he's not saying anything new. With support for the war--and the President--at all time lows, can Bush sell his message of staying the course? Are there alternative strategies that might promise greater success? How great is the pressure to bring the troops home now?Making News: Israelis Raid Palestinian Jail, Capture Minister's AssassinIn the West Bank town of Jericho, Israel laid siege to a Palestinian prison today, using tanks, bulldozers and at least one rocket fired from a helicopter. After 10 hours, they accomplished their goal when six prisoners surrendered. Greg Myre, who reports from Jerusalem for the New York Times, says the siege came after American and British prison monitors moved out.Reporter's Notebook: The State of News Media TodayIn the news business' running battle between idealists, who talk about public service, and accountants, who want to base coverage on the bottom line, it appears that the accountants have won. A new report finds that the number of news outlets continues to grow as the number of stories covered and the depth of coverage continues to shrink. Tom Rosenstiel, Director of the Project for Excellence in Journalism, expounds on this "paradox of journalism."
Without setting a specific deadline, President Bush said yesterday that, even though there will be more "chaos and carnage," there's been enough progress that much of Iraq will be turned over to newly trained Iraqi troops by the end of this year. Today, as if to validate the grimmest of his predictions, 86 apparently tortured bodies were found after two mass killings." As he begins his latest public relations campaign, even conservative backers complain the war's already a failure and he's not saying anything new. With support for the war--and the President--at all time lows, can Bush sell his message of staying the course? Are there alternative strategies that might promise greater success? How great is the pressure to bring the troops home now?
  • Making News: Israelis Raid Palestinian Jail, Capture Minister's Assassin
    In the West Bank town of Jericho, Israel laid siege to a Palestinian prison today, using tanks, bulldozers and at least one rocket fired from a helicopter. After 10 hours, they accomplished their goal when six prisoners surrendered. Greg Myre, who reports from Jerusalem for the New York Times, says the siege came after American and British prison monitors moved out.
  • Reporter's Notebook: The State of News Media Today
    In the news business' running battle between idealists, who talk about public service, and accountants, who want to base coverage on the bottom line, it appears that the accountants have won. A new report finds that the number of news outlets continues to grow as the number of stories covered and the depth of coverage continues to shrink. Tom Rosenstiel, Director of the Project for Excellence in Journalism, expounds on this "paradox of journalism."
Resources for our discussion of Iraq:
President Bush on freedom and democracy in Iraq
  • President Bush on Medicare drug program helping seniors
  • Gallup Poll on President Bush's lowest approval rating yet
  • Gallup Poll on President, Democrats' plan for Iraq
  • German Marshall Fund
  • Transition of power in Iraq, CNN on
  • Iraqi secular divide, WorldPublicOpinion.org on
  • Iran, WorldPublicOpinion.org on

    • Myre's article on Israeli siege of Palestinian jail

    'State of the News Media 2006'

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