WASHINGTON, March 21 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The following is an op-ed by Karl Rove: [F]or a party whose presidential candidates pledge they'll remove U.S. troops from Iraq immediately upon taking office -- without regard to conditions on the ground or the consequences to America's security -- a late February Gallup Poll was bad news. The Obama/Clinton vow to pull out of Iraq immediately appears to be the position of less than one-fifth of the voters.
Only 18% of those surveyed by Gallup agreed U.S. troops should be withdrawn "on a timetable as soon as possible." And only 20% felt the surge was making things worse in Iraq. Twice as many respondents felt the surge was making conditions better. ...
[N]early two out of every three Americans surveyed (65%) believe "the United States has an obligation to establish a reasonable level of stability and security in Iraq before withdrawing all of its troops." ... Almost the same number of Americans (63%) believe al Qaeda "would be more likely to use Iraq as a base for its terrorist operations" if the U.S. withdraws. ...
[W]hile the American people are acknowledging the positive impact of the surge, Democratic leaders are not.
In September, Mrs. Clinton told Gen. David Petraeus "the reports that you provide to us really require the willing suspension of disbelief." This week, she said "we'll be right back at square one" in Iraq by this summer.
In December, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid refused to admit progress, arguing, "The surge hasn't accomplished its goals." He said a month earlier there was "no progress being made in Iraq" and "it is not getting better, it is getting worse." Asked by CNN's Wolf Blitzer on Feb. 9 if she was worried that the gains of the last year might be lost, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi shot back: "There haven't been gains . . . This is a failure." Carl Levin, the Democratic chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee told the Associated Press the same month that the surge "has failed." ...
[The Democrats] increasingly appear out of touch with reality...
[D]emocrats appear to have an ideological investment in things going badly in Iraq. ... They'd be better off arguing success allows America to accelerate the return of our troops rather than appear to deny the progress those troops are making.
There are more problems for Democrats on national security. ... [H]ouse Democrats are ... holding up the bipartisan Senate Protect American Act reauthorization. ... House Democrats want personal injury lawyers to be able to sue telecommunications companies for having the audacity to cooperate with the government in monitoring terrorist communications after 9/11. ...
[S]ens. Clinton and Obama, both of whom opposed the bipartisan Senate reauthorization bill, have joined in her approach. ...
[A] question added to a recently conducted, private national poll introduced the issue...
It then described two positions ... When asked whom they agree with, Americans side with Messrs. McConnell and Mukasey over Mr. Reid and Ms. Pelosi by a 54%-37% margin. ...
[W]hen it comes to choosing a president, Americans take seriously the candidates' views and experience on national security. ...
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