UNITED STATES: Iraq war voters' top concern

A USA Today/Gallup poll, conducted on May 22-24, showed the Iraq war remains the top concern for US voters. Respondents were asked "What issue do you think should be the top priority for the president and Congress to deal with?" Forty-two percent said the war in Iraq. Fuel and energy issues were second on the list with 29%, followed by immigration with 23%, the economy in general with 14%, and health care with 12%. The threat of terrorism was cited as the top priority by only 4% of respondents. A Quinnipiac University Poll released on June 1 found that 34% of US voters rated President George Bush the "worst" US president since World War II, double the percentage of the next "worst" president, Richard Nixon (17%). Among 18-29 year-olds, the current White House occupant was rated worst by 42%. The main reason cited by voters who disapprove of Bush was the war in Iraq. Voters said by 56 39% that going to war in Iraq was the wrong thing to do. Twenty-nine per cent said the US should rapidly remove all its troops from Iraq; 28% wanted the US to decrease the number of troops; 26% wanted to maintain current troop levels and 11% wanted to increase troop levels.

From Green Left Weekly, June 14, 2006.

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From GLW issue 671