U.S. support for Bush, war soars

WASHINGTON -- Buoyed by success on the battlefield, most Americans now express support for an expansive United States role in the Middle East -- with a clear majority backing the war in Iraq and half endorsing military action against Iran if it continues to develop nuclear weapons, according to a new Los Angeles Times poll.

The survey found America experiencing the traditional rally-around-the-flag effect common when troops are first sent into battle: Optimism about the country's direction and support for President Bush both soared.

More than three-fourths of Americans -- including two-thirds of liberals and 70 percent of Democrats -- now say they support the decision to go to war. And more than four-fifths of these war supporters say they will still back the military action even if coalition forces don't find evidence of weapons of mass destruction.(full text)

This story is most disturbing because we've begun to lose sight of what we went into Iraq for (pre-emptive protection against a nuclear terrorist attack. No WMDs, no al-Qaida links found yet. But Bush is receiving this blank check mandate that he can cash in on to use unilateral military action against other countries in the future.