Blacks for Bush

  Slow shift in campaign's Iraq factor

Finally people seem to be getting it. That its not about WMD and never was, its about human rights and freedom. The go no-go decision for Iraq was about taking the battle to the Arab world and giving them an opprotunity for freedom. That is why Abu Ghraib hurt the war effort so much, because we want to fight the good fight.

Just a few months ago, Iraq looked like President Bush's albatross. Facing a violent insurgency, bodies of contractors being dragged through the streets of Fallujah, and the Abu Ghraib prison scandal, polls showed public opinion turning sharply against the war, dragging down the president's approval ratings.

Today, however, while the violence in Iraq continues, the war has become less of a political negative - and by some measurements a positive - for Mr. Bush. Even as the US passed the 1,000-casualty mark this week, the number of voters saying it was a mistake to send troops into Iraq has dropped, and Americans now say they trust Mr. Bush on the issue more than his rival, Sen. John Kerry.