Taxation Without Representation

“By forcing the issue to a vote, Republicans placed many Democrats in a politically unappealing position -- whether to side with Murtha and expose themselves to criticism, or to oppose him and risk angering the voters that polls show want an end to the conflict.”

- Liz Sidoti. “House GOP Seeks Quick Veto of Iraq Pullout,” AP, 11/18/05.

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“The public's overall support for global engagement – which increased in the aftermath of the Sept. 11 attacks – has clearly receded. Just a quarter of the public favors the U.S. being the most active of leading nations, which represents a significant decline compared with October 2001 (33%). The percentage of Americans who agree that the ‘U.S. should mind its own business internationally’ has risen from 30% in 2002 to 42% currently. Isolationist sentiment is growing particularly among Democrats and independents. More than half of Democrats (55%) now say the United States should mind its own business internationally up from 40% in 2002; among independents, 42% express that view now, compared with 27% three years ago. As to public perceptions of the U.S. global image, two-thirds of Americans (66%) say that the U.S. is less respected than in the past. When asked about possible reasons for global discontent with the U.S., overwhelming percentages of Americans (71%) and opinion leaders (87%) cite the war in Iraq as a major factor. Majorities in each group of influentials, and 60% of the public, also believe that America's wealth and power are a primary cause of global discontent with the U.S. But opinion leaders are much more inclined than the public to view U.S. support for Israel as a major reason why people around the world dislike the U.S. Majorities in each group of opinion leaders – including 78% of journalists – see this as a major reason for discontent with the U.S. Just 39% of the public agrees.”

“Opinion Leaders Turn Cautious, Public Looks Looks Homeward: America’s Place in the World,” Pew Research Center for the People & the Press, Survey Report, 11/17/05.

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