• Military

• WMD Menu                           

• Introduction
• Systems
• Facilities
• Agencies
• Operations
• Countries
• Hot Documents
• News
• Reports
• Policy
• Budget
• Congress
• Links

• Intelligence
• Homeland Security
• Space

Analysis: Iraq Looms over U.S. Elections

Council on Foreign Relations

October 30, 2006
Prepared by: Robert McMahon

It was not the kind of October Republicans would have hoped for on the war front ahead of the U.S. midterm elections. U.S. monthly fatalities in Iraq broke the one-hundred mark (AP) for only the fourth time since the war began amid ongoing sectarian bloodshed in the country. A range of opinion polls continue to show high levels of disapproval of President Bush’s Iraq policy and for Republicans in general on the war in Iraq. To further emphasize the point, a new Pew Research Center survey of competitive districts in the U.S. House of Representatives found strong support for Democrats (PDF), especially on the issue of Iraq. The Atlantic Monthly’s Jack Beatty notes that in the five congressional elections held in wartime since 1860, the party of the president has suffered a major defeat, adding “if the Republicans lose on November 7, Iraq will be why.”

Iraq is the lead issue in a midterm election unusually focused on foreign policy concerns . Republicans in Congress have tried to stress their national security chops by passing legislation on port security, establishing special tribunals for terrorists, and authorizing the construction of a border fence to try to stem illegal immigrants from Mexico. Another potential issue—energy security—has receded (CSMonitor) with the falling prices at the gas pumps.

President Bush has not shied from addressing Iraq, saying in a recent press conference he was dissatisfied with the situation there and was keeping options open for other steps to bolster security reforms.

Read the rest of this article on the cfr.org website.

Copyright 2006 by the Council on Foreign Relations. This material is republished on GlobalSecurity.org with specific permission from the cfr.org. Reprint and republication queries for this article should be directed to cfr.org.