Iraq straining US psyche, issue in election

WASHINGTON, Aug 22 (Reuters) President George W Bush says the Iraq war was ''straining the psyche'' of Americans and conceded it would be a major issue in November elections, when control of the US Congress is up for grabs.

He also said he would not campaign for the Republican candidate in Connecticut where Sen. Joseph Lieberman lost the Democratic primary earlier this month largely because of his support for the Iraq war.

Lieberman, the 2000 Democratic vice presidential candidate, now is running as an independent to keep his Senate seat and led in a poll last week against the Democratic candidate, anti-war businessman Ned Lamont. The White House has declined to endorse the Republican challenger, Alan Schlesinger.

Bush, whose approval ratings in some polls have been pushed to the lowest of his presidency mostly due to the unpopular war in Iraq, acknowledged the fighting was taking a toll both on him and the American people.

''Sometimes I'm frustrated, rarely surprised. Sometimes I'm happy. But war is not a time of joy. These aren't joyous times, they're challenging times and they're difficult times and they're straining the psyche of our country, I understand that,'' Bush said.

A CNN poll released yesterday showed Bush's approval rating remains weak despite a two-point increase since a poll conducted in early August. CNN said its latest poll showed 42 per cent of Americans approve of the job Bush is doing, compared to 57 per cent who disapprove of his handling of the presidency.

A new USAToday/Gallup Poll also put Bush's approve rating at 42 per cent, the highest level in six months for that survey. The poll, taken Friday through Sunday, also showed a boost in his rating for handling terrorism to 55 percent, the highest in more than a year, USA Today said.

PATRIOTISM AND IRAQ Bush said he would continue to challenge Democrats who called for the quick withdrawal of US troops.

''I will never question the patriotism of somebody who disagrees with me,'' Bush said. However, ''I have every right, as do my administration, to make it clear what the consequences would be.'' He argued that leaving Iraq prematurely could lead to groups like Al Qaeda gaining a stronger foothold in West Asia East and carrying out attacks against the United States.

Democrats countered that the US military and the federal budget have been strained by the prolonged fighting, including sectarian violence that some US officials have said could devolve into civil war.

''The American psyche isn't the problem,'' said Massachusetts Senate John Kerry, the Democratic 2004 presidential candidate.

''The problem is this administration's disastrous Iraq policy.'' In the approaching fall elections, Democrats could retake control of the US House of Representatives and the Senate. Bush advised candidates to focus on national security and the economy.

''I'd be running on the economy and I'd be running on national security. But since I'm not running, I can only serve as an adviser to those who are,'' Bush said.

REUTERS DKA BS0956