The MSM is hilarious. Bush pretty much dismisses the Iraqi Surrender Group report (because it’s crap), and the MSM launches an all out assault, huffing and puffing, “How could he ignore this report, he’s so stuborn!”

So after having the Fabulous Baker twins all of the news for a week, Newsweak runs a poll that that me spitting my coffee on my shiney new flat screen monitor.

“Consensus. That was the watchword for Jim Baker and Lee Hamilton, co-chairmen of the Iraq Study Group, as they unveiled the panel‚Äôs long-awaited report. Like a pair of politically ecumenical Siamese twins, they trudged around Washington chanting their mantra: ‚ÄúWe believe that a constructive solution requires that a new political consensus be built, a new consensus ‚Ķ at home and a new consensus abroad. And it is in that spirit that we have approached our study group‚Äôs task on a bipartisan basis,‚Äù said Baker. We ‚Äúhope very much that in moving forward others will wish to continue to broaden and deepen the bipartisan spirit that has helped us come together.‚Äù

Mission accomplished. According to the new NEWSWEEK poll, Americans back the ISG’s recommendations by a two-to-one margin. In interviews with 1,000 adults done Dec. 6 and Dec. 7, 39 percent of Americans said they generally agree with the group’s 79 recommendations, while 20 percent said they disagree. (Twenty-six percent said, in effect: “Report, what report?”)

What is the new consensus? Nearly two out of three Americans (65 percent) concur with the Iraq Study Group that the U.S. should threaten to reduce economic and military aid to the Baghdad government unless it meets benchmarks for security and development. Fifty-seven percent believe Washington should reach out to its adversaries Iran and Syria in an effort to stabilize Iraq. And 61 percent believe Washington should launch a new and sustained effort to end the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.”

Consensus? What consensus? 39 percent (most of whom are most likely democrats if the traditional method of Newsweak polling was used). Hell’s bells, 26 percent didn’t even know there was a report even after a week of playing on every major newscast. So to get 65 percent, you count the 26 percent who didn’t know what you are talking about as being “for” the report? That’s some great math! I wonder if Newsweak can work on my checkbook because I need that kind of “fuzzy math”. They must be using those piece of crap free calculators that they had out with subscriptions (as few as that might be).

Fact is that this poll was a flop and NW knows it. While the war is an important subject, right now most people are out shopping and partying and could give two flips about the war – or even of Newsweak (which is why it languishes on the stands).

Good thing that Bush doesn’t lead by “consensus” or by polls or by the whiny whims of MSM outlets that can’t believe they don’t set foreign policy and this isn’t Cronkite’s Vietnam.