Do you agree or disagree with the following statements?

Labour is heading for defeat at the next general election

Agree      59%

Disagree   33%

Don't know  7%

There is no point in Tony Blair staying on as prime minister beyond Christmas.

Agree      57%

Disagree   34%

Don't know  9%

Source: Communicate Research Methodology: Interviews
with 1,013 British adults, conducted on Sept. 20 and Sept. 21, 2006. Margin of error is 3 per cent.

The opposition Labour Party (PvdA) could become the largest political organization in the Dutch Second Chamber, according to a poll by Maurice de Hond. The survey suggests that the PvDA, led by Wouter Bos, would secure 43 mandates in this year's election to the Second Chamber.

The Christian-Democratic Appeal (CDA) is second with 38 seats, followed by the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD) with 31 seats, and the Socialist Party (SP) with 16 seats. Six other political organizations would send legislators to the Second Chamber.

The poll shows a one-seat drop for both the PvdA and the SP, while support for the VVD increased for the fourth consecutive week.

Another Bush ally falls, another brick in the wall.


And I'll give my consent to any government that does not deny a man a living wage-Billy Bragg

Do you support or oppose the British military operation in Afghanistan?

Support     31%
Oppose      53%
Refused      3%
Don't know  14%

Source: ICM Research / BBC News
Methodology: Telephone interviews with 1,011 British
adults, conducted from Sept. 27 and Sept. 28, 2006. No margin of error was provided.

Note this question is in reference to British participation in Afghanistan not in Iraq.  

And I'll give my consent to any government that does not deny a man a living wage-Billy Bragg

In your opinion, which of the following leaders is doing the best job?

           All   BRI    FRA   ITA    ESP

Zapatero   14%    2%    14%   19%    31%

Merkel     13%    7%    15%   13%    13%

Blair      7%     15%   6%    9%      3%

Chirac     5%     4%    12%   2%      2%

Bush       4%     4%    2%    10%     2%

Prodi      4%     1%    2%    13%     2%

Putin      2%     3%    1%    2%      --

Barroso    1%     1%    2%    1%      1%

None       49%    62%   46%   31%     47%

Source: Harris Interactive / Financial Times

Methodology: Online interviews with 1,019 adults in Britain, 1,033 adults in France, 1,048 adults in Germany,
1,054 adults in Italy and 1,020 adults in Spain, conducted from Sept. 7 to Sept. 18, 2006. Margin of error is 3 per cent.

Hmm... Zapatero and Merkel neck to neck, it's almost as though Europe favors some sort of social model.  

And what the hell is wrong with the Italians, 10% for Bush?  That's almost as good as his numbers in the United States.

And I'll give my consent to any government that does not deny a man a living wage-Billy Bragg

Overall, how would you rate the performance of Romano Prodi's government?

Very good       29%

Somewhat good   16%

Somewhat bad    16%

Very bad        32%

Source: Ipsos Public Affairs
Methodology: Telephone interviews with 1,000
Italian adults, conducted on Sept. 25 and Sept. 26,
2006. No margin of error was provided.

Support for the Christian-Democratic Union
(CDU) and the Bavarian Christian-Social Party (CSU)
dropped in Germany, according to a poll by FG Wahlen
released by ZDF. 33 per cent of respondents would
support either party in the next election to the
Federal Diet, down four points since July.

The Social Democratic Party (SPD) is second with 31 per
cent, followed by the Free Democratic Party (FDP) with
13 per cent, the Green Party (Grune) with nine per
cent, and the Left Party (Linke) with seven per
cent.

What is your view on the decision to publish the cartoons of Muslim prophet Mohammed?

It was correct to publish the drawings         59%

The drawings should have never been published  38%

Not sure                                       9%

Source: Ramboell Management / Jyllands-Posten
Methodology: Interviews with 1,041 Dane adults, conducted from Sept. 4
to Sept. 7, 2006. No margin of error was provided.

Are you satisfied or dissatisfied with the current political situation?

              Sept. 2006      May 2006

Satisfied         9%             17%

Dissatisfied      61%            46%

Neither           25%            32%

Source: CVVM
Methodology: Interviews with 835 Czech adults, conducted in September 2006. No margin of error was
provided.

Georgi Parvanov remains the clear frontrunner in Bulgaria's presidential election, according to a poll by Gallup. 47.5 per cent of respondents would support the incumbent in this year's ballot.

Volen Siderov of the nationalist Ataka (Attack) party is second with 14.4 per cent, followed by Constitutional Court chairman Nedelcho Beronov with 9.5 per cent. The list of registered contenders also includes former constitutional judge Georgi Markov, deputy parliament speaker Petar Beron, former army chief of staff Lyuben Petrov, and nationalist Grigor Velev.

The opposition centre-right Civic Platform (PO) is the most popular political party in Poland, according to a poll by GFK released by TVN. 36 per cent of respondents in the European nation would vote for the PO in a new legislative election.

The governing Law and Justice Party (PiS) is second with 20 per cent, followed by a coalition of centre-left parties which includes the Democratic Left Alliance (SLD) with nine per cent, and the Self-Defence of the Polish Republic (SRP) with six per cent. Support is lower for the Peasant's Party (PSL) and the League of Polish Families (LPR).

How many legislators do you think are honest?

None of them            17%

Less than 10 per cent   49%

10 to 30 per cent       23%

30 to 90 per cent       9%

All of them             2%

Source: Fonitel
Methodology: Telephone interviews with 500 Lithuanian adults, conducted in August 2006. No margin of error was provided.

Since when were the Balts such optimists?

And I'll give my consent to any government that does not deny a man a living wage-Billy Bragg

Among the following candidates, for whom would there be the most chances
than you vote with the first turn of the presidential election?

               Sept. 2006   Jun. 2006   May 2006

Ségolène Royal       31%            30%       33%

Nicolas Sarkozy      30%            32%       32%

Jean-Marie Le Pen    15%            15%       13%

François Bayrou      6%             5%        5%

Olivier Besancenot   5%             6%        5%

Arlette Laguiller    4%             3%        4%

Philippe de Villiers 3%             3%        3%

Marie-George Buffet  3%             3%        3%

Dominique Voynet     3%             3%        2%

Run-Off Scenario

                    Sept. 2006   Jun. 2006  May 2006

Ségolène Royal        52%           51%       53%

Nicolas Sarkozy       48%           49%       47%

Source: CSA / Le Bleu de Profession Politique
Methodology: Telephone interviews with 907 French adults, conducted on
Sept. 13 and Sept. 14, 2006. No margin of error was provided.

On Sept. 26, Ahern admitted he received more than $63,000 U.S. in personal donations and gifts, at the time of his marital separation. The prime minister denied breaking any law, adding, "I was beholden to none of them and they were not beholden to me. It was a debt of honour that I would repay in full, and I would pay the interest on it. I have not paid any back because they refused to take it. I think they will now."

On Oct. 3, Ahern apologized for the situation in a 15-minute speech, saying, "It was not illegal or impermissible to have done what I did. But I now regret the choices I made during dark and difficult times."

........

Should Bertie Ahern resign?

Yes          32%

No           61%

No opinion   7%

Source: ICM Research
Methodology: Telephone interviews with 1,014 Irish adults, conducted on Sept. 28, 2006. Margin of error is 4 per cent.

Which solution would you prefer for the current political crisis?

PM Gyurcsany should stay in his post              27%

Early elections should be held                    21%

The ruling coalition should replace Gyurcsany     17%

An interim government should take over            17%

Not sure                                          18%

Source: Median / Nepszabadsag
Methodology: Interviews with 600 Hungarian adults,
conducted on Oct. 3, 2006. No margin of error was provided.

How would you vote if a referendum on
Ukraine's accession into the North Atlantic Treaty
Organization (NATO) took place this Sunday?

Support            18.2%

Oppose             60.9%

No opinion         20.9%

Source: Razumkov Center
Methodology: Interviews with 2,005 Ukrainian adults,
conducted from Sept. 22 to Sept. 28, 2006. Margin of
error is 2.3 per cent.

Support for the governing Alliance for Justice and Truth (DA) increased this month in Romania, according to a poll by CURS. 45 per cent of respondents would vote for the coalition of the National Liberal Party (PNL) and the Democratic Party (PD) in the next legislative election, up two points since July.

The Social Democratic Party (PSD) is second with 22 per cent, followed by the Party of Great Romania (PRM) with 13 per cent, the New Generation Party (PNG) with six per cent, and the Hungarian Democratic Alliance of Romania (UDMR) with five per cent. Support is lower for the Conservative Party (PC), the National Initiative Party (PIN), and the Democratic National Peasant Party (PNTCD).

Would you say Vladimir Putin's administration has been positive or negative in these areas?

                                Positive   Negative

International relations            62%        7%

Quality of Life                     61%       12%

The situation in Chechnya          54%        9%

The possibility to earn money      45%        19%

Defence capabilities               44%        11%

The social situation               39%        21%

Source: All-Russian Public Opinion Research Center
Methodology: Interviews with 1,600 Russian adults, conducted on Sept. 9 and Sept. 10, 2006. Margin of error is 3.4 per cent.

Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? - Canada's combat role in Afghanistan is vital to the future of the region, and they should stay there until they get the job done.

                    Canada      U.S.

Very much agree       19%       18%

Somewhat agree        29%       48%

Somewhat disagree     26%       26%

Very much disagree    25%       9%

Source: Ipsos-Reid / Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars / Canada Institute on North American Issues
Methodology: Online interviews with 1,173 adult Canadians and 1,038 adult Americans, conducted from Sept. 21 to Sept. 26, 2006. Margin of error is 3.1 per cent.

It almost looks as though Canadians are tiring of their presence in Afghanistan as well.  This can't be good for the long term success of the NATO mission there.

And I'll give my consent to any government that does not deny a man a living wage-Billy Bragg

Do you think it is very important that the United States become less dependent on oil imports?

Yes            73%

No              5%

What is more important, conserving energy or developing new sources of energy?

Developing new sources of energy    71%

Conserving energy                   21%

Source: Rasmussen Reports
Methodology: Telephone interviews with 1,000 American adults, conducted on Sept. 29 and Sept. 30, 2006. Margin of error is 3 per cent.

This one is for Jerome.  I guess the meaning depends on what is meant by developing new sources of energy.  Does that mean building windmills and ethanol plants, or drilling for oil in the Great Lakes.  (Yes, that has been discussed.)

And I'll give my consent to any government that does not deny a man a living wage-Billy Bragg

Do you think that America's safety from terrorism depends upon our success in the war in Iraq, or does it not depend upon our success in the war in Iraq?

Depends           37%

Does not depend   57%

Not sure          6%

Do you think Iraq is in a civil war, or do you think Iraq is not in a civil war?

Iraq is in a civil war       61%

Iraq is not in a civil war   29%

Not sure                     10%

Do you think the war in Iraq is helping the United States in its ability to win the war on terrorism, hurting the United States in its ability to win the war on terrorism, or not making a difference either way in the war on terrorism?

Helping the U.S.           32%

Hurting the U.S.           46%

Not making a difference    19%

Not sure                   3%

Source: Hart/McInturff / The Wall Street Journal / NBC News
Methodology: Telephone interviews with 805 registered American voters, conducted from Sept. 30 to Oct. 2, 2006. Margin of error is 3.1 per cent.

Fool me once shame on you, fool me twice, won't get fooled again.......

And I'll give my consent to any government that does not deny a man a living wage-Billy Bragg

In general, do you approve or disapprove of Vicente Fox's performance as president?

          Sept. 2006 Aug. 2005 Aug. 2004

Approve       55%      55%      51%

Disapprove    22%      23%      23%

Source: Parametría
Methodology: Face-to-face interviews with 1,000 Mexican adults, conducted from Sept. 8 to Sept. 11, 2006. Margin of error is 3.1 per cent.

Do you approve of disapprove of Shinzo Abe's cabinet?

Approve            70.4%

Disapprove         14.2%

Source: Yomiuri
Methodology: Telephone interviews with 946 Japanese adults, conducted on Sept. 26 and Sept. 27, 2006. No margin of error was provided.

This is good.  The last thing that is needed in Northeast Asia with Kim Jong Il playing nuclear brinksmanship is a Japanese leader who feels the need to prove himself militarily.  Especially in the wake of what happened when Olmert tried to prove himself in Lebanon.

And I'll give my consent to any government that does not deny a man a living wage-Billy Bragg

How do you feel about the suicide bombings operations against Israeli civilians? Do you strongly support it, somewhat support it, somewhat oppose it or strongly oppose it?

Strongly support          22.5%

Somewhat support          25.5%

Somewhat oppose           32.1%

Strongly oppose           17.8%

Do you support the resumption of the military operations against Israeli targets as a suitable response within the current political conditions, or do you reject them and find them harmful to the Palestinian national interests?

Suitable response       43.1%

I reject them           53.2%

Source: Jerusalem Media & Communication Center
Methodology: Interviews with 1,200 adults in the Gaza Strip and West Bank, conducted from Sept. 19 to Sept. 22, 2006. Margin of error is 3 per cent.

Do you fear for the very existence of the State of Israel?

Yes         54%

No          45%

What do you think is the most dangerous threat for the State of Israel today?

                             2006    1997

Iran                         54%     31%

Palestinians / Hamas         8%      29%

Hezbollah                    7%      13%

Syria                        7%      13%

Ourselves                    7%      --

Other Arab states            3%     2%

Source: Teleseker / Maariv
Methodology: Interviews with 500 Israeli adults, conducted on Sept. 29, 2006. Margin of error is 4.3 per cent.

I don't think we have anyone less than 18 here, nor do I believe that we have more than a few that are more than 65.  I can only think of of 1 or 2 who might be older than 65.  How old is Fran?  I thought she was in her 50's.  Everyone else pretty much falls in the 20-50 category.

And I'll give my consent to any government that does not deny a man a living wage-Billy Bragg