Politico notes that U.S. public support for the war in Iraq [3] "has reached a high point unseen since the summer of 2006. ... According to late February polling [4] conducted by the Pew Research Center for the People and the Press [5], 53 percent of Americans -- a slim majority -- now believe 'the U.S. will ultimately succeed in achieving its goals' in Iraq. That figure is up from 42 percent in September 2007. The percentage of those who believe the war in Iraq is going 'very well' or 'fairly well' is also up, from 30 percent in February 2007 to 48 percent today. ... Half of self-identified independents polled now believe the United States should 'keep troops in Iraq until the situation has stabilized.' ... The uptick in public support is a promising sign for Republican candidates who have been bludgeoned [6] over the Bush administration’s war policies. But no candidate stands to gain more than John McCain [7]."