A couple of these polls are from last week, but they’ve just come to my attention today. I certainly haven’t seen them around, so I think they need a little attention.

First of all, a poll released on August 21: Confidence in the War on Terror is inching up.

Thirty-nine percent (39%) of Americans now believe that the U.S. and its allies are winning the War on Terror. That’s up three points from a month ago and just a point shy of the highest level of confidence measured in 2007. The Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey found that 32% now say the terrorists are winning. That’s down from 36% in July.

Republicans, by a 58% to 19% margin, believe the U.S. and its allies are winning. Democrats, by a 43% to 24% margin, believe the terrorists are winning. Among unaffiliated voters, 38% believe the U.S. team is winning while 32% say the opposite.

Anyone noticing a trend here? Republicans and unaffiliated voters believe we’re winning. Democrats think the terrorists are. Interestingly, when it comes to media bias, Republicans and independents believe the media is liberally biased. Hmm.

Additionally, a higher number of Americans expect things to get better in Iraq:

Twenty-seven percent (27%) of American voters now expect things to get better in Iraq over the next six months while 47% expect them to get worse. Pessimistic as that assessment is, it reflects an improvement from a month ago while just 23% thought things would get better in Iraq.

Speaking of Iraq, how’s Congress doing in these days leading up to the intense Iraq debate? Well, Bush has a 36% approval. Congress? 15%.

Voters continue to look askance at the performance of the U.S. Congress. The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey indicates that only 17% are able to say that the performance of that legislative body is Good (15%) or Excellent (2%). A little more than a third (36%) say it’s Fair, a plurality of 45% deem it Poor.

Let’s take yet another look at the breakdown of approval:

On the other hand, Democrats are more likely to cut Congress some slack, with 25% having a positive view of that legislature versus 13% of Republicans. A majority (59%) of Republicans rate Congress as Poor, versus 29% of Democrats who do so. Fifty percent (50%) of unaffiliated voters also give Congress a rating of Poor.

Heckuva job, Harry & Nancy. Heckuva job.