AP "all you need to know before," Bush speech

AP "all you need to know before," Bush speech Wednesday 1/10:

"Unswayed by anti-war passions"

"Additional U.S. forces to Iraq to quell its near-anarchy"

"He had erred by failing to order a troop buildup last year"

"Highest level and put Bush on a collision course with the new Democratic Congress. It also runs counter to advice from some generals."

"Democratic leaders of Congress met with Bush before his speech and complained later that their opposition to a buildup had been ignored."

"This is the third time we are going down this path. Two times this has not worked," said House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif. "Why are they doing this now? That question remains**."

"After nearly four years of bloody combat, the speech was perhaps Bush's last credible chance to try to present a winning strategy in Iraq and persuade Americans to change their minds about the unpopular war"

"(T)o readily acknowledge making mistakes in previous efforts to stop the relentless violence in Baghdad."

'In a now-familiar refrain, Bush was to portray the war in Iraq as "the decisive ideological struggle of our time."'

"The buildup comes two months after elections that were widely seen as a call for the withdrawal of some or all U.S. forces from Iraq. Polling by AP-Ipsos in December found that only 27 percent of Americans approved of Bush's handling of Iraq, his lowest rating yet."

"U.S. troops in Iraq _ now at 132,000 _ to 153,500 at a cost of $5.6 billion."

**"The highest number was 160,000 a year ago in a troop buildup for Iraqi elections."

"Also backing the president's plan were maverick Sens. John McCain, R-Ariz., Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., and Joseph Lieberman, I-Conn."

"Bush's strategy ignores key recommendations of the Iraq Study Group, which in December called for a new diplomatic offensive and an outreach to Syria and Iran."