Symbolic votes in 32 towns and villages in Wisconsin showed continued opposition to the war in Iraq. Voters in 24 towns demanded that President Bush immediately withdraw all U.S. troops from Iraq. The measure was defeated in only eight towns and villages.
The votes were non-binding but were considered an ominous sign for Republicans facing a mid-term election this coming November.
The two largest locations voting both supported the withdrawal measure with the state capital, Madison, voting 68 percent to 31 percent in favor of immediate troop withdrawal and La Crosse voting against Bush 55 percent to 45 percent.
Bill Richardson, a spokesman for a group calling itself 'Say No to Cut and Run,' claimed that many voters viewed the referendum with too much simplicity.
'They read 'bring the troops home' and thought, 'oh that's good,' they didn't think about the implications of cut and run,' Richardson told Reuters.
The largest city in Wisconsin, Milwaukee, will not vote on this proposition until November. As a result, turnout is expected to be very high. For now, President Bush can hardly take solace in the results of this vote. Then again, he claims never to read the polls anyway...
