From Reuters:
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A handpicked group of U.S. troops told President George W. Bush on Thursday they believed the Iraqi people were eager to vote in a weekend referendum on an Iraqi constitution.
In a carefully scripted event, Bush spoke to 10 U.S. troops and an Iraqi soldier in a video teleconference about preparations for the Saturday vote, which is critical to U.S. aims for democracy in Iraq and creating conditions for the ultimate withdrawal of American forces.
Bush, suffering job approval ratings below 40 percent, the lowest of his presidency, is eager to show progress in Iraq as the American death toll nears 2,000. A CNN/USA Today/Gallup poll last month said only 32 percent of Americans approved of his handling of Iraq.
Bush was at the White House and the troops from the 42nd Infantry Division were in Saddam Hussein's hometown of Tikrit.
"I'm going to assure you of this: that so long as I'm the president, we're never going to back down, we're never going to give in, we'll never accept anything less than total victory," Bush told them.
Before Bush entered the room for the event, a senior Pentagon official had a practice session with the troops and went over topics the president later asked about.
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