Zarqawi Knows He's Losing

The latest missive from Zarqawi is the equivalent of a losing coach telling his team, "Don't worry, boys, we'll get 'em in the 2nd half."

Iraq's most feared terror leader called on his followers Thursday to show patience and prepare for a long struggle against the Americans, promising in an audiotape posted on the Internet that "ferocious wars ... take their time" but victory was assured.

It's a telling sign, from the inside, as to who's winning the election wars.

On that topic, by the way, I also note the recent poll results from Iraq:

An overwhelming majority of Iraqis continue to say they intend to vote on Jan. 30 even as insurgents press attacks aimed at rendering the elections a failure, according to a new public opinion survey.

The poll, conducted in late December and early January for the International Republican Institute, found 80 percent of respondents saying they were likely to vote, a rate that has held roughly steady for months.

It applies to Shiites, Sunnis ... across the board. The terrorists might kill innocents and make headlines, but they are flaming out and they know it.