But, argues Tom Mann of the Brookings Institution, that has always been true.

ECONOMIST: Head to head, neck and neck

For the answer, it is best to consult two Washington veterans, Tom Mann of the Brookings Institution and Norman Ornstein of the American Enterprise Institute, who can claim 72 years of Congress-watching between them.

ECONOMIST: Lexington

The most plausible explanation for this paradox, argues Tom Mann of the Brookings Institution, is that Americans are looking not only for diplomatic support, but also for broader reassurance that they are doing the right thing.

ECONOMIST: Who’s backing Bush? | The