Just 28% of Likely Voters now believe that history will judge the U.S. mission in Iraq a success. That’s a five-point decline over the past month and matches the lowest level of confidence ever measured. The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 53% believe history will judge the mission a failure. That’s up from 49% last month.

Only 25% think things will get better in Iraq over the next six months. That’s down from 30% in April. Forty-seven percent (47%) expect things to get worse (see history).

The poll also found that just 36% believe the U.S. and its allies are winning the War on Terror. That’s down from 37% a month ago and 38% the month before. It’s also the seventh straight monthly update where fewer than 40% believe the U.S. is winning. Prior to the past seven months, that figure had fallen below the 40% mark just three times in three years.

Thirty-four percent (34%) now believe the terrorists are winning. That’s up a point from 33% a month ago and unchanged from 34% in March.

Just 56% of Republicans now believe the Iraq mission will eventually be viewed as a success. That’s down from 61% in April. Only 8% of Democrats and 24% of those not affiliated with either party believe the mission will be viewed by history as a success.

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The current poll was conducted May 7-8, 2007.

Rasmussen Reports regularly tracks public attitudes towards Congress, the War on Terror, and other topics. Rasmussen Reports also continuously updates favorability ratings and general election match-ups for all Democratic and Republican Presidential candidates along with ratings for Members of Congress, Other Political Figures, and Journalists.

Rasmussen Reports releases updated polling data on the Democrat Nomination Process every Monday and on the Republican contest every Tuesday. Results for the Generic Congressional Ballot are updated monthly.

Rasmussen Reports also conducts ongoing surveys measuring the attitudes of Americans on the news of the day including immigration, the DC Madam, gun control, partial-birth abortion, and Iraq. The latest updates can be found on the Rasmussen Reports home page.