Are you sure you know what the American people want any more than he does? While contradictory, this poll suggests that the majority of Americans favor troops coming home but want to hold off on any changes regarding Iraq until after the General's briefing:

USA Today/Gallup Poll. July 6-8, 2007. N=1,014 adults nationwide. MoE ± 3 (for all adults).

"Do you favor or oppose removing all U.S. troops from Iraq by April 1st of next year, except for a 
limited number that would be involved in counter-terrorism efforts?" 

  7/6-8/07
  Favor Oppose Unsure     
    %      %     %     
   71     26     4     
         
"Which comes closer to your view about U.S. policy toward the situation in Iraq? Congress should act now 
to develop a new policy on Iraq. OR, Congress should not develop a new policy on Iraq until September 
when General Petraeus reports on the progress of the U.S. troop surge in Iraq." 

  7/6-8/07
  Act Now    Wait Until September     Unsure     
     %               %                   %     
    40              55                   5 

It's pretty close though. Also, no one called me and asked my opinion :o)
http://www.pollingreport.com/iraq.htm


>Excerpts from http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/19691238/
>
>
>President Bush, facing new pressure to start bringing U.S. troops home from Iraq, said Tuesday he won’t consider it until hearing a fresh assessment from his top commander there this fall.
>
>“That’s what the American people expect. They expect for military people to come back and tell us how the military operations are going,” Bush said. “And that’s the way I’m going to play it as commander in chief.”
>
>Ahh, the American people expect their troops home. Apparently he has forgotten the last elections.
>
>As for listening to the Brass, that would be something new. The Generals did come back and tell him. He just isn't listenting. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/8359694/site/newsweek/
>
>
>
>“We just started. We got all the troops there a couple of weeks ago,” Bush told the Greater Cleveland Partnership, a coalition of Northeast Ohio companies
>
>So where and the heck have all our troops been all this time???
>
>
>
>“I wouldn’t ask a mother or a dad — I wouldn’t put their son in harm’s way if I didn’t believe this was necessary for the security of the United States and the peace of the world,” Bush said. “I strongly believe it, and I strongly believe we’ll prevail.”
>
>He's right on this: he wouldn't ask, and "necessary" is debatable.
>
>Bush is analogous to banging your head against a wall - it feels so good when you stop.