WASHINGTON, April 26 (Xinhua) -- As the Democrat-controlled Congress and the White House clash over an Iraq spending bill, a latest NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll finds that a solid majority of Americans side with the Democrats on the issue.

    The poll, released here on Thursday, shows that 56 percent of those interviewed say they agree with the Democrats who want to set a deadline for troop withdrawal, versus the 37 percent who say they agree with President George W. Bush that there should not be any deadline.

    Also, 55 percent believe that victory in Iraq isn't possible and 49 percent say the situation in Iraq has gotten worse in the last three months since Bush announced his so-called troop surge.

    Only one in eight think the war has improved in the three months since the "surge."

    The poll comes as Congress considers an supplemental spending bill that will begin withdrawing troops from Iraq by Oct. 1, with the goal of having all combat troops leave by March 2008.

    The legislation passed the House on Wednesday, and heads to the Senate on Thursday.

    It looks very likely to reach Bush's desk next week.

    Since the president has repeatedly said he will veto any bill with a timetable to withdraw troops from Iraq, a showdown with Congress on the issue seems inevitable.

    The poll was conducted among 1,004 American adults between April 20 and 23.