Sunday marked the third anniversary of the start of the war in Iraq. More than 2,300 U.S. troops have been killed since then, and President Bush's approval in the polls has slipped below 40 percent. MPR's Annie Baxter notes that when the war started 70 percent of those polled by Gallup thought it was winnable. Now the figure is just over 20 percent. Baxter sampled some Minnesotans views of the war:

[Former Marine Chris Briscoe doesn't oppose all military interventions. But he doesn't think the grounds for the Iraq war were legitimate.

"I was supportive of military action in Afghanistan when it was a direct action to the 9/11 attacks. But once it was repurposed to the energy industry and the neo-con agenda, I was opposed to military action at that point," he said.

But some war supporters like Will Brown of Eden Prairie are digging in their heels and staying firm in their convictions. Brown works in marketing and says he's skeptical of how polls are presented, so he doubts public support for the war is eroding so dramatically.

But even if the polls are right, Brown says public perceptions can be fickle and shouldn't distract from the military's purpose.

"I'd hate to see public policy shifted on a whim, if you will, I'd like to see us accomplish the mission, set up a government in Iraq, so that the people of Iraq can be self-supporting and enjoy the benefits of democracy in that region. Until we get to that point, I'd hate to see us pulling out prematurely and creating a power vacuum that could lead to more death and destruction through civil war in Iraq.

MPR's Tim Post talked to a veteran recovering from wounds he got in Iraq:

Now two years after the attack that shattered his body, Vandenheuvel is doing better. The 25-year old lives with his mom in an apartment in Sartell, north of St. Cloud.

Vandenheuvel finds it easy to be optimistic, considering how much he's healed in just two years.

"There's only step farther down than I was, and that's dead. Not very many people that were in the situation I was in, can go as far as I have especially so soon," Vandenheuvel said.

And people on the Red Lake Indian Reservation are marking another grim anniversary. The school shooting there happened one year ago Tuesday. MPR's Tom Robertson has that story:

Red Lake School Superintendent Stuart Desjarlait said students are generally doing well, but attendance has dropped by about 15 percent in the past few weeks as the anniversary date approaches.

"I think a lot of the students have handled it very good, but we all suffer," said Desjarlait. "We all remember in our own way."

Desjarlait says the school shootings continue to affect his staff. Some teachers are struggling with emotional trauma. Some are dealing with depression. Desjarlait says four teachers have taken medical leave in just the past two weeks. That's happened to about a dozen teachers since last March. Even high school principal Chris Dunshee is taking some time off. He's gone for the rest of the school year.

Turning to political news, the flap over Sen. Dean Johnson's tape recorded comments on gay marriage continues. The West Central Tribune noted something that didn't happen:

The Willmar pastor who secretly taped state Senate Majority Leader on the issue of gay marriage requested extra police patrol at his Sunday worship for fear of protesters. A police report shows that Brent Waldemarsen was concerned that protests could disrupt his Sunday service. Police did drive by the church, but saw no protesters.

And are there any Minneapolis politicians who aren't interested in running for Rep Martin Sabo's seat? We'll try to get a good list going later today.