Before returning to the United States, President Obama made a surprise visit with American troops in Baghdad.

The President's brief Baghdad stopover came following remarks he made about the war at a town hall meeting in Istanbul, Turkey.

"I opposed the war in Iraq. I thought it was a bad idea. Now that we're there, I have a responsibility to make sure bring the troops out, that we do so in a careful enough way," Obama said.

But some back home criticized the Commander in Chief for voicing opposition to the Iraq war while American troops are still engaged in combat there.

Also receiving criticism -- a remark Obama made in Ankara, Turkey, saying Americans, "convey our deep appreciation for the Islamic faith, which has done so much over so many centuries to shape the world for the better, including in my own country."

And at a town hall meeting in Strasbourg, France, President Obama said, "there's been times where America's shown arrogance and been dismissive, even derisive" toward Europe.

While the President's goal was to smooth over relations with Europeans and the Muslim world, some of his outspoken remarks and policies are apparently alienating some folks back home.

In the third month of Mr. Obama's presidency, Americans appeared more polarized than ever in the modern era.

A Pew research study shows a wide partisan gap in Obama's job approval rating -- the widest in more than four decades.

While 88 percent of Democrats approve of the President's performance, only 27 percent agree he's doing a good job.