Bush approval hits new low

2006-03-14 12:29

Washington - US President George W Bush's approval rating has hit a new low and public confidence in his handling of the war in Iraq is eroding, according to a poll released on Monday.

The USA Today/CNN/Gallup poll showed 36% of those surveyed said they "approve" of Bush's performance, down from 37% in November.

Asked about the US-led war in Iraq, 57% said that sending US troops was a mistake, up from 55% two weeks earlier.

Sixty-seven percent said the president lacked "a clear plan for handling the situation in Iraq," an all-time high compared to previous polls.

A similar percentage, however, did not believe the opposition Democrats had a clear plan either.

The poll showed that Bush's allies in the Republican Party face a potential threat from their Democratic rivals in mid-term legislative elections in November.

When voters were asked which party they would support, Democrats scored 55% to 39% for the Republicans. The 16-point gap was the largest margin enjoyed by the Democrats since 1992, according to USA Today's website.

The poll results came as Bush launched a fresh public relations campaign on Monday to convince Americans that Iraq was not about to plunge into a full-blown civil war three years after the US invasion.

Bush's approval ratings dropped below 50% last May and have been hovering around or below 40% since October.

The poll, conducted March 10-12, surveyed 1 001 adults and has a margin of error of plus or minus three percentage points.

- AFP