Bush 'not honest'
2005-11-04 08:11
Washington - For the first time, more than half of Americans polled doubt President George W Bush's honesty, according to a poll released on Thursday, one year after his re-election.
Just 40% of Americans call Bush honest and trustworthy, and 58% say that he is not, according to the ABC News poll.
Bush's popularity remained at 39%, the lowest level since he was first elected in November 2000, with 60% of Americans disapproving of the way he is doing his job, the poll said.
On the economy, 36% approve of the president's policies, while 61% disapprove, the poll said.
Thirty-six percent approved of his handling of the Iraq war, while 64% disapproved.
Bush is paying the price now that vice-president Dick Cheney's chief of staff, Lewis Libby, has been charged with lying to a grand jury over his involvement in the unmasking of a CIA agent.
The division is similar between the 40% who say that Bush shares their values and those who say he does not. Just 34% of those surveyed say that he understands the problems of persons like themselves.
TNS conducted the October 30-November 2 telephone interviews among 1 202 adults. The poll has an error margin of three percentage points.