Approval ratings low for Bush, Congress

WASHINGTON -- President Bush is entering his second term with the lowest approval ratings of any recent two-term president, even as he talks about an ambitious agenda of change, an Associated Press poll finds.

Congress is viewed even more negatively -- a troubling sign for Bush and Congress as they tackle such proposals as creating private accounts for those in the Social Security system and overhauling the federal tax code.

Bush's approval rating is at 49 percent in the AP poll, with 49 percent disapproving among all of those polled.

Only 41 percent, approve of the job Congress is doing, while 53 percent disapprove, according to the poll conducted for the AP by Ipsos Public Affairs.