Doubts about Bush's integrity and leadership grow, poll finds
WASHINGTON -- For the first time in his presidency, a majority of Americans question the integrity of President Bush, and growing doubts about his leadership have left him with record negative ratings on the economy, Iraq, and the war on terrorism, according to a
On nearly every key measure of presidential character and performance, the survey found that Bush has never been less popular with the American people. Currently, 39 percent approve of the job he is doing as president while 60 percent now disapprove of his performance in office -- the highest level of disapproval ever recorded for Bush in Post-ABC polls.
Virtually the only possible bright spot for Bush in the survey was generally favorable, if not quite enthusiastic, early reaction to his latest Supreme Court nominee Samuel Alito. Half of Americans say he should be confirmed by the Senate and less than a third view him as too conservative, the poll found.
Overall, the survey underscores how several pillars of Bush's presidency have begun to crumble under the combined weight of events and mistakes by the White House. Bush's approval ratings have been in decline for months, but on issues of personal trust, honesty, and values, Bush has suffered some of his most notable declines. Moreover, Bush has always retained majority support on his handling of the campaign against terrorism -- until now, when 51 percent registered disapproval.
The CIA leak case has apparently contributed to a withering decline in how Americans view Bush. The survey found that 40 percent now view him as honest and trustworthy -- a 13 percentage point drop in the past 18 months. Nearly 6 in 10 -- 58 percent -- said they had doubts about Bush's honesty, the first time in his presidency that more than half the country has questioned his personal integrity.
The indictment Friday of I. Lewis ''Scooter" Libby, Vice President Dick Cheney's former chief of staff, in the CIA case added to the burden of an administration already reeling from a failed Supreme Court nomination, public dissatisfaction with the economy, and continued bloodshed in Iraq. According to the survey, 52 percent say the charges against Libby signal the presence of deeper ethical wrongdoing in the administration. Half believe White House deputy chief of staff Karl Rove, the president's top political hand, also did something wrong in the case, and roughly 6 in 10 say Rove should resign.
The dissatisfaction with Bush flows in part out of broad concerns about the overall direction of the country. Nearly 7 in 10 -- 68 percent -- currently believe the country is seriously off course while only 30 percent are optimistic, the lowest level in more than nine years.
Attitudes toward Bush are sharply polarized by party, as they have been throughout his presidency. Almost 8 in 10 -- 78 percent -- of Republicans support the president, while just 11 percent of Democrats rate him positively.
Among independents, Bush's approval has plummeted since the beginning of the year. In the latest poll, 33 percent of independents approved of his performance, while 66 percent disapproved. In January, independents were evenly divided, with 49 percent approving and an equal percentage disapproving.
. Nearly two-thirds of survey respondents disapprove of the way Bush is handling the situation in Iraq while barely a third approve, a new low. Six in 10 now believe the United States was wrong to invade Iraq, a 7-point increase in just over two months, with almost half saying they strongly believe it was wrong.
The president's handling of terrorism was widely regarded among strategists as the key to his winning a second term last year. But questions about Bush's effectiveness on other fronts have also depreciated this asset. His 48 percent approval now compares with the 61 percent approval on this issue at the time of his second inaugural, and from a high of 66 percent in 2004.
Bush also set new lows in the Post-ABC News poll for his management of the economy, where disapproval topped 60 percent for the first time in his presidency.
A total of 1,202 randomly selected adults were interviewed Oct. 30-Nov. 2 for the survey. Margin of sampling error for the overall results is plus or minus 3 percentage points.
