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 even the war on terrorism, a new Washington Post-ABC News poll shows.
On almost 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 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 A. Alito Jr. Half of Americans say Alito 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 White House mistakes. 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 U.S. campaign against terrorism -- until now, when 51 percent have registered disapproval.
The CIA leak case has apparently contributed to a withering decline in how Americans view Bush personally. 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 have 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 Cheney's former chief of staff, in the CIA leak 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 -- about 6 in 10 say Rove should resign.
Beyond the leak case, Americans give the administration low scores on ethics, according to the survey, with 67 percent rating the administration negatively on handling ethical matters, while just 32 percent give the administration positive marks. Four in 10 -- 43 percent -- say the level of ethics and honesty in the federal government has fallen during Bush's presidency, while 17 percent say it has risen.
Faced with its cascade of recent setbacks, the White House is hoping the latest court nomination can rally disaffected conservatives and score the president a victory akin to the one he enjoyed in the nomination of Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. Alito begins the confirmation process with the support of 49 percent of the public, while 29 percent say he should not be confirmed, the poll found. One in 5 Americans -- 22 percent -- did not yet know enough about him to make a judgment.
The dissatisfaction with Bush flows in part out of broad concerns about the overall direction of the country. Nearly 7 in 10 -- 68 percent -- believe the country is seriously off course, while only 30 percent are optimistic, the lowest level in more than nine years. Only 3 in 10 express high levels of confidence in Bush, while half say they have little or no confidence in this administration.
Just 35 percent of those surveyed rated the economy as either excellent or good, with 65 percent describing it as not so good or poor. Although the government reported last week that gross domestic product rose 3.8 percent in the last quarter, despite the effects of Hurricane Katrina, 29 percent of those surveyed said they regard the economy as poor, the highest recorded during Bush's presidency.
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. Republicans long have been the key to Bush's overall strength, but Bush has suffered some defections since the beginning of the year, when 91 percent approved of the way he was handling his job.
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.
The intensity of Bush's support has changed since his reelection a year ago, with opponents deepening their hostility toward the administration. In the latest survey, 47 percent said they strongly disapprove of the way he was performing in office, compared with 35 percent who expressed strong disapproval in January. At the same time, the percentage who say they strongly approve of his performance has fallen from 33 percent last January to 20 percent today.
Iraq remains a significant drag on Bush's presidency, with dissatisfaction over the situation there continuing to grow and with suspicion rising over whether administration officials misled the country in the run-up to the invasion more than two years ago.
Nearly two-thirds disapprove of the way Bush is handling the situation there, while barely a third approve, a new low. Six in 10 now believe the United States was wrong to invade Iraq, a seven-point increase in just over two months, with almost half the country saying they strongly believe it was wrong.
About 3 in 4 -- 73 percent -- say there have been an unacceptable level of casualties in Iraq. More than half -- 52 percent -- say the war with Iraq has not contributed to the long-term security of the United States.
The same percentage -- 52 percent -- says the United States should keep its military forces in Iraq until civil order is restored, and only about 1 in 5 -- 18 percent -- say the United States should withdraw its forces immediately. In the week after U.S. deaths in Iraq passed the 2,000 mark, a majority of those surveyed -- 55 percent -- said the United States is not making significant progress toward stabilizing the country.
The war has taken a toll on the administration's credibility: A clear majority -- 55 percent -- now says the administration deliberately misled the country in making its case for war with Iraq -- a conflict that an even larger majority say is not worth the cost.
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 61 percent approval on this issue at the time of his second inauguration, down from a 2004 high of 66 percent.
Bush also set new lows in the latest Post-ABC News poll for his management of the economy, where disapproval topped 60 percent for the first time in his presidency. And 6 in 10 are critical of the way Bush is dealing with health care -- a double-digit increase since March. On gasoline prices, Bush's numbers have increased slightly over the past two months but still remain highly negative, with just 26 percent rating him positively.
The survey suggests a rapidly widening gulf between Bush and the American people. Two in 3 say Bush does not understand the problems of people like them, a 10 percentage point increase since January.
Nearly 6 in 10 -- 58 percent -- doubt Bush shares their values, while 40 percent say he does, another new low for this president. For the first time since he took office, fewer than half -- 47 percent -- said Bush is a strong leader, and Americans divided equally over whether Bush can be trusted in a crisis.
Told of the poll results, Republican National Committee Chairman Ken Mehlman said Bush will rally support through such issues as education reform, changes to the tax code, and a new energy strategy to show the public that he will continue to push for changes in our government to serve the American people.
A total of 1,202 randomly selected adults were interviewed Oct. 30-Nov. 2 for this survey. Margin of sampling error for the overall results is plus or minus three percentage points
This is why I always say I love YOU. sm
This is why I always say I love YOU....
This has not been broken since 9/11/01, please keep it going...
This has been kept alive and moving since 9/11. In memory of all those who perished this morning; the passengers and the pilots on the United Air and AA flights, the workers in the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, and all the innocent bystanders. Our prayers go out to the friends and families of the deceased.
IF I KNEW
If I knew it would be the last time
That I'd see you fall asleep,
I would tuck you in more tightly
and pray the Lord, your soul to keep.
If I knew it would be the last time
that I see you walk out the door,
I would give you a hug and kiss
and call you back for one more.
If I knew it would be the last time
I'd hear your voice lifted up in praise,
I would video tape each action and word,
so I could play them back day after day.
If I knew it would be the last time,
I could spare an extra minute
to stop and say I love you,
instead of assuming you would KNOW I do.
If I knew it would be the last time
I would be there to share your day,
Well I'm sure you'll have so many more,
so I can let just this one slip away.
For surely there's always tomorrow
to make up for an oversight,
and we always get a second chance
to make everything just right.
There will always be another day
BR>to say I love you,
And certainly there's another chance
to say our Anything I can do?
But just in case I might be wrong,
and today is all I get,
I'd like to say how much I love you
and I hope we never forget.
Tomorrow is not promised to anyone,
young or old alike,
And today may be the last chance
you get to hold your loved one tight.
So if you're waiting for tomorrow,
why not do it today?
For if tomorrow never comes,
you'll surely regret the day,
That you didn't take that extra time
for a smile, a hug, or a kiss
and you were too busy to grant someone,
what turned out to be their one last wish.
So hold your loved ones close today,
and whisper in their ear,
Tell them how much you love them
and that you'll always hold them dear
Take time to say I'm sorry,
Please forgive me, Thank you, or It's okay.
And if tomorrow never comes,
you'll have no regrets about today.
Send this to at least 10 people to show your support.
PLEASE DON'T BREAK IT!!!!!!
I love it! LOL
But a speech like that would mean that Bush is being honest, and that can only happen in our dreams... sigh...
I love it! :-)
Considering Hannity's treatment of the guest immediately prior to this, Coulter finally got her long overdue well deserved Hannitizing. Colmes' replacement did a heckuva job.
I love this guy. I have been
finding that people who are normally neutral (in public) have been talking out lately about our situation here at home. Keith Olberman usually was quite funny most of the time, but not of late. He has issued some scathing comments directed at the ineptitude of the administration and their outright refusal to do anything about it, even acknowledge it. Joe Scarborough has been talking up the administration's mess as well. There comes a point when, no matter what side you are on, the truth is so enormously in your face that you must address it if you want to maintain any kind of credibility at all. It heartens me to see people who are not progressives, Democrats, liberals, whatever, stand up and say these people have crossed too many lines too many times. It is not okay. I really believe the protesters or dissenters or those asking questions being likened to Nazi appeasers was the last straw for a lot of people. Oh, and by the way, it seems the U.S. has lost Anbar province to Al-Qaeda and have no hope of getting it back. This happened in August. Anbar province is 50,000 square miles. How's that going to play in Peoria.
Cheny on Meet the Press....talk about pretzel logic. He made no sense whatsoever. He said we would have gone to Iraq even if we knew they had no WMD (which of course they did know) anyway. Then he said Iraq did have them. Then he said he wouldn't address this and wouldn't address that and he didn't remember, yadda yadda yadda. And W. That interview with Matt Lauer creeped me out. He kept getting closer and closer and in Matt's face and putting his hands on Matt. I thought he was going to start finger thumping Matt's chest. and start an actual fist fight; he was that stressed when he could not answer why if what we are doing in secret prisons is legal, then why can't we do it here? Good question. I used to feel that it was us against them, the Bush people versus everyone else but I truly now feel that it is the Bush administration against the whole country. It is really really frightening.
Love it...mean it.. nm
nm.
Love It ..mean it
You do realize this is the same Michael Moore who during the last presidential election said he hated America? That Americans were stupid? Yes, I am sure going to believe what he says. All this boils down to is during the last election vinegar didn't get him much so he is going to try honey. Thank God some of us see him for what he is, and this latest letter of his for what IT is, which is a condescending load of, for lack of a better word, hooey. The fact that you totally embrace him and the stuff he spews shows he is able to tap that well of hatred that seems to run so deep in liberals these days, and that ability to turn a blind eye to all the liberal admin failures and blame every problem no matter what it is totally on the conservative side. You are all on a long float down the river denial...I just pray that you some day float into the light. I sincerely mean that.
Just got to love this guy!
He reminds of a mouse shaking his arms at an elephant. He deserves so much respect. I hope his Other Russia really takes off so Russia can have true peace and democracy.
Can't think of anyone I love more.nm
nm
No wonder they love her! nm
.
I just love you!!!
Are you my friend sm from a few days ago? You are so cool!!!
I would love to see that
I think it would be freaken hysterical!
I just love it when
people post stuff like this and then someone replies with facts instead of just sarcasm and insults! Great post and well said!
love that one
He was great on crossfire, of course I think he ticked off Carlson a bit, loved it though.
I love Joe
I love saying the name Joe and I love making eye contact with Joe. We had chemistry don't ya know!
I would love that
I would love a union to make sure we got raises, etc. We work in the sweat shops we call home. ICs working thinly veiled as contractors, but really employees without the benefits.
I believe that's what you love him for.....
!!
Love it love it love!!!!
Great story....thanks for sharing!
Love this one.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P36x8rTb3jI
I love how he said...
"The republicans demonized me." Hah...did that to himself. He is an unrepentant little slug. What a whiner....he actually called the police to help him when Fox News tried to talk to him on the street one afternoon (ironic, he wanted to blow up police stations in his era). He is reissuing his memoir, which came out in 2001 and sold very poorly then. Hmm, capitalism ain't so bad after all, is it? Way to ride the coattails of your friend Obama.
I'd love to see that HA HA HA
BTW - did you speak up about the photoshop altered picture that someone put Palins face on some girl with a bikini holding a rifle?
I'll bet not!
I'd just love to know this:
How could even the most brain-dead, idiotic, party-blind Democrat, let alone any moderates or "independents", in Minnesota vote for AL Franken for the Senate?
Minnesota gets two Senators, so who's next from these brilliant voters who brought us Governor Jesse Ventura - Senator Chuck E. Cheese? Cheech & Chong? It's really hard to believe the citizens of Minnesota who think it's funny to elect such pathetic losers to office can possibly take their voting responsibilities very seriously.
Love and sex...
are two different things. Love who you want. Normal sexual relations are between men and women.
You can love
your fellow man and still try to lead him down the right path. Homosexuality is not a path a Christian wants to be on. We are to separate ourselves from sinners who boast of their sins and try to effect a change in these people. A true Christian does that, regardless of the flack they receive.
I would love nothing more
than for Obama to be a one-term president. However, I can't make that call as there are just too many people who still love the man. Too many people who refuse to see his blatant lies. Too many people who won't hold his feet to the fire for the broken promises. Too many people voting for him merely because he is black. Too many lazy scum voting for him because they want a hand out and to be taken care of by the people who actually work. We also have the biased media reporting how great Obama is doing and people who only watch that news and don't really research things.....might just blindly think he is doing a great job.
We are really going to be fighting an uphill battle here. We will just have to wait and see what happens and I know I won't be voting for him just like I didn't in 2008. But I'm not going to say that there is no way he will get re-elected because there are a lot of kool-aid drinkers out there and a lot of ignorant voters who don't research and just listen to a biased news media.
We can't count our chickens before they hatch but I would absolutely LOVE to see him not elected again.
The thing that scares me is that Hugo Chavez himself said that if Obama keeps taking over things in America like he is.....he is going to further left than Chavez himself. Doesn't that scare the dickens out of anyone that Chavez is saying that Obama could very well be more left than he is? OMG......scary!!!!!
Love it
Catch the gay virus. I better lock up my kiddos
our posts never last! LOL...
We understand what is happening, the truth of the matter, and they don't want to face it, although I saw someone's (you-know-who) title stating something to the point that "we must get our head's out" or something to that affect.... when will they ever get their "head's out?" Such fantasy world they live in.... We must pray for them because when it hits them, they're not going to know what happened!
Look 2 posts up.
AW does not dispute the veracity of the quote, she defends it. That is my issue.
If we ignored their posts they would most likely go away..
I really do believe that, at least as far as the crazy/psycho/nasty ones. But they are so darn hard to ignore!!! I'm going to try, though, starting now.
We play right into their hands by getting irritated and retaliating - just as I have on many occasions.
Where in any of my posts...
...did I state I was the board monitor? How curious that you would think I was.
I had assumed, as most reading this board would also, that the Merry Christmas was somewhat passive-aggressive. It is quite peculiar to bash someone repeatedly and rudely and then top it off with MERRY CHRISTMAS and then wonder why they didn't acknowledge the greeting.
You are here as much as me....if you look at all the posts to my posts...
I am just one person, there are many more of you. ANd you must be here to see me here and all pile on my posts...so....and I manage to get everything done. I read fast and type past, and I have many who help me research. We do have other places we post and other things we do for the candidate. So now you can stop wondering. :)
I already said, in other posts, that I don't...
think he intended to suggest that she was a pig. It was just an unfortunate use of words and in politics perception is everything. THe people at the rally he was talking to certainly perceived it as their candidate finally fighting back...you could tell by the reaction. THEY thought he meant it that way. Perceptions...lots of people DO think he meant it that way. I am not one of them. However, his camp has been really quick to haul out the videos for political hay (and not all of them true, just innuendo), and the McCain camp did the same thing here. He opened that door with a bad choice of words...and there it is. It's not like Obama doesn't capitalize on every slip of his tongue...we talked about the how many houses thing for a week. This is no different. He just used an unfortunate phrase and here we are.
just like some other posts
x
I always like your posts, too
From one educated American to another...and I don't mean educated by the drivebys!
What is it that you see? Your posts do nothing...
to give argument, just attack the poster's character.
She is also one who posts
misinformation and outright lies without checking the validity of what she posts. Should no one challenge this misinformation or is it only lies about Republicans and Christians that can be set straight? (Just checking since GWB is still in office.)
Last I knew, everyone is entitled to speak their mind no matter what their views are, but if you are going to do so on a public board you should have facts to back up your statements because they will very rarely go unchallenged. Everyone who stirs the pot risks getting burned.
I think many posts
reveal about the poster than they do the subject. I feel extremely lucky to be living and politically aware during this time. I think Obama has much potential for greatness and look forward to watching him grow and govern. There will always be folks who disagree with the president and complain - that's the magnificance of living in a democracy.He appears to me to be the first in a long, long time who sought the office to improve our lives rather than just gain political power.
see posts above
Transparent projection. Suck it up and enjoy the next 4 years, y'all. Absolutely nothing you can do or say to change the fact that the country has changed and is moving in a new direction. The republican philosophy has been soundly and firmly rejected.
The next 5 posts
are brought to you courtesy of the Confederation of Sore Losers' Junior League. To qualify for membership, your mentality cannot exceed the middle school ranks.
I also like FOX, but from posts down below
you basically get crucified on this board if you mention FOX news. I got the impression CNN is the only one to watch. Lately, I have been watching CNN and quite a few news reporters are stating negative comments about Obama. In fact, I had to make sure I was still watching CNN because I was shocked by reporters comments.
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