The latest poll numbers from AP/Ipsos don't bode well for President Bush. In a poll released Friday, only 36 percent of Americans said they approved of the job Mr. Bush was doing in the White House.
This was the lowest level the president's numbers had reached in an AP/Ipsos poll. Just prior to the 2004 election, Mr. Bush has a 47 percent approval rating. Back in October 2002, his ratings were as high as 64 percent.
The war in Iraq seems to be a major problem for the president. Only 35 percent of those polled approved of President Bush's handling of the war while only 40 percent approved of his handling of foreign policy including the war on terror.
Just one year ago, Bush's foreign policy approval rating was 49 percent. 64 percent of the public approved of his foreign policy rating and his handling of the war on terror in October 2004.
Some Republicans are wary since one issue they have used to their advantage in recent elections has been national security. The new poll shows that the public no longer has more faith in Mr. Bush than it does in Democrats. The public rated both parties the same when asked which political party would best protect the country with both Democrats and Republicans scoring at 41 percent.
'These numbers are scary, Republican pollster Tony Fabrizio told the Associated Press. 'We've lost every advantage we've ever had. The good news is Democrats don't have much of a plan. The bad news is they may not need one.'
Bush is even facing lower approval ratings among Republicans. The latest poll shows GOP the president's approval rating is down 12 points among Republicans since a year ago. Meanwhile, six in 10 Republicans said they disapproved of the GOP-led Congress.
With mid-term elections rapidly approaching, the president faces an uphill battle to rally his party before November.
