Only 46 percent of Americans approved the performance of US President George W. Bush in office and only 44 percent said the war in Iraq was worthwhile, according to a new poll released on Monday.

Both the two ratings were the lowest in similar polls conducted by the USA Today/CNN/Gallup. The president's approval rating was 49 percent last week.

The latest poll of 1,003 adults was conducted from Friday to Sunday, and has a margin of error of 4.5 percentage points.

Fifty-four percent of the respondents said the US invasion of Iraq last year was a mistake, and only 41 percent said Bush was doing a good job in handling the war.

Only 37 percent of those surveyed said they were satisfied withthe way that things were going in the United States, a sharp drop from early January, when 55 percent said they were satisfied.

With less than five months left before the November presidential election, Bush led John Kerry, his major Democratic rival , by 48 percent to 47 percent.

With independent candidate Ralph Nader in the race, the poll showed Bush would take 47 percent, Kerry 45 percent and Nader 5 percent, the poll showed.

Bush's handling of terrorism issues remained his strongest point among American adults, with 54 percent of those surveyed approving his performance.

But only 41 percent of voters said Bush was doing a good job indealing with the economy, with 56 percent disapproving.

The survey found the country was split over how Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld has handled his job, with 46 percent approving and 45 percent disapproving, and less than a third of those questioned thought Rumsfeld should resign or be fired over the prisoner abuse scandal.

Source: Xinhua