Bush's approval ratings down with approching power transfer in Iraq

Public approval ratings for US President George W. Bush have slipped as most Americans disapprove of his handling of Iraq when the scheduled June 30 power transfer approaches, polls released on May 25 showed.

The polls also showed a rise of support for Democratic Senator John Kerry, Bush's major rival in his re-election bid, less than six months before the Nov. 2 election.

In an ABC/Washington Post poll, 50 percent of the 1,005 adults surveyed disapproved of Bush's performance and 47 percent approved, with Iraq as the main cause. Fifty-eight percent said they were unhappy with the way Bush was handling Iraq, and 57 percent disapproved of the way the Abu Ghraib prison abuse scandal has been handled.

The poll showed that Bush and Kerry would be tied in the presidential election, each having 46 percent of the support, with independent candidate Ralph Nader getting 4 percent of the support.

If only Kerry and Bush were in the race, Kerry would have 49 percent of the support, and Bush, 47 percent, according to the poll, which was conducted on May 20-23 and has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.5 percentage points.

According to a USA Today/CNN/Gallup poll, 49 percent of Americans disapproved of Bush's performance as president and 47 percent were in favor.

The poll, which surveyed 665 likely voters on May 21-23 and has a margin of error of plus or minus 4 percentage points, showed that Kerry would again lead Bush by 49 percent to 47 percent in a two-way race.

A CBS News poll found that only 41 percent of the 1,113 people canvassed approved of Bush's performance as president, while 52 percent disapproved; 61 percent disapproved of the way Bush is handling the situation in Iraq and 34 percent approved.

Kerry would received 47 percent of the support, 6 percentage points ahead of Bush, and Nader would get 6 percent, if the presidential election were held now, the poll showed, which was conducted on May 20-23 with a margin of error of plus or minus 3 percentage points.

Source: Xinhua