Americans give Bush thumbs down

WASHINGTON – A majority of Americans are unhappy with President George W.

Bush’s job performance, polls showed on Monday ahead of the US leader’s annual State of the Union address. In a Time magazine poll, 55 per cent disapproved of Bush’s handling of his job while 41 per cent gave him the thumbs up.His approval rating was 12 points off the same period last year, the weekly said.A separate NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll had nearly similar results, with 54 percent disapproving and 39 per cent approving Bush’s performance.However, the January numbers were an improvement from November, when Americans split 57-38 per cent, and it was the first time in several months that his job approval numbers increased, NBC News said.A majority of Americans (60 per cent) disapproved of Bush’s handling of Iraq, while 38 per cent backed the president on the war, the Time survey showed.About 51 per cent said it was wrong to go to war in Iraq.His approval rating on the war on terrorism was down nine points from last January, according to Time.The poll showed 47 per cent approved and 48 per cent disapproved of his handling of the anti-terror campaign.A majority of Americans (51 per cent) backed Bush’s controversial domestic spying programme, although 56 per cent said they were concerned that warrantless wiretaps could be misused to violate people’s privacy, the NBC/Wall Street Journal poll showed.The Time poll surveyed 1 002 adults by telephone between January 24-26 and has a three-percentage-point, plus or minus, margin of error.The NBC/Wall Street Journal poll was taken January 26-29 among 1,011 adults and has a 3.1-percentage-point, plus or minus, margin of error.Bush was due to deliver his State of the Union speech yesterday in the US Congress.- Nampa-AFPIn a Time magazine poll, 55 per cent disapproved of Bush’s handling of his job while 41 per cent gave him the thumbs up.His approval rating was 12 points off the same period last year, the weekly said.A separate NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll had nearly similar results, with 54 percent disapproving and 39 per cent approving Bush’s performance.However, the January numbers were an improvement from November, when Americans split 57-38 per cent, and it was the first time in several months that his job approval numbers increased, NBC News said.A majority of Americans (60 per cent) disapproved of Bush’s handling of Iraq, while 38 per cent backed the president on the war, the Time survey showed.About 51 per cent said it was wrong to go to war in Iraq.His approval rating on the war on terrorism was down nine points from last January, according to Time.The poll showed 47 per cent approved and 48 per cent disapproved of his handling of the anti-terror campaign.A majority of Americans (51 per cent) backed Bush’s controversial domestic spying programme, although 56 per cent said they were concerned that warrantless wiretaps could be misused to violate people’s privacy, the NBC/Wall Street Journal poll showed.The Time poll surveyed 1 002 adults by telephone between January 24-26 and has a three-percentage-point, plus or minus, margin of error.The NBC/Wall Street Journal poll was taken January 26-29 among 1,011 adults and has a 3.1-percentage-point, plus or minus, margin of error.Bush was due to deliver his State of the Union speech yesterday in the US Congress.- Nampa-AFP