New poll finds Bush Iraq ratings down

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – President George W. Bush’s approval
rating slipped to a career low of 45 percent on concerns over
the Iraq war and spiraling U.S. fuel prices, according to an
ABC News/Washington Post poll published on Tuesday.

The poll of more than 1,000 people found that 57 percent
disapprove of Bush’s handling of the war and 68 percent regard
the level of American casualties as unacceptable.

But a majority of respondents, 54 percent, said the United
States should keep its forces in Iraq until civil order is
restored. Fifty-nine percent said they do not think a deadline
should be set for the withdrawal of U.S. troops.

Bush has rejected anti-war protesters’ calls for a troop
withdrawal and appealed to Americans not to waver because of
the rising death toll, now nearly 1,900.

Bush’s overall rating was two percentage points down from
the previous low of 47 percent, according to the poll.

Disapproval of Bush’s Iraq policy has been steady since
December, but he maintains majority approval for his handling
of terrorism more broadly, the poll found.

Fifty-six percent approve of his work on terrorism, up from
50 percent in early June.

On the domestic front, those polled were most concerned
about record high gasoline prices which experts fear could
spike ever higher as major refineries remained shut after
Hurricane Katrina.

Seventy-three percent of respondents said they disapprove
of Bush’s handling of the problem, compared to 22 percent
approval.

Two-thirds said gas prices were causing them financial
hardship and 60 percent said they think the Bush administration
could take measures to ease gas prices, according to the poll.

The poll of 1,006 adults was conducted August 25 through
August 28 and has a three-point error margin.