posted on January 8, 2005 10:59:52 AM new
WASHINGTON -- While setting an ambitious agenda of change, President Bush is about to enter his second term with the lowest approval ratings of any recent two-term president, an Associated Press poll found.
Congress is viewed even more negatively--a troubling sign for Bush and Congress as they tackle such proposals as creating private accounts for those in the Social Security system, overhauling the federal tax code and limiting lawsuit damages.
Bush visited Michigan on Friday trying to advance one of his proposals: limiting asbestos damage lawsuits. In calling for federal curbs on such suits, the president said they are driving businesses into bankruptcy and denying some victims swift compensation.
"It's not fair to those who are getting sued, and it's not fair for those who justly deserve compensation," said Bush, appearing at a performing arts center near Detroit.
In the AP poll, the president's approval rating is at 49 percent, with 49 percent disapproving, among all of those polled. His job approval is in the high 40s or low 50s in several other recent polls--as low as any job approval rating for a re-elected president at the start of the second term in more than 50 years.
Presidents Ronald Reagan and Bill Clinton had job approval ratings near 60 percent just before their inauguration for a second term, according to Gallup Polls.
President Richard Nixon's approval was in the 60s right after his 1972 re-election, slid to about 50 percent right before his inauguration and then moved back over 60 percent. President Dwight Eisenhower's job approval was in the 70s just before his second inauguration in 1957.
About 4 in 10--41 percent--approve of the job Congress is doing, while 53 percent disapprove, according to the poll conducted for the AP by Ipsos Public Affairs.
Republicans overwhelmingly approve of Bush's job performance, and Democrats overwhelmingly disapprove. It is a split found to a lesser extent in the congressional numbers.
Only 1 in 6 Democrats say they approve of Bush's job performance, the poll found. In January 2002, 6 in 10 Democrats approved of the job done by the president, contributing to an overall job approval rating near 80 percent four months after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. In January of last year, about one-quarter of Democrats approved of the job done by Bush.
Bush has intense support from Republicans. More than 9 in 10 said they approve of his job performance.
People were evenly divided on Bush's handling of the economy. They take a dim view of his handling of Iraq, with 44 percent approving and 54 percent disapproving, according to the poll of 1,001 adults that was taken Jan. 3-5 and has a margin of sampling error of plus or minus 3 percentage points.
In Michigan Friday, Lester Brickman, a Yeshiva University law professor selected by Bush to discuss the asbestos cases at his appearance, told the audience that more than 100,000 workers have died as a result of exposure to asbestos. Inhalation of tiny fibers can cause lung diseases and lung cancer.
The American Trial Lawyers Association puts the figure at 300,000 and projects that a similar number will die over the next four decades. The group's president, Todd Smith, said Bush was "attacking the legal rights of millions of Americans."
Hundreds of thousands of people have sued companies that produced the insulating and fireproofing material containing asbestos.
The president said the cost of having courts process those claims could amount to $200 billion over time. He asked Congress to send him legislation that would be a "national solution." He offered only the broad outlines of what he seeks.
posted on January 8, 2005 11:25:07 AM new
"about to enter his second term with the lowest approval ratings of any recent two-term president"
Considering how close the election was, why would anyone consider this surpring? He's not a popular president. He won by a hair and his popularity polls are at 52% approval.
It ain't great, but it's better than half.
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