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President Bush's Approval Sinks to 29 Percent
By: Administrative Account | Source: NewsMax.com
May 12, 2006 11:11PM EST

Despite a robust U.S. economy, near record stock market highs and remarkably low unemployment figures nationwide, President George W. Bush continues to struggle for job approval among Americans participating in a recent poll.

According to a Harris Interactive poll in The Wall Street Journal Online, Bush’s approval rating has fallen below 30 percent for the first time. His 29 percent approval rating – those who rate his job performance as "excellent or pretty good” – is down from 35 percent in April.

Reasons vary for the drop in Bush’s poll numbers. First among equals is the rising cost of gasoline, which hits the consumer pocketbook on a daily basis, even in the face of a bullish stock market.

Other factors include the ongoing war in Iraq, memories of the Hurricane Katrina aftermath and, most recently, controversies involving illegal immigration, changes and leaks at the CIA and the administration’s terrorist surveillance program, which critics consider "domestic spying.”

As reported by Reuters, the poll of 1,003 adults said, "71 percent of Americans said Bush was doing only a ‘fair or poor job’ in the White House. The survey was conducted May 5-8 and has a 3 percent margin of error.

The White House has made several personnel changes in the past few weeks in an attempt to gain positive momentum in Bush's second term. The most visible change may already be taking hold as Tony Snow takes the helm as new Bush press secretary.

Snow has gone on the offensive, taking a first step at "setting the record straight" in media reports that the White House views as "misleading," according to the White House Web site.

Snow, a former journalist and Fox News Channel TV/Radio host, has posted several point-by-point challenges to major media outlets that "correct" the misreported information in recent news stories:

The Associated Press reported on May 10 that "Army Guard, Reserve Fall Short Of April Recruiting Goals." In reality, writes Snow, "The Army National Guard, Air Force Reserve, And Marine Corps Reserve All Have Exceeded Or Achieved Their Year-To-Date Recruitment Goals." He lists percentage recruitments to back up this claim.

A May 11 Washington Post editorial reads, "The Formula Hasn't Changed: A Windfall For The Rich, And A Hole In The Federal Budget." Snow corrects the headline, stating that President Bush's tax cuts benefit all Americans," enabling about 18.2 million taxpayers to avoid facing higher taxes.

Perhaps a new messenger with a correct, positive message will pay dividends for Bush and the GOP heading into the 2006 elections.