Zogby: Bush Job Approval Dips to 37%

Job approval for Congress drops below 20%; Just one in three say Iraq war has been worth it

After making headway improving his job approval rating over the course of several weeks, President Bush took a hit last week, dropping from 42% three weeks ago to 37% in a national live telephone survey conducted last week by Zogby International.

Bush was last at 37% positive job approval in a Zogby telephone poll taken in early September. In this latest survey, 63% gave him negative job marks.

He held steady among Republicans in this latest survey - 72% said they give the President positive marks for his work. However, independent voters abandoned him - just 24% gave him positive marks, down from 36% just three weeks ago.

While married respondents, a part of Bush's political base, remained steady at 42% positive in this latest survey, another demographic that has strongly supported him in the past - weekly Wal-Mart shoppers - turned more negative. Just 43% gave him positive marks in this latest poll, down from 55% three weeks ago. Among those shoppers, 57% gave him negative job marks.

The survey shows likely voters nationwide weren't happy with what they've seen coming out of Washington in recent weeks - during which the Mark Foley scandal came to full bloom and a powerless world watched as North Korea renegade Kim Jong-il tested what he claims was a nuclear bomb.

On the heels of the Foley uproar, the Republican-controlled Congress took a real hit to its reputation. Just 18% of likely voters nationwide approved of their work, down from 24% three weeks ago. Among Republicans, 31% approved of their work, while 66% gave them negative marks. Among Democrats, 9% gave them positive marks, while 85% gave them a negative job rating. Among independents, 12% gave them positive marks, while 87% gave them a negative rating.

Congress' job approval hit a recent low of 17% positive in early September, but soon after rebounded to 26% positive, before the Foley scandal broke.

Asked if they were proud or ashamed of their political party, 74% of Republicans said they were proud, while 13% said they were ashamed. Among Democrats, 66% said they were proud of their party, compared to 11% of Democrats who said they were ashamed.

Likely voters nationwide continue in a funk when thinking about the overall direction in which the nation is heading. Just 31% said they think things are moving in the right direction, while 60% said things are off.

Just One in Three Say the Iraq War Has Been Worth It

The generally negative attitude of likely voters nationwide was also reflected in their view toward the Iraq war, the poll shows. Just 34% said they thought the war has been worth the loss of American lives, down from 40% two weeks ago. Among Republicans, 59% said it has been worth it, while just 15% of Democrats agreed. Among independents, 25% said it has been worth it, while 65% said it has not been worth the loss of U.S. lives.

Heading into the mid-term congressional elections, likely voters have consistently said the war is one of the top two issues facing the nation today.