By WILL LESTER
Associated Press Writer
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Two crucial pillars of President Bush's public
support - perceptions of his honesty and faith in his ability to
fight terrorism - have slipped to their lowest point in the
AP-Ipsos poll.
While the CIA leak investigation, the mishandling of Hurricane
Katrina and high energy costs have all taken their toll, the
polling found the Iraq war at the core of Americans' displeasure
with the president.
All of those concerns are cutting into traditional Bush
strengths.
Almost six in 10 now say Bush is not honest, and a similar number
say his administration does not have high ethical standards.
During his re-election bid in 2004, Bush skillfully wove the
public's trust of him and faith in his handling of the terror
threat into a winning campaign over Democrat John Kerry.
Now, 56 percent disapprove of the way Bush is handling foreign
policy and the war on terrorism, the poll found. Overall, 37
percent approve of the job Bush is doing as president.
An AP-Ipsos poll last week asked people to state in their own words
why they approve or disapprove of the way Bush was doing his job.
Almost six in 10 disapproved, and they most frequently mentioned
the war in Iraq - far ahead of the second issue, the economy.
"To use an unfortunate metaphor, Iraq is a roadside bomb in
American politics," said Rich Bond, a former national Republican
chairman.
Iraq has cast a cloud over Bush's public standing in general. The
public's view of the likeability of the affable president has
dropped from 63 percent in August to 52 percent now.
"The war is an overriding issue. Look at the body count on a daily
basis," said Tom Rector, a Democrat from Spokane, Wash.
The president has vowed to stay the course in Iraq, bringing
democracy to a country infested with terrorists and rocked by
explosions almost daily.
The president gets credit from a majority of Americans for being
strong and decisive, but he's also seen by an overwhelming number
of people as "stubborn," a perception reinforced by his refusal to
yield on issues like the Iraq war, tax cuts and support for
staffers under intense pressure.
Eighty-two percent of those polled describe Bush as "stubborn,"
with seven of every 10 Republicans agreeing with that
description.
Concern about the administration's ethics has been fueled by the
controversy over flawed intelligence leading up to the Iraq war and
the recent indictment of I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby, top aide to Vice
President Dick Cheney. Libby was charged with perjury and
obstruction of justice in the outing of CIA officer Valerie Plame,
a scandal that touched other top officials in the
administration.
That loss of trust complicates Bush's efforts to rebuild his
standing with the public.
"Honesty is a huge issue because even people who disagreed with his
policies respected his integrity," said Bruce Buchanan, a political
scientist from the University of Texas.
Bush, who promised in the 2000 campaign to uphold "honor and
integrity" in the White House, last week ordered White House
workers, from presidential advisers to low-ranking aides, to attend
ethics classes.
Some observers say they aren't impressed.
"It's like shutting the barn door after the horse escaped," said
John Morrison, a Democrat who lives near Scranton, Pa.
Some Republicans are nervous about the GOP's political
position.
"A lot of elected Republicans are running for the hills in the
Northeast," Connecticut GOP strategist Chris DePino said after
citing "a waterfall of missteps" by Republicans. Bush and the GOP
must return to their message that the United States has been safe
from terrorism during his administration, DePino said.
GOP pollster David Winston said Republicans are hoping the strength
of the economy and the upcoming elections in Iraq can improve the
public's mood about the administration.
Many of those who approve of Bush's job performance pointed to his
Christian beliefs and strong values, the second biggest reason
given for supporting him - after agreeing with his policies.
"I know he is a man of integrity and strong faith," said Fran
Blaney, a Republican and an evangelical who lives near Hartford,
Conn. "I've read that he prays every morning asking for God's
guidance. He certainly is trying to do what he thinks he is
supposed to do."
The poll of 1,000 adults was conducted Nov. 7-9 by Ipsos, an
international polling firm, and has a margin of sampling error of
plus or minus 3 percentage points.