Survey Says...

Another round of "Why do the the American people hate America?" as new polls come in...

Bloomberg: Bush Support Weak as Americans Favor New Direction, Poll Finds

...A Bloomberg/Los Angeles Times poll taken this week as Bush prepares to deliver his annual State of the Union speech shows that the president wins the approval of only 43 percent of the public, a 7-point drop from a year ago. Three out of five say America is seriously off course, and by 62 to 31 percent those surveyed want to move in a different direction than the one Bush has set forth.

The president has lost public support across a broad swath of issues, including most of the ones that especially concern Americans, as well as on matters of personal trust and leadership, according to the survey...

USA Today finds that 58% think a special prosecutor should be appointed to investigate the President's illegal wiretapping program. The majority also agree the Bush administration was wrong in wiretapping without obtaining a court order. The poll also finds that a majority of Americans: disapprove of the President's job performance overall, disapprove of the economy's state, believe 'neither side' is winning the war on terror, and do not want Roe v. Wade overturned. Not what the President wants to hear after months of election year-style campaigning on these issues.

Still, the NY Times finds mixed support for the wiretaps, likely a result of White House spin.

Finally, from the Washington Post: Majority Believe White House Should Release Abramoff Records

A strong bipartisan majority of the public believes President Bush should disclose all contacts between disgraced lobbyist Jack Abramoff and White House staffers despite administration claims that media requests for details about those contacts amount to a "fishing expedition," according to a new Washington Post-ABC News poll.

The survey found that three in four--76 percent--of all Americans said Bush should disclose contacts between aides and Abramoff while 18 percent disagreed. Two in three Republicans joined with eight in 10 Democrats and political independents in favoring disclosure, according to the poll...

Expect a temporary bounce after the State of the Union, as always.