Bush plunges to 22 percent

New York voters who gave George Bush soaring 82 percent approval ratings in 2001 have turned their backs on the president, with only 22 percent now saying they approve of the way he's doing his job.

The precipitous drop comes at a time when the president is seeking support in Congress for his immigration reform initiatives – and during an election year when immigration will be a key issue in many congressional districts.

The president's handling of the war met with the disapproval of 74 percent of respondents, with 67 percent saying going into Iraq was a mistake. Despite the overwhelming anti-war sentiment reflected in the poll, only 39 percent of voters were willing to call for a complete removal of U.S. troops from Iraq.

Broken down by party, Bush could claim support from 50 percent of Republicans, 19 percent of independents and 8 percent of Democrats.

"President Bush just keeps going down-down-down in this oh-so-blue state. You have to wonder at what number he hits bottom," said Maurice Carroll, Director of the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute.

In 2001, the Quinnipiac poll gave Bush an 82 percent approval rating.

While the poll, a survey of 1,154 New York State registered voters, conducted from May 8-14 by Quinnipiac University, was taken before the president addressed the nation earlier this week on the subject of immigration, it reflects the dwindling political capital he brings to the contentious issue that deeply divides his party and the nation.


President Bush at the border

Bush, speaking in Yuma, Ariz., yesterday, again reiterated his proposals for 6,000 National Guard troops on the U.S.-Mexico border to assist the Border Patrol, more detention facilities, a guest worker program, tamper-proof ID cards and program for the millions of illegal immigrants, already in the U.S., to earn citizenship.

According to the Rasmussen poll released two days ago, only 39 percent of Americans were in agreement with the president following his televised speech earlier this week on the immigration issue. An equal number opposed his approach. Among Republicans, only 60 percent stood with Bush. Forty-seven percent said they did not believe his proposals would work.

Additionally, following the speech, support for Democrat congressional candidates jumped 5 percent over where it had stood the week before, Rasmussen reports. Only 58 percent of conservatives said they would vote for the Republican candidate.

WorldNetDaily readers, responding to a WND Daily Poll following the president's speech, were overwhelmingly negative in their appraisal of the president's proposals.