Is Bush A bad President?

Dec 13, 2006 12:12:31

Just how bad a President is George W Bush? By Philip Sherwell, US Editor, Sunday Telegraph Last Updated: 1:37am GMT 11/12/2006 Page 1 of 5 When President George W Bush and his wife Laura switched on the 25,000 coloured lights on the White House Christmas tree last week, the cheers from onlookers came as a rare respite from the torrent of bad news dogging his administration. But even at that moment of seasonal celebration, Mr Bush's mind was on the events, thousands of miles away, that are dominating his presidency. "We give thanks for the brave men and women in uniform who are serving our nation," he said. "Many of those who have answered the call of duty will spend this Christmas season far from home, and separated from family. We honour their sacrifice." There is little prospect of festive joy for Mr Bush on the political front. Indeed, a spate of new opinion polls released on Friday made for sobering reading, even for a president renowned for his indefatigable optimism. According to one, his job approval rating has slumped to a record low of 30 per cent. The highest any gave him was 37 per cent – well below the 40 per cent figure seen as the benchmark for a president in serious difficulties. In fact, Mr Bush has been below that for months. A record 71 per cent said they disapproved of his handling of Iraq, with just nine per cent now expecting the US to win the "victory" that President Bush has long been promising. It all seemed so different in late 2000, when the then Texas governor was elected the 43rd American president, promising to use his tenure at the White House to put into practice his message of "compassionate conservatism".