MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

President Bush's support plummets to record low

United States president George Bush's popularity keeps plummeting following last week's state of the Union address, according to a survey published by Newsweek magazine.

Bush's popularity has dropped to a new record of 30%, with 83% of interviews believing history will remember him as an average or below average president. Besides over half of those polled wish his mandate had concluded, indicates Newsweek. The presidential speech of last Tuesday was considered a good opportunity for Bush to defend his new Iraq strategy and in other areas while extending a friendly hand to the opposition Democrats who control both houses of Congress. But less than a week from the speech, two thirds of US citizens, 67%, feel that the president's decisions on Iraq and other areas are guided by his personal beliefs rather than by reality. In his state of the Union Bush called for patience and an opportunity to prove his new Iraq plan and warned about a nightmare scenario leading to a defeat; he also unveiled a new plan to cut gasoline consumption by 20% in ten years time and again insisted with reaching an agreement regarding immigration. But 71% of interviews believe President Bush will not garner sufficient Congressional support to put his plans into action during the last two years of his second mandate while 21% feel he will accomplish it. However when asked if Congress would take seriously Bush's proposals on energy, health and home policies, among the people who followed his speech, 42% believe Congress will but 48%, no. The Newsweek poll shows that 61% of interviews are unsatisfied with the current situation of United States and 49% would like to see a Democrat in the White House in 2008, with 28% supporting a Republican. The public opinion poll was taken between January 24 and 25 among 1.003 adults with an error margin of four points. Last Sunday thousands marched in Washington and other US cities demanding an end to the war in Iraq under the banner of "United for peace and justice". Jane Fonda, a leader of the anti Vietnam War re-emerged in Washington where protesters marched demanding "Bring the troops back home now".