Bush's approval rate falls to 28 pc: Newsweek

Washington, May 6: President George W Bush's approval rating has fallen to 28 per cent in a Newsweek Poll released, an all-time low for Bush in that survey.

Nearly two out of three Americans, 62 per cent believe Bush's recent actions in Iraq show he is ''stubborn and unwilling to admit his mistakes,'' Newsweek reported. Just 30 per cent think Bush's execution of the Iraq war demonstrates he is ''willing to take political risks'' to do what's right.

Bush's unpopularity may also be casting a dark shadow over Republican chances for keeping the White House in 2008.

Democratic front-runners lead potential Republican contenders in head-to-head match-ups across the board, the poll suggests.

Illinois Senator Barack Obama fares best against the lead Republicans so far in the race. Obama bested Republican front-runner and former New York Mayor Rudolph Giuliani by 50 percent to 43 percent among registered voters who responded to the poll.

Obama topped Arizona Sen. John McCain by 52 per cent to 39 per cent and defeated former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney by 58 per cent to 29 per cent, Newsweek reported.

New York Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton, the front-runner among Democratic voters, topped Giuliani by 49 per cent to 46 per cent, beat out McCain 50 per cent to 44 per cent and outdistanced Romney 57 per cent to 35 per cent, the poll found.

Former North Carolina Sen. John Edwards topped Giuliani by 6 points, McCain by 10 and Romney by 37 points in the poll.

The poll, conducted by Princeton Survey Research Associates International on Wednesday and Thursday, interviewed 1,001 adults 18 and older. It had a margin of error of plus or minus 4 percentage points.

Reuters>