US: US support for the Iraq war has slumped to its lowest level, with two out of three Americans lacking confidence that President George Bush knows how to end the conflict, according to a poll.
Six months before November's congressional elections, the New York Times/CBS News poll makes grim reading for Republicans, who fear they could lose majorities in the Senate or the House of Representatives.
Mr Bush's approval rating of 31 per cent is his lowest yet and 70 per cent of those polled said America was on the wrong track - the highest figure in more than 20 years. Americans are unhappy with Mr Bush's handling of almost every policy area, from foreign affairs to the economy and energy prices. Only one in four approves of the way the president is handling immigration and just 13 per cent say he is dealing well with rising fuel prices.
Only 39 per cent now say that going to war in Iraq was the right decision, down from 47 per cent in January. Two out of three voters say Mr Bush does not share their priorities and a similar proportion believe the United States is in worse shape than when he became president six years ago.
Mr Bush's unpopularity is echoed in falling support for Republicans in Congress and most voters believe Democrats would do a better job on Iraq, fuel prices, immigration, taxes, prescription drug prices and civil liberties.
Fifty per cent said Democrats came closer than Republicans to sharing their moral values, compared with 37 per cent who said Republicans shared their values. Most said that Republicans were more likely to be corrupt and a large majority said that Democrats had more ideas. Republicans are still viewed as better at maintaining strong armed forces and at fighting terrorism, although their advantage on these issues is narrowing.
The poll has good news for campaigners on behalf of America's estimated 12 million illegal immigrants, who include tens of thousands of Irish citizens. Sixty per cent of those polled backed a Senate proposal that would allow most illegal immigrants to remain in the US and eventually apply for American citizenship.
Mr Bush's approval rating has been in the low 30s for weeks but Republican strategists are worried about falling support for the president among conservatives, only 51 per cent of whom say he is doing a good job. Among Republicans in general, support has fallen to 69 per cent.
Last month's White House shake-up saw Karl Rove, Mr Bush's top political adviser, losing his role in policy co-ordination to focus on political strategy before November's election.
The loss of Republican control of the House or the Senate could be disastrous for the Bush presidency, allowing Democrats to launch investigations into everything from the intelligence leading to the invasion of Iraq to the administration's links to business.