ORLANDO, Fla.- President Bush now has the lowest public-approval rating of his presidency as growing doubts about the war in Iraq weigh on Americans already troubled by how Bush is handling the economy.
Now at 50 percent in the latest Gallup Poll, the president’s job-approval rating has plunged 9 points in the last month alone. Both Bush’s decline and a notable increase in public dissatisfaction with the war occurred as the president openly confronted the staggering cost of a continuing conflict. Persisting anxiety over a struggling economy and spreading perception that the war in Iraq was not worth the effort have combined to abruptly end a long ride of strong public support for Bush since the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.
While the 2004 election remains a year away, Bush’s sliding ratings make him vulnerable to credible challengers. Indeed, Gallup shows the newest Democratic rival, retired Gen. Wesley Clark, has entered the race on a virtual par with the president.

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