Rate it a 5: Poll: Fewer Americans Think Bush Is Honest [View All]

WASHINGTON - Less than half of Americans now say they think
President Bush is honest, according to an AP-Ipsos poll taken at a time of increasing concerns about
Iraq, a potential problem for a president who won re-election declaring that "people know where I stand."

The percentage of people who say they consider Bush honest has dropped slightly from the start of the year. In January, 53 percent described him that way in the AP-Ipsos poll, while 45 percent said they did not believe he was honest. Now, people are just about evenly split — 48 percent saying he's honest and 50 percent saying he's not.

"Whether you agree or disagree with him, the president has taken a pounding on perceptions of his honesty," said Karlyn Bowman, a public opinion analyst at the American Enterprise Institute. She cited as one example the administration's claims that Iraq had weapons of mass destruction, but none have been found.

A solid majority still see Bush as likable and a strong leader, but a growing number view the president's confidence as arrogance, up from 49 percent in January to 56 percent now.
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http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20050806/ap_on_go_pr_wh/bush_ap_ipsos_poll