Voters in California want U.S. lawmakers to help end the Iraq war, with nearly 60 percent of them saying Congress should set a deadline for U.S. troops' withdrawal by spring, according to a public opinion poll released Wednesday.
The poll also found that President George W. Bush is losing support among Republicans in the Golden State: 40 percent of California Republicans now favor pulling out some or all troops from Iraq and 30 percent want the Democratic-led Congress to pass legislation for that purpose.
Meanwhile, Bush's approval ratings in California have stayed at rock bottom, with 26 percent of voters approving of his job performance, compared with 65 percent who disapprove. His rating was also 26 percent in March, when the last similar poll conducted.
Only former President Richard Nixon dipped to lower levels -- a 24 percent approval rating -- and that was at the height of the Watergate scandal, according to Mark DiCamillo, director of the Field Poll, California's independent public opinion service.
"This is the lowest approval rating for an extended period of time of any U.S. president" in California, DiCamillo said. "That rating for Nixon was just for one moment in time, and then he resigned."
The poll, conducted among over 1,000 registered voters earlier this month, indicated that Bush's ratings could plunge further especially as he presses ahead with an unpopular war. Democrats in California have long disliked his policies and most independents share the same view.
And 58 percent of California voters said Congress should pass legislation to start a troop pullout in spring, while 38 percent oppose the idea.
Analysts said that the new poll, which mirrors the results of national polls on Bush and the war, is likely to embolden Democratic leaders in the Capitol Hill who are seeking to use congressional leverage to force an end to the Iraq war.
Source: Xinhua
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