Bush ratings sink after seaports deal

WASHINGTON – Americans overwhelmingly oppose the proposed sale of cargo operations at six major U.S. seaports to a Dubai firm, calling it a threat to the nation’s security, according to a USA Today/CNN/Gallup Poll taken Tuesday and Wednesday.

The controversy, which has pitted President Bush against Congress, also seems to have dented his approval rating over his handling of terrorism and narrowed Republicans’ long-standing advantage over Democrats on the issue.

“All the way back to 2002 and 2004, the issue of security and terrorism was supposed to be the strength that drives Republican victories and generally has been the strongest suit of the president,” says Charles Franklin, a political scientist at the University of Wisconsin who studies polling. “Now they don’t have a strong suit to play.”

The public’s lopsided views are likely to make it harder for Bush to command support on Capitol Hill for the pending sale to DP World of some port terminal operations in New York, New Jersey, Philadelphia, Baltimore, New Orleans and Miami. The Bush administration agreed to a 45-day investigation of the deal, and the president will have the final say.

The outcry is commanding intense public interest. Three of four Americans say they are following the story closely. Overall, they oppose the deal by a nearly 4-to-1 ratio, 66 percent to 17 percent. In the survey, 39 percent called it a “major threat” to U.S. security; 36 percent called it a “minor threat.”

By 3 to 1, Americans say the port deal has sparked controversy because it is not in the best interest of the United States, not because of discrimination against Arabs.

Even so, 51 percent say the United States should trust friendly Arab and Muslim countries less than other allies.

The poll of 1,020 adults has a margin of error of plus or minus 3 percentage points.

Among other findings:

“Bush’s job-approval rating is 38 percent, 1 percentage point above the lowest rating of his presidency. His disapproval rating is 60 percent. The proportion who strongly approve of him has fallen to 20 percent, its lowest ever. The proportion who strongly disapprove has risen to 44 percent, the highest ever.

Through February and early March, Bush’s approval rating has dropped about 1 point a week.

“The president’s approval rating for his handling of terrorism is 47 percent, down 7 points since early February and a record low. The assessment that he “can manage the government effectively,” a strength from the beginning of his tenure, fell to 40 percent, also a new low.

“In the poll, 58 percent said Bush “is not paying enough attention to what his administration is doing.” The White House acknowledged that Bush wasn’t aware of the port deal until questions were raised in the media.

“Republicans retain an advantage over Democrats when it comes to protecting the country from terrorism and military threats, but the gap has narrowed to 45 percent-40 percent.