President Bush delivers tonight's State of the Union to a voting public more willing to give control of national policy to an unpopular Congress than him, according to a Wall Street Journal/NBC poll.
Excerpts from the Wall Street Journal follow:
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A new Wall Street Journal/NBC News poll shows health care at the top of Americans' priority list, with 76% calling increased access and lower costs "an absolute priority" for 2006. Two-thirds say it is time to reduce troop levels in Iraq, while just 28% support maintaining existing troop levels.
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Yet Mr. Bush's lower personal ratings since the start of his second term suggest he will have a hard time controlling the debate in the face of opposition from congressional Democrats and some Republicans seeking an independent course. Asked who should take the lead in settling national policy, just 25% say Mr. Bush, while 49% prefer Congress to take charge.
The poll of 1,011 adults, conducted Jan. 26-29, has a margin of error of 3.1 percentage points. Mr. Bush's overall job-approval rating remains at 39%, down from 50% immediately following his 2004 re-election.
The proportion of Americans who credit the president with being "honest and straightforward" has fallen to 38% from 50% in January 2005; the proportion that gives him high marks for "strong leadership qualities" is 42%, down from 52%.
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