Bush's approval rating nose-dives

President George W Bush's approval rating has plummeted to an all-time low with most Americans seeing him as intransigent on Iraq issue and favouring the Democratic controlled Congress to take the lead to bring the troops home.

However, a majority of the people are also not happy with the fashion in which Capitol Hill is going about its business, a latest poll by The Washington Post and ABC News has said.

Bush's overall approval rating is its all-time low in Post-ABC News poll at 33 per cent, with 65 per cent disapproving of his functioning.

Fifty-two per cent said they 'strongly' disapprove of his job performance, the highest figure of his presidency and more than three times the 16 per cent who strongly approve.

Six in 10 Americans believe that Congress must play the lead role in ending the war in Iraq and bringing the soldiers home. Asked if Bush was willing enough to change policies in Iraq, nearly 80 per cent of the Americans replied in the negative.

Since December, the percentage seeing Bush as too rigid has increased 12 points, with the most significant change among Republicans.

After the 2006 elections and the release of the 79-point plan from the bipartisan Iraq Study Group, 55 per cent of Republicans thought Bush was willing enough to change course in Iraq. In the latest poll, 55 per cent of Republicans said he is not.

But 75 per cent of the Republicans approve of the way he is handling his job even as only 10 per cent among Democrats take that position.

The war in Iraq has been Bush's single biggest drag on his approval ratings with only 31 per cent giving him positive marks on handling the situation, said to be the lowest.

Congress fares little better with the public on the war. Just 35 per cent said they approve of the way congressional Democrats are handling the situation in Iraq, with 63 per cent disapproving.

The latest polls show that approval of Congress stands at 37 per cent with a 60 per cent disapproval rating.

But when it comes to judging the president versus congressional Democrats on the issue of Iraq, the public stands with Congress.