WASHINGTON, Aug. 31: The latest opinion poll not only shows a lowest ever job approval rating for US President George W. Bush but also a general dissatisfaction with the opposition Democratic Party for not mounting a strong opposition to his policies.

The new Washington Post-ABC News poll, released on Wednesday, showed Mr Bush’s job approval rating down to 45 per cent, a seven-point erosion since January and the lowest ever recorded for him since 9/11.

“Rising oil prices and ongoing bloodshed in Iraq continue to take their toll on President Bush, whose standing with the people has sunk to an all-time low,” the report says.

Mr Bush’s Iraq approval ratings, although negative for many months, showed little change in the new poll. “What may have pushed Mr Bush’s overall ratings down in the latest poll is pervasive dissatisfaction over soaring gasoline prices,” says the report.

Two-thirds of those surveyed said oil prices were causing financial hardship to them or their families. Gas prices stand to go even higher after Hurricane Katrina’s rampage through the oil-rich Gulf of Mexico.