(Angus Reid Global Scan) - Public backing for George W. Bush dropped slightly in the United States, according to a poll by Hart/McInturff released by the Wall Street Journal and NBC News. 47 per cent of respondents approve of Bush's performance as president, a one per cent reduction since April.

Bush—a Republican—earned a second four-year term in November 2004. Yesterday, Bush defined his position on stem cell research funding, saying, "I made very clear to Congress that the use of federal money, taxpayer's money, to promote science which destroys life in order to save life— I'm against that. Therefore, if the bill does that, I would veto it."

Next week, the U.S. House of Representatives is expected to vote on a proposal that would allow federal funding for research performed on stem cells obtained from days-old embryos stored in fertility clinics. 52 per cent of respondents believe the U.S. is on the wrong track, a four per cent increase since February.

In August 2001, Bush cited ethical questions in his rationale to ban federal funding for embryonic stem cell research. In a nationally televised statement, Bush said, "While we're all hopeful about the potential of this research, no one can be certain that the science will live up to the hope it has generated."

Polling Data

In general, do you approve or disapprove of the job that George W. Bush is doing as president?

All in all, do you think that things in the nation are generally headed in the right direction, or do you feel that things are off on the wrong track?

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