Worst president ever: The government’s response to Katrina gets a mere 17 percent approval in the Zogby poll:

President Bush’s job approval rating took a hit in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, dropping to a historic low of 41 percent, a new Zogby America poll reveals. The same survey found the nation’s forty-third president would lose election contests against all of his predecessors since Jimmy Carter…

The public rates the performance of all levels of government in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina negatively, with 36 percent giving the President passing marks on his handling of the crisis—slightly higher than the 32 percent who give government in general good marks for its handling of the storm that devastated New Orleans and much of the Gulf coast.

In another key finding, the Zogby America survey finds that 86 percent of likely voters assess the response of private charities favorably, and one charity, the American Red Cross, gets higher marks than the federal government, as well as state and local governments. In fact, four times as many respondents say the Red Cross did a better job than the federal government, with the charity being seen as more effective by 69 percent and the government’s response viewed more favorably by 17 percent. The Red Cross also gets better marks than Louisiana’s state and local governments, by a 72 percent to 10 percent margin.

Bush is head of the government – unfortunately. The person in charge of the government usually takes responsibility when things go badly, but the “leadership” of our government refuses to accept responsibility for its failings. Who will hold them accountable?

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