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American Morning
Capture of Saddam Hussein Good for President Bush's Approval Ratings
Aired December 18, 2003 - 07:35 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: The capture of Saddam Hussein has been very good for President Bush's approval ratings.
Suzanne Malveaux live at the White House for us this morning with more on that, as well as some plans that the president has today on the medical front -- Suzanne, good morning.
SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Soledad.
But despite the questions and criticisms about the Iraq war, President Bush is receiving an early Christmas present, the highest approval rating, his job approval rating, in six months. That according to the latest polls. And the capture of Saddam Hussein has helped. The last poll, taken just within the last two days from CNN/"USA Today"/Gallup, shows that Bush's job approval rating just one week ago, Saddam's capture, was at 54 percent. Today it's 63. On how the U.S. is hdlg Iraq since major fighting has ended, two weeks ago, 46 percent said they approve; 51 percent said they disapprove. But now take a look at those numbers. Sixty-five percent say they approve; 34 percent say they disapprove.
Now, strategists and pollsters say, yes, this is a significant bounce, but, in all likelihood, temporary.
Now, the president is going later today to Walter Reed Army Medical Center. That's where he's going to be thanking the troops for their service. He's also going to be talking to medical personnel. But he's also going to be checking out a medical condition of his own. He's been complaining about pain in his knees. We are told that his doctor told him that he should get an MRI, simply an imaging scan of both his knees, to see if there's potential cartilage damage. They say that, of course, Soledad, that this is normal for someone his age, 57 years old, who is still very active. You and I being avid runners, you see what we have to look forward to.
O'BRIEN: I was going to say, you know, maybe, Suzanne, he needs to lay off running with all those young Secret Service men we just had pictures of him running with, you know?
MALVEAUX: He actually has the last couple of months, he hasn't been running. But they tell us that, of course, he's been using the elliptical machine and doing a little bit of running in the swimming pool. So he's still very, very active.
O'BRIEN: Not, it's not the same thing, though, as we both know.
All right, Suzanne, thanks a lot.
MALVEAUX: Sure.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Approval Ratings>
Aired December 18, 2003 - 07:35 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: The capture of Saddam Hussein has been very good for President Bush's approval ratings.
Suzanne Malveaux live at the White House for us this morning with more on that, as well as some plans that the president has today on the medical front -- Suzanne, good morning.
SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Soledad.
But despite the questions and criticisms about the Iraq war, President Bush is receiving an early Christmas present, the highest approval rating, his job approval rating, in six months. That according to the latest polls. And the capture of Saddam Hussein has helped. The last poll, taken just within the last two days from CNN/"USA Today"/Gallup, shows that Bush's job approval rating just one week ago, Saddam's capture, was at 54 percent. Today it's 63. On how the U.S. is hdlg Iraq since major fighting has ended, two weeks ago, 46 percent said they approve; 51 percent said they disapprove. But now take a look at those numbers. Sixty-five percent say they approve; 34 percent say they disapprove.
Now, strategists and pollsters say, yes, this is a significant bounce, but, in all likelihood, temporary.
Now, the president is going later today to Walter Reed Army Medical Center. That's where he's going to be thanking the troops for their service. He's also going to be talking to medical personnel. But he's also going to be checking out a medical condition of his own. He's been complaining about pain in his knees. We are told that his doctor told him that he should get an MRI, simply an imaging scan of both his knees, to see if there's potential cartilage damage. They say that, of course, Soledad, that this is normal for someone his age, 57 years old, who is still very active. You and I being avid runners, you see what we have to look forward to.
O'BRIEN: I was going to say, you know, maybe, Suzanne, he needs to lay off running with all those young Secret Service men we just had pictures of him running with, you know?
MALVEAUX: He actually has the last couple of months, he hasn't been running. But they tell us that, of course, he's been using the elliptical machine and doing a little bit of running in the swimming pool. So he's still very, very active.
O'BRIEN: Not, it's not the same thing, though, as we both know.
All right, Suzanne, thanks a lot.
MALVEAUX: Sure.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Approval Ratings>
