Two recent Newsweek polls provide an interesting dichotomy into the beliefs of Americans as it relates to President Bush and the War in Iraq.

The first, a June 18-19 poll conducted by Princeton Survey Research Associates International, found that only 26 percent of Americans approve of President Bush&8217;s presidency. More devastating is that only 9 percent say they have no opinion, leaving 65 percent who say they actually disapprove of the way Bush has led the country.

Only Presidents Nixon and Truman have had lower approval ratings, 23 and 22 percents, respectively.

Furthermore, only 23 percent of Americans say they approve of the way the president is handling the situation in Iraq, while 73 percent disapprove and 4 percent are undecided.

The president has even lost the people&8217;s support on his handling of terrorism and homeland security. While 43 percent approve, 50 percent disapprove of his handling. Seven percent are undecided.

In an unrelated poll, Newsweek found a couple of interesting items related to the American public&8217;s beliefs about Iraq, Saddam Hussein and the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

This poll found that 41 percent of Americans believe Saddam Hussein was directly related to the 9/11 attacks, a claim perpetuated by the Bush Administration. This, however, we now know is a lie. The U.S. government has never found a link of any kind from Hussein to the attacks. In fact, U.S. intelligence reports show that Hussein disliked al Qaeda because he saw them as a threat in the region.

Twenty percent of Americans also believe that the U.S. found weapons of mass destruction in Iraq after the 2003 invasion. Again, this is another untruth perpetuated by the Bush Administration. No stockpiles of weapons were found.

It is a shame that so many Americans do not know the truth about something so crucial in our nation&8217;s history. Sadder still, is that the president and his administration fostered these untruths.

But it is the administration&8217;s mishandling of the rebuilding of Iraq &8212; and the untruths they have told in doing so &8212; that have led to Bush&8217;s approval ratings.