Going Up

The trend is now unmistakable: President Bush is rebounding from his historic low poll numbers, but he’s far from being out of the woods.

The USA Today/CNN/Gallup Poll is the latest the show this trend. Some 42 percent of respondents approved of the way Bush is doing his job, up from 37 percent in mid-November but still the lowest of any second-term president since World War II except Richard Nixon.

Other findings:

* The president’s Iraq speeches aren’t convincing Americans that he has a plan for victory. Some 58 percent believe that he doesn’t have a plan; 38 percent believe that he does.

* Those opposed to the president hold more intense views than his supporters. Some 43 percent strongly disapproved of his performance, while 22 percent strongly approved.