While yet another poll shows that President Obama enjoys strong public approval for the way he has done his job in the first 100 days, his most recent action - ordering the release of previously secret Bush administration records about interrogation of terrorism suspects - draws far less support.
The new survey also revealed divisions on the use of torture and whether there should be an investigation into Bush administration policies.
Sixty-nine percent of the public approves of Obama's job performance compared to 26 percent who do not, a net gain of five points since March, according to a Washington Post/ABC News poll conducted April 21-24.
Obama gets his highest approval marks on foreign matters - Iraq (71 percent), international affairs (67 percent) and Afghanistan (63 percent), although the number is only 54 percent for Iran. Fifty-eight percent approve of his handling of the economy and 53 percent disapprove of how he has dealt with the auto industry situation.
That result is in line with nearly all the other polls conducted last week, as are the findings about how congressional Democrats and Republicans are viewed. Forty-nine percent disapprove of the job Hill Democrats are doing compared to 45 percent who approve, while 64 percent disapprove of Republican performance compared to 30 percent who approve. That was a 10 point net drop for the Democrats and a 16 point fall-off for the Republicans.
A majority support his decision to release the interrogation records, by 53 percent to 44 percent. Americans are sharply divided over Obama's statement that the U.S. will never use torture with 49 percent supporting that stand compared to 48 percent who say there are cases in which it should be considered. There is also division on whether the administration should investigate Bush administration policy and practices with 51 percent saying it should and 47 percent opposed a probe. That figure is about the same as it was in January.
The survey showed a turnaround in public opinion about whether the country is on the right track. Those surveyed said it was on the right track by 50 percent to 48 percent (the margin of error is 3 points) but that compared to late March when, by 57 percent to 42 percent, Americans believed the country was on the wrong track.
As with other polls, most Americans don't believe that there has been a reduction in partisanship in Washington with 54 percent saying it has not been reduced and 37 percent saying it has.
Other "100 Day" polls:
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