A slim majority, 51 percent, disapprove of his Iraq policy, while 47 percent approve, according to the ABC News-Washington Post poll released Sunday.

Most Americans, 54 percent, continue to believe the Iraq war was worth fighting, but that's down from 70 percent in April. A new high -- 62 percent -- say the level of US casualties is unacceptable.

Fewer than one in 10 Americans say Bush has made the nation more prosperous, while 58 percent -- a new high -- say the president fails to understand their problems.

The economy remains a major issue, with 45 percent of Americans approving of the way Bush is handling the economy and 53 percent disapproving. By a wide margin, 62 percent to 35 percent, the public sees the economy as a more pressing problem than terrorism.

The poll was conducted before Thursday's report that the economy surged from July through September at the fastest pace in nearly two decades.

The Bush administration contends that as economic growth improves, meaningful job creation will follow. Bush will be counting on that as he faces re-election in 2004.

"The tax relief we passed is working," Bush said, citing the latest GDP showing. "We left more money in the hands of the American people, and the American people are moving this economy forward."

The president cautioned against expecting "economic growth numbers like this every quarter. Yet by continuing a pro-growth agenda, we will sustain growth and job creation in this country."

He added: "We're on the right track, but we've got work to do."

Democrats argue that the president's policies and tax cuts have done little to spur significant job growth, have contributed to a record budget deficit in the recently ended fiscal year and will hurt the economy over time if deficits put pressure on long-term borrowing rates.

The poll was conducted by telephone Oct. 26-29 and has an overall margin of error of 3 percentage points.