We Like you...But pity about your President.

PM's friendship with Bush sours view of US: poll
Craig Skehan
SMH

In the new opinion survey, conducted for the Lowy
Institute for International Policy, 57 per cent of
respondents believed Australia should not continue
to be involved militarily in Iraq.

AUSTRALIANS still generally like Americans,
but a new survey says a low opinion of their President,
George Bush, has eroded support for the US's political
role in world affairs and there has been a dampening of
enthusiasm for the once-sacrosanct ANZUS alliance.

"Although attitudes in general were more favourable
than not, there was still a substantial body of negative
opinion," the survey said in reference to the US.

Some 69 per cent said Mr Bush caused them to feel
unfavourably towards the US, while 63 per cent said
American foreign policies had the same effect.

But US culture found disfavour among only 41 per
cent, while personal dealings with Americans prompted
less than 20 per cent of Australians surveyed to hold
an unfavourable view of the US.

Three-quarters thought the US paid little heed to Australia
in its foreign policies.

The Lowy survey found Australians were divided on
whether it would be good if US political power waned,
with slightly more respondents thinking it would be
a mainly positive development.

Two-thirds of Australians believed Mr Howard's support
for Mr Bush on issues such as climate change and Iraq
had hurt Australia's reputation.