EVERY WORD HE UTTERS IS A LIE, INCLUDING "AND" AND "THE"

Presidential adviser Karl Rove blamed the war in Iraq on Monday for dragging down President Bush's job approval ratings in public opinion polls. "People like this president," Rove said. "They're just sour right now on the war."

Rove said that Bush's likeability ratings are far higher than his approval ratings. "There is a disconnect" because of the Iraq conflict, Rove told the American Enterprise Institute....

--AP

"Far higher"? Er, no:

CBS News/New York Times Poll, May 4-8, 2006:

favorable: 29%; unfavorable: 55%
job approval: 31%; job disapproval: 63%

USA Today/Gallup Poll, April 28-30, 2006:

favorable: 39%; unfavorable: 60%
job approval: 34%; job disapproval: 63%

NBC News/Wall Street Journal Poll, April 21-24, 2006:

favorable: 39%; unfavorable: 52%
job approval: 36%; job disapproval: 57%

Pew Research Center for the People & the Press, April 7-16, 2006:

favorable: 40%; unfavorable: 57%
job approval: 35%; job disapproval: 55%

So he's no better than 5 points up in favorability in any poll taken in the last month or so that asks both questions, and his favorability is below his job approval in the most recent poll.

But watch this spin point get a new lease on life among the pundit elite, who want it to be true.

Stats: Polling Report (job ratings, favorability.)

****

UPDATE: Whoops, sorry -- Rove has mega-super-secret Republican polls, and they all say people love Bush. So Rove says. And don't you trust him?