Poll: Bush bailout plan not popular

PRINCETON, N.J., Sept. 26 (UPI) -- The U.S. public wants Congress to do something to prevent a financial meltdown but does not like President Bush's plan, a poll released Friday found.

The Gallup Organization poll for USA Today was carried out Wednesday night, before the negotiations Thursday in Washington.

Respondents were asked if they liked the Bush plan, which was described as authorizing "the Treasury Department to buy and re-sell up to $700 billion of distressed assets from financial companies." Given the choice of that plan, a congressional plan or no action, two out of three picked a congressional plan.

About 80 percent said that they were following the news of the country's financial problems very closed.

Four out of 10 described the crisis as the biggest financial one in their lifetimes. Oddly, younger respondents, who have presumably seen fewer financial crises, were less likely to say this than older ones.

Gallup polled 1,019 adults by telephone. The margin of error of the poll is 4.3 percent.