WASHINGTON, April 27 (UPI) -- Despite positive economic signs, U.S. voters are "deeply pessimistic," and national leaders are paying a political prices, The Wall Street Journal reported.
The pessimism is largely fueled by rising gasoline prices, the newspaper said in a report on the latest Wall Street Journal/NBC News poll -- which found 77 percent of those surveyed said they were uneasy about the state of the economy.
The Journal said current data showed new-home sales and factory orders are strong, but two-thirds of those polled said the nation is "on the wrong track."
The poll found President George W. Bush's approval rating has fallen to 36 percent and Congress' approval rating is 22 percent.
In New Orleans Thursday, Bush was asked by NBC News about his falling poll numbers.
"I've been up in the polls and I've been down in the polls," Bush said, "but I'm going to continue to do what's right for the country."
Democratic pollster Peter Hart, who conducts the Journal/NBC poll with Republican counterpart Bill McInturff, told the newspaper there's "almost nothing" the public is satisfied with.
"What they're telling you is, they want change on every front," said Hart.
