USA

Scandals Hit Obama's Standing With US Voters

U.S. President Barack Obama glances at Britain's Prime Minister David Cameron (R) during a news conference with European Council President Herman Van Rompuy (L) and European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso at the G8 summit in Enniskillen, Norther

Controversies are taking a toll on U.S. President Barack Obama's popularity with Americans, according to a public opinion poll published by CNN.

The data show Obama's approval rating fell eight percentage points over the past month, to 45 percent. CNN said that is the lowest approval rating in a year and a half.

The poll follows revelations about government surveillance of Americans, unfair treatment of conservative groups by the tax agency, government snooping into reporters' phone records, and questions about the way the administration handled an attack on a U.S. diplomatic facility in Libya.

Pollsters working for CNN questioned more than 1,000 Americans by telephone between June 11-13.

Other recent polls showed mixed results on Obama. Gallup and Rasmussen show more voters disapprove of the president's performance than approve of it. But a poll conducted for Time magazine showed more poll respondents approve than disapprove.