WASHINGTON (AFP) -For the first time, more than half of Americans polled doubt President George W. Bush”s honesty, according to a poll one year after his re-election.

Just 40 percent of Americans call Bush honest and trustworthy, and 58 percent say that he is not, according to the ABC News poll.

Bush”s popularity remained at 39 percent, the lowest level since he was first elected in November 2000, with 60 percent of Americans disapproving of the way he is doing his job, the poll said.

On the economy, 36 percent approve of the president”s policies, while 61 percent disapprove, the poll said.

Thirty-six percent approved of his handling of the Iraq war, while 64 percent disapproved.

Bush is paying the price now that Vice President Dick Cheney”s chief of staff, Lewis Libby, has been charged with lying to a grand jury over his involvement in the unmasking of a CIA agent.

The division is similar between the 40 percent who say that Bush shares their values and those who say he does not. Just 34 percent of those surveyed say that he understands the problems of persons like themselves.

TNS conducted the October 30-November 2 telephone interviews among 1,202 adults. The poll has an error margin of three percentage points.