AP poll: Public more or less approves Obama oil spill response, still wants offshore drilling

Poll: Spill not Obama’s Katrina, drilling still OK

WASHINGTON — A new poll finds that the Gulf of Mexico oil spill hasn’t stained President Barack Obama nor dimmed the public’s desire for offshore energy drilling.

While some conservative pundits have called this “Obama’s Katrina,” that’s not how the public feels. The AP-GfK poll found that BP PLC, the company that owned the well, is getting more of the public’s ire. The well has gushed more than 4 million gallons since an April 20 oil rig explosion.

The poll found that 42 percent approve of Obama’s actions, 33 percent disapprove and 21 percent say they have neutral feelings about his response. Soon after Katrina, more disapproved of President George W. Bush’s handling of the disaster than approved.