Poll: Gov't response to oil spill seen as worse than Katrina

Americans view the government's response to the Gulf of Mexico oil spill more unfavorably than its response to Hurricane Katrina in 2005, a new poll found Monday.

A new ABC/Washington Post poll released this afternoon shows wide margins of disapproval for both BP and the federal government in their response to a leaking pipeline that has spilled thousands of gallons of oil into the Gulf for more than a month.

69 percent of adults said the government's reaction has been "not so good" or "poor," according to the poll. 62 percent rated the government's response to Hurricane Katrina similarly in the storm's immediate aftermath.

28 percent said they thought the government was doing an "excellent" or "good" job in response to the oil spill, compared to 38 percent who thought the government handled Katrina well.

The government's handling of the response is still more favorable by comparison to BP, the company that leased the rig and pipeline that exploded and triggered the leak.

81 percent panned the oil company's response, while 16 percent rated it positively.

Both President Barack Obama's administration and BP have had to wage a public relations war to show their quickness and commitment to addressing the spill, which, the poll showed, Americans have increasingly viewed as a major disaster as the crisis has worn on.

To that end, Attorney General Eric Holder announced last week that the government has launched a criminal and civil probe of BP. 64 percent of those surveyed said the government should pursue those charges.

The poll, conducted June 3-6, has a 3.5 percent margin of error.