A majority of Americans disapprove of the way President Barack Obama has handled the Gulf oil spill, but have harsher views toward BP.

51 percent of Americans said in a new CNN/Opinion Research poll released Monday that they disapprove of the president's handling of the crisis, but 76 percent say they disapprove of the way BP has handled the oil spill.

46 percent approve of the way the president has handled the situation, while 24 percent approve of BP, the oil company that leased the oil rig on which an explosion triggered pipeline leaks in the Gulf of Mexico, near the coast of Louisiana.

The Senate’s number two Democrat on Monday launched fresh attacks on oil giant BP over the Gulf of Mexico oil spill after touring the area and meeting with fishermen and other residents.

“The reason we came here was to see firsthand what has happened. I can tell you after seeing it and after listening ... to the men and women whose lives have been affected, that I have come away with a new feeling about BP,” said Sen. Richard Durbin (D-Ill.), the majority whip.

“BP in my mind no longer stands for British Petroleum. It stands for ‘beyond patience.’ People have been waiting 34 days for British Petroleum to cap this well and stop the damage happening across the Gulf of Mexico,” he said. “Excuses don’t count anymore. You caused this mess, now stop the damage and clean up the mess.”

“They will be held accountable," Interior Secretary Salazar said of BP. "We will keep our boot on their neck."

The ongoing oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico should add urgency in Congress to pass an energy and climate bill, White House senior advisor David Axelrod said Monday.

Axelrod said the spill, from which oil continues to pour into the Gulf, underscores the need for developing alternative sources of energy.

"I would like to think that this will increase the sense of urgency in Congress, because it underscores the value in developing alternative sources of energy," the senior advisor said during an appearance on MSNBC. "So I hope that it will give added impetus to Congress to come up with and pass a comprehensive plan."

Obama's adviser defended BP's response to the Gulf oil spill on Monday and signaled it should not be pushed aside.

New questions surfacing about federal moratoria on offshore drilling permits

The Interior Department says it has halted new offshore drillng permits until at least late May, when it submits a report on offshore safety the White House ordered. The administration has also pledged to review a controversial type of waiver from full environmental reviews commonly granted in the past for offshore projects.

But the New York Times is out with a story that raises questions about how the ban has been applied, reporting that “at least seven new permits for various types of drilling and five environmental waivers have been granted, according to records.”

“I am frustrated that BP has been unable to stop this well from leaking," the Interior secretary said Sunday.

Democratic strategist Donna Brazile attacked the Obama administration’s response to the Gulf of Mexico oil spill Sunday, becoming the second Democratic heavyweight in recent days to call for a firmer White House hand with oil giant BP.

“One of the problems I have with the administration is that they're not tough enough. They are waiting for BP to say, ‘oh, we've got a new plan to stop the oil leak.’ They need to stop it, contain it, clean it up, and try to help us conserve our coastal wetlands,” said Brazile, who is from New Orleans, on ABC’s “This Week.”

Brazile managed Al Gore’s 2000 White House bid and is the Democratic National Committee’s vice chair of voter registration and participation. Her comments follow similar criticism from another prominent Democratic strategist from Louisiana, James Carville.

Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin (R) on Sunday linked the spill response and oil industry support for President Barack Obama.