President Bush and others who championed the new Medicare prescription law that passed late last year appear to be losing the public relations battle.

A new Gallup Poll co-sponsored by CNN and USA Today shows that more Americans over 65 disapprove of the new law, which provides a first-ever Medicare prescription benefit, than approve of it.

Moreover, a poll of Americans of all ages shows that just 35% approve, while 55% disapprove of the new law.

Disclosures from within the administration have showed that the cost estimate of the new law was vastly underreported before lawmakers took a vote on it. Controversy erupted over allegations that administration officials made threats to keep the higher cost estimates under wraps.