WASHINGTON. Feb 1: President Bill Clinton's popularity hit Its peak this week despite the sex scandal surrounding him over allegations of an improper relationship with a former White House intern, new polls showed on Saturday, reports Reuter.

A nationwide survey conducted by the Washington Post and published in its Sunday edition, put his approval rating at 67 per cent, while in a poll by the Chicago Tribune, the largest daily newspaper in America's heartland, it reached 72 per cent.

Newsweek magazine's survey had Clinton's approval rating at 70 per cent and a Time maga-zine/CNN poll at 68 per cent.

The Washington Post surveyed 1,390 adults Wednesday through Saturday and found that a majority — 59 per cent — believed Clinton's political enemies were "conspiring" to bring down his presidency by pressing for an investigation into allegations that Clinton may have lied under oath about having a sexual relationship with White House intern Monica Lewinsky.

But 56 per cent also agreed that "Clinton has only himself to blame" for the controversy and six in 10 suspect his presidency will be remembered mostly for allegations about his personal life and not for the accomplishments of his administration.

In the Chicago Tribune's random telephone survey of 700 registered Illinois voters conducted on Wednesday and Thursday, only 2-1 per cent said they disapproved of Clinton's Job performance.

On the brother question of their personal opinion of Clinton. 60 per cent said they had a favourable opinion of the president