Home About Chat Users Issues Party Candidates Polling Firms Media News Polls Calendar Key Races United States President Senate House Governors International

New User Account
"A comprehensive, collaborative elections resource." 
Email: Password:

  Americans' approval of Congress sinks to new low
NEWS DETAILS
Parent(s) Container 
ContributorImperator 
Last EditedImperator  Dec 19, 2007 05:36am
Logged 0
CategoryPoll
MediaNewspaper - USA Today
News DateWednesday, December 19, 2007 11:35:00 AM UTC0:0
DescriptionWASHINGTON — As President Bush and Congress battle on the budget, homeland security and the war in Iraq, Americans blame both Republicans and Democrats for the impasse.
By more than 2-to-1 margins, they give the president, congressional Democrats and congressional Republicans unfavorable ratings in a USA TODAY/Gallup Poll released Monday. While Bush's ratings have been poor for most of the past two years, the two parties in Congress hit new lows in the poll.

"The American people just decided that Washington is either incompetent or irrelevant," said Frank Luntz, who has conducted polls for Republicans. "Republicans made promises they didn't keep, and Democrats made promises they couldn't keep. And now it's a pox on all their houses."

The president's 65% disapproval rating is his lowest since July, despite a decline in violence in Iraq, a Middle East peace conference and victories over congressional Democrats on the 2008 budget.

"Just as the news from Iraq got slightly better, people were focused on the economy," Democratic pollster Celinda Lake said.

White House spokeswoman Dana Perino said Bush remains focused on his policy agenda. "Leadership isn't found in chasing polls," she said. "It comes from standing on principle and delivering results."

Although just 30% of those polled give Democrats in Congress good marks, they favor the party by a 53%-40% margin in next year's elections. That represents a silver lining for Democrats, who achieved only a fraction of their ambitious agenda after taking over Congress.
Share
ArticleRead Full Article

NEWS
Date Category Headline Article Contributor

DISCUSSION