Congressional Approval Falls to Single Digits for First Time Ever

[jtb33]

Source: Rasmussen Reports

The percentage of voters who give Congress good or excellent ratings has fallen to single digits for the first time in Rasmussen Reports tracking history. This month, just 9% say Congress is doing a good or excellent job. Most voters (52%) say Congress is doing a poor job, which ties the record high in that dubious category.

Last month, 11% of voters gave the legislature good or excellent ratings. Congress has not received higher than a 15% approval rating since the beginning of 2008.

The percentage of Democrats who give Congress positive ratings fell from 17% last month to 13% this month. The number of Democrats who give Congress a poor rating remained unchanged. Among Republicans, 8% give Congress good or excellent ratings, up just a point from last month. Sixty-five percent (65%) of GOP voters say Congress is doing a poor job, down a single point from last month.

Read more: http://rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/mood_of_america/congressional_performance/congressional_performance

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[KansDem]

1. It's a race to the bottom

Pretty soon we'll be giving negative numbers to Bush, Cheney, and Congress...

[roguevalley]

20. impeachment would have reversed that. Pelosi is the worst thing EVER

[Larkspur]

2. Pelosi and Reid should resign their leadership positions

This poll is a barometer of their poor leadership skills.

[electropop]

12. But they've accomplished their mission: merger with the GOP.

What, did you think they were working for you?

[patrice]

3. A supporter of our blue dog came up to our group of demonstrators the other day.

We chatted briefly. It appeared that the sum and total of her support consisted of party cliques and the fact that "our" guy had favored her by personally sharing a picture of his grandchild with her. She seemed to have little or no knowledge of anything that's going on, but felt that moment with him and that photographed was justification for anything that he does or doesn't do; I guess because "he's such a nice guy." Sound familiar?

[MuseRider]

4. They are probably

scratching their heads and wondering why. They don't see a problem apparently.

[electropop]

13. Approval ratings mean nothing to them. Now that they are part of the GOP machine,

they also benefit from the GOP voting machines.

[Hydra]

5. And still they push for the destruction of FISA and Blockading Iran...

Who are these people working for, anyway? It sure isn't us.

[Ian David]

6. Democrats continue to enjoy a double digit lead on the Generic Congressional Ballot.

Despite these negative attitudes towards Congress, Democrats continue to enjoy a double digit lead on the Generic Congressional Ballot.
http://rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/mood_of_america/congressional_performance/congressional_performance


Despite perceptions of Congress, separate Rasmussen Reports tracking reveals that the number of voters who consider themselves Democrats is at a record high in 2008.
http://rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/mood_of_america/party_affiliation/partisan_trends

Other survey data shows that Democrats are trusted more than Republicans on key electoral issues tracked by Rasmussen Reports.
http://rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/mood_of_america/trust_on_issues/trust_on_issues


Republicans are more competitive in higher income brackets but even among those who earn more than $75,000 annually, Democrats lead 44% to 39%. In the Presidential election, Barack Obama leads among voters at the lowest and at the highest end of the income scale. John McCain does much better among those who earn between $40,000 and $75,000 a year.
http://rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/election_20082/2008_presidential_election/daily_presidential_tracking_poll


When it comes to issues, 41% of voters consider economic issues to be the highest priority. Among these voters, Democrats lead 59% to 25%. However, 24% say that national security issues are most important. Among these voters, Republicans lead on the Generic Ballot 51% to 34%. Democrats also lead among the 11% who see domestic issues like Social Security and Health Care as most important. McCain leads among the 9% who say fiscal issues are tops and among the 6% whose primary interest is in cultural issues (Crosstabs available for Premium Members).
http://rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/mood_of_america/congressional_ballot/generic_congressional_ballot


Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid’s recent comments about coal and oil making us sick became the number one video on YouTube, but most Americans disagree with him.
http://rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/current_events/general_current_events/most_voters_disagree_with_harry_reid_s_fossil_fuel_comments


Democrats retain a huge advantage when it comes to partisan identification and are trusted more by voters on all ten key issues tracked by Rasmussen Reports
http://rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/mood_of_america/party_affiliation/partisan_trends
http://rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/mood_of_america/trust_on_issues/trust_on_issues

[redqueen]

17. In other words... we know they all suck... but we know which ones suck less.

[fascisthunter]

7. GEE... I Wonder Why????

although, this is Rasmussen

[frog92969]

8. A little impeachment would go a long way

And complete opposition to the people isn't helping.

[leftynyc]

27. I don't think impeachment is the answer

There are too many other issues that people are worried about and where are the 67 votes in the senate for conviction? I think the backing down on FISA and forcing Conyers to back away from arresting Rove are the kinds of things that are making the Dems see Congress unfavorably (can't speak for the pukes). Every day it seems like Nancy and Harry are backing down from a battle with the white house - a white house that has the worst approval ratings in history.

[frog92969]

32. Impeachment is the key

to everything else.

But I've seen this argument play out here too many times.

[clixtox]

37. Once the overwhelming evidence of treason,

corruption and promoting torture, among many other crimes, is laid out vividly, chances are that Bush/Vader will quit, just like Tricky Dick Nixon did in the summer of 1974, before the actual impeachment process commenced. The accused realize that they will lose any remaining support when their destructive anti-American chicanery is finally exposed.

This administration has been the most criminally inept and corrupt in our history. Rep. Kucinich laid out over 30 separate crimes committed by the shrub administration.

To allow the POTUS and the VPOTUS to continue their disintegration of the USA unimpeded, when they can be stopped, is, no doubt, why the current congress is universally reviled.

Keeping impeachment "off the table" is abetting the treasonous trashing of our rights guaranteed by the Bill of Rights, the first ten amendments to the United States Constitution.

[leftynyc]

46. It's past the time for impeachment

It shouldn't have been taken off the table after the Democrats took over the House but it was. I saw how the country turned against the pubs when they did it and when we're trying to get Sen Obama into the white house, it will most likely be just a distraction. Unfortunately, most of the country doesn't care and are quite willing to give up their freedoms for the illusion of security. They also don't care about the people in Guantonomo - that's the reality.

[Zhade]

41. Yeah, just let the criminals walk. It's the American way!

Such cowardice.

[leftynyc]

45. Watch who you call a coward, cupcake

You want to tilt at windmills, knock yourself out. Unless there are 67 votes for conviction (and that's assuming articles of impeachment would make it out of the House), it's just an exercise in spinning wheels.

[AndyTiedye]

9. Always Moving Further to the Right and Caving in to Bush**

[closeupready]

10. Yep, and it's going to continue falling as long as these clowns keep giving Americans the shaft.

:mad:

[toddboyle]

11. Withdraw from the contract

Did it ever *occur* to you guys that the whole overall relationship between you and this corporate-state economy is optional? There are not two choices for president or your congressional seats. The 3rd choice is None of the Above, and I am withdrawing my consent to be governed, and withdrawing my time or money or labor or attention or moral support, from this political economy. I am no longer a part of the American project, until they regain their sanity if ever. And I want devolution of federal powers-- especially the revenue-- back to states, or counties, who actually serve America

Google and Wikipedia for DEVOLUTION, SECESSION, etc.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Devolution
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Secess

But your immediate choice of any person of integrity who disagrees with the government, is to drop out of the money system itself, because the system is truly quite monolithic.

There are several reasons why few people do this, especially whites, dropping out from the white middle class. First, they can hardly imagine the world of choices outside the dollar economy having never experienced them, and as a result they have only inchoate fear, fear of the unknown. To name only one, of hundreds of fears--- they fear living without the sense of control and protection of owning or renting their own house or apartment. This boils down to fear of the natural elements and fear of crime, along with the desires and lust for comfort, for a place to live in pleasure, with foods and luxuries and a mate, have children etc. ALL of these things are equated with money, property, car, and a house. They shouldn't be.

I think the ethical and princpled choice is to be a deadweight mf and drain on the economy. I have been working on better freeloading skills, to live in the marginal spaces around other peoples' property in various urban or suburban settings. The enabling factor for me is, friends. If after all these years of life I haven't got a friend who will tolerate having me around then, that tells you something. Are there NO people in this society who simply live in the presence of other people in their environment? I doubt it! The challenge is to find compatible ones and move in.

This challenge leads to the realization that our previous quest to own or rent our own premises contains within it, a betrayal. The assumption that nobody will ever tolerate you around, and the unstated assumption that you intend to act like a son of a bitch sometimes, who nobody would want to have around.

Indigenous peoples always live around each other. The idea of ejecting people who didn't pay for their premises or pay steady rents to the bosses, is a mechanism setup by the bosses for their own permanent freedom and our slavery. So bring it down to earth. Be a freeloader and a parasite on this political economy, don't feed polar bears, it makes them even more aggressive, we need a 30 year depression. The work ethic is unethical. It's destroying the planet.

TOdd

[dysfunctional press]

42. "none of the above" is NOT a choice on the ballot.

you can choose to abstain, but it won't prevent one of the other candidates from being elected.

[high density]

14. The great majority of them are total idiots that always do the wrong thing

Even people like Barbara Boxer introduce garbage legislation like giving green cards to foreign nationals that get a graduate degree. I guess she doesn't realize that there are plenty of Americans willing to fill the jobs.

[DeeDeeNY]

15. The problem lies in interpreting the polls

Our so-called legislators are so clueless, they think that they need to bend over backwards towards the right to get their ratings up, which is of course just the opposite of what they should do. They think that if they hold this administration accountable, it will look like a witch hunt and will backfire and cause their ratings to go down even more, and they bring up what happened with Clinton in 98. They don't give the eletorate credit for being able to tell the difference between impeaching for sex and impeaching for war crimes and treason. Either they are totally stupid or they think we are stupid. Either way, not good!
:banghead:

[CANDO]

16. Arrest Rove, Mukasey and others on Inherent Contempt charges and....

I guarantee them at least a 60% approval rating.

[paparush]

18. I give them a single digit....

[kirby]

29. LOL!!! DUzy worthy, IMO.... n/t

[paparush]

30. :-) nt

[whistle]

19. I wonder what the Congress ratings would be if they polled lobbyists?

[depakid]

21. This is what enabling and legitimizing the far right gets you

particularly when you were elected on a theme of standing up for traditional Democratic values.

[ElectricGrid]

23. bs .. get a grip man.

all the parties are sucking hard right now. Nothing of substance is getting done.

[spotbird]

22. They should vote for FISA

and alienate the base further.

Clearly, the only constituency they care about is still behind them 100%. If they cared about public perception they'd serve the public good.

[Prisoner_Number_Six]

24. Actually, they're not doing their job at all.

How can you possibly rate that?

[Peace Patriot]

25. 15% approval--that's worse than Cheney! Quite an accomplishment!

When are we going to face the fact that there is something wrong with this picture?

My opinion: It's mostly a function of 'TRADE SECRET' vote counting, with the secret code owned and controlled by righwing Bushite corporatations, with virtually no audit/recount controls. But I could be wrong. It could just be voodoo dolls, or something--why we vote and keep electing fuckwads who do the exact opposite of the will of the American people, whether they're in the White House or Congress, and whether they have an 'R' by their names or a 'D.' Somebody's switching our elected officials in the dead of night, and replacing our real representatives with the undead.

[natrat]

26. democracy is just about officially gone here-we live at the whim of others now

[chelsea0011]

28. Unlike the kool-aide repuke crowd who love theirs to the end,

dems know a bad do-little-to-nothing Congress.

[windoe]

31. In other words they do not represent us. nt

[frylock]

33. nice work, dems!!!

:applause:

[Jack Rabbit]

34. I believe it

Especially after seeing Nancy wants to nix the contempt citation against the Rover.

[BadgerKid]

35. Time for a self-granted pay raise already!? (sarcasm) n/t

[Name removed]

36. Deleted sub-thread

Sub-thread removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[The Stranger]

38. Ode to the Traitor Pelosi

Oh Traitor Pelosi,
You were once just a Disaster,
But it must be intentional,
You held the American people down while the GOP raped them.

[goforit]

39. Way to go Pelosi.........an accomplice to the Bush crimes!

[Zhade]

40. Gee, I wonder if it has to do with the COWARDICE of not holding proven criminals accountable?

NT!

[jcla]

43. I think that many people

believe that Congress is enabling the Bush policies by taking so much "Off the Table" so to speak. There are a few people there who speak for us... D. K., Waxman... so very few. We are embroiled in a war and occupation that is costing the American People an infrastructure and a good ecomony. Many people see the tie in.... But does Congress do anything about it? Mostly they self-emasculate. So we are left with a war criminal running the country...

[superconnected]

44. I don't believe this poll either, sounds like propaganda.

I don't like what pelosi is doing but I still don't believe that many dems rated them this low.

I don't believe pet owners prefer mccain either.

I DO BELIEVE THIS IS THE START OF ELECTION FRAUD. The propaganda used for the loss of obama will be all these voters came out and voted for Mccain - based on these fake polls, and going against all real polls including exit polls on the big night.

Why else would we have these phoney Polls now? Bush can't even get in the single digits with america, and most repukes would vote congress high in their belief bush was doing a good job and congress was part of it because it's part of the gov. They are that stupid. This poll is clearly a lie.

[mdmc]

47. Just who are these 9%'ers?

:shrug:

[davekriss]

48. That's what capitulation with the enemy will get you

Fold on every issue of importance to their constituency and, well, they reap what they sow. Perfect time for a true third party to emerge in American politics.