Poll: Congress' Approval Same As Bush

[Adonis33]

Interesting…

WASHINGTON (AP) - People think the Democratic-led Congress is doing just as dreary a job as President Bush, following four months of bitter political standoffs that have seen little progress on Iraq and a host of domestic issues.
An AP-Ipsos poll also found that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is a more popular figure than the president and her colleagues on Capitol Hill, though she faces a gender gap in which significantly more women than men support her. The survey found only 35 percent approve of how Congress is handling its job, down 5 percentage points in a month. That gives lawmakers the same bleak approval rating as Bush, who has been mired at about that level since last fall, including his dip to a record low for the AP-Ipsos poll of 32 percent last January.

guardian.co.uk/worldlatest/story/0,-6625294,00.html

 

[mary_bobo]

Interesting…

WASHINGTON (AP) - People think the Democratic-led Congress is doing just as dreary a job as President Bush, following four months of bitter political standoffs that have seen little progress on Iraq and a host of domestic issues.
An AP-Ipsos poll also found that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is a more popular figure than the president and her colleagues on Capitol Hill, though she faces a gender gap in which significantly more women than men support her. The survey found only 35 percent approve of how Congress is handling its job, down 5 percentage points in a month. That gives lawmakers the same bleak approval rating as Bush, who has been mired at about that level since last fall, including his dip to a record low for the AP-Ipsos poll of 32 percent last January.

guardian.co.uk/worldlatest/story/0,-6625294,00.html

I think the American people are sick and tired of all the political sniping from both parties. It probably will not stop because the only thing any of them want is to be re-elected. They will do anything to make that happen and they don’t care who they stomp on or slander along the way. And sad to say, most people will go right out and reelect the same dismal congress people.

 

[KathleenElsie]

We the People tend to be led by the nose IMHO. Many tend to vote for a party and not the individual that will actually makes the changes.

If we were expected to pass a test on the issues and stands that any of those running for office stand for or believe, my bet would be that most voters have no idea of where “their” candidate stands on the issues.

 

[mary_bobo]

We the People tend to be led by the nose IMHO. Many tend to vote for a party and not the individual that will actually makes the changes.

If we were expected to pass a test on the issues and stands that any of those running for office stand for or believe, my bet would be that most voters have no idea of where “their” candidate stands on the issues.

Truer words were never spoken. The lack of interest, education and understanding of matters political by the majority of the American people is astonishing.

 

[francesco920]

Truer words were never spoken. The lack of interest, education and understanding of matters political by the majority of the American people is astonishing.

True, but I think that there is also much disenchantment. I used to follow politics very closely and discuss it a lot with my friends and fellow students but really I just don’t care that much anymore. I mean, Bush and the Republican controlled Congress had SIX years to get some of the conservative agenda implemented.

SIX YEARS!!!

And what did they do?

NOTHING,

except spend like crazy and get us stuck in a war that seems to have no end because Bush and his generals refuse to let the soldiers fight like men because they are worried about accidentally killing the women and children that the terrorists hide behind.

And yes, before anybody says something, the judges are terrific. BUT much more could have and should have been done.

It is no surprise that the people do not like the Democrat controlled Congress any better than the Republican controlled one. Under the Republicans, businesses got tax breaks and the rich got richer. They did not work for the common good. Under the Democrats, radical homosexuals and socialists get to annoy the hell out of everybody and destroy traditional values. They work against the common good.

I think Bush is a good, moral man but he did not have the ability to get much done, nor did he have the ability to convince the American people about the evils of abortion and homosexual “marriage.” Whether this is because he is weak or whether this is because the leftist media is just too powerful (a scary thought) nothing much got done.

 

[mary_bobo]

True, but I think that there is also much disenchantment. I used to follow politics very closely and discuss it a lot with my friends and fellow students but really I just don’t care that much anymore. I mean, Bush and the Republican controlled Congress had SIX years to get some of the conservative agenda implemented.

SIX YEARS!!!

Yes he did. But remember that he did not have a veto proof Senate and it is hard to get anything by that body anytime for any administration.
And what did they do?

NOTHING,

except spend like crazy and get us stuck in a war that seems to have no end because Bush and his generals refuse to let the soldiers fight like men because they are worried about accidentally killing the women and children that the terrorists hide behind.

You are very astute to notice this. When bureaucrats start running a war instead of generals it makes for hard going. And we are so hung up on PC these days that it seems to me we cut off our noses to spite our faces, so to speak.

And yes, before anybody says something, the judges are terrific. BUT much more could have and should have been done.

It is no surprise that the people do not like the Democrat controlled Congress any better than the Republican controlled one. Under the Republicans, businesses got tax breaks and the rich got richer. They did not work for the common good. Under the Democrats, radical homosexuals and socialists get to annoy the hell out of everybody and destroy traditional values. They work against the common good.

I would ask you to rethink the liberal mantra that the rich got richer. Who defines rich? In 2004 (the latest year I could find) the top 5% of wage earners paid 57.13% of the taxes. Top 50% paid 96.70%. Bottom 50% paid 3.30%. And a huge number of wage earners paid no tax at all. The businesses that got the tax breaks and put it back into businesses that helped create the jobs that have given us one of the lowest unemployment rates in history–4.6%. Not too many years ago we thought of an unemployment rate of 6% was considered full employment. The tax cuts allowed people to keep more of that they earn, and charitable giving has increased.

Each party has its special interest groups, but I prefer the GOP groups to the groups I see in the Democratic party. And I am scared to death of George Soros who seems to be pulling the Dem strings these days.

I think Bush is a good, moral man but he did not have the ability to get much done, nor did he have the ability to convince the American people about the evils of abortion and homosexual “marriage.” Whether this is because he is weak or whether this is because the leftist media is just too powerful (a scary thought) nothing much got done.

I,too, think the president is a good man. But am I pleased about all the things he has done? Absolutely not. But he is sure better than the alternative. And the media is extremely powerful in this country. When did you last hear anything good coming out of Iraq? And I think the rhetoric coming out of the Dems in Congress is disgusting. Bush lied? I think it can only be a lie if you know it to be untrue and you say it anyway.

In the final analysis remember that politicians of every stripe will do anything, say anything, slander who they wish, etc.–all to win those coveted, perk laden seats in the Congress. They don’t let a little truth get in the way. Things to ponder.

 

[francesco920]

Yes he did. But remember that he did not have a veto proof Senate and it is hard to get anything by that body anytime for any administration.

True, but the fact is that it could have been easier for Bush to get things by if the Republican Senate Leadership wasn’t so incredibly weak. They let Harry Reid walk all over them all the time and he blocked any legislation he wanted to block. The Republicans and the President should have used the bully pulpit to slam Reid and the obstructionist Dems into compliance. And of course the weak response to the scandals cost them as well.

However, they sure were able to spend quite a bit. They didn’t have a problem passing bills filled with pork.

When bureaucrats start running a war instead of generals it makes for hard going. And we are so hung up on PC these days that it seems to me we cut off our noses to spite our faces, so to speak.

[sign]AMEN!
[/sign]

I would ask you to rethink the liberal mantra that the rich got richer. Who defines rich? In 2004 (the latest year I could find) the top 5% of wage earners paid 57.13% of the taxes. Top 50% paid 96.70%. Bottom 50% paid 3.30%. And a huge number of wage earners paid no tax at all. The businesses that got the tax breaks and put it back into businesses that helped create the jobs that have given us one of the lowest unemployment rates in history–4.6%. Not too many years ago we thought of an unemployment rate of 6% was considered full employment. The tax cuts allowed people to keep more of that they earn, and charitable giving has increased.

Each party has its special interest groups, but I prefer the GOP groups to the groups I see in the Democratic party. And I am scared to death of George Soros who seems to be pulling the Dem strings these days.

You make some good points but I think that the no bid contracts given to businesses like Halliburton are inexcusable. I’m not sure I agree with your view on the tax cuts because I do not think that the money is trickling down to workers. I definitely support tax cuts for the middle class and small businesses 100% However I don’t see how tax cuts for incredibly wealthy people and businesses (like oil companies) does anybody but the very rich any good. Anyway, my main complaint was the no bid contracts; that’s really what I was referring to.

And yes George Soros is to be feared and in my opinion he is as dangerous, if not more so, than the terrorists. His support for the worst leftist filth like abortion, to name one of MANY evils, has done and continues to do much more harm to our society than any terrorist has or does or will ever do (with the exception, God forbid, of nuclear/chemical/biological terrorism).

I,too, think the president is a good man. But am I pleased about all the things he has done? Absolutely not. But he is sure better than the alternative. And the media is extremely powerful in this country. When did you last hear anything good coming out of Iraq? And I think the rhetoric coming out of the Dems in Congress is disgusting. Bush lied? I think it can only be a lie if you know it to be untrue and you say it anyway.

In the final analysis remember that politicians of every stripe will do anything, say anything, slander who they wish, etc.–all to win those coveted, perk laden seats in the Congress. They don’t let a little truth get in the way. Things to ponder.

With this I completely agree. The leftist media is so pervasive and powerful in our society that it’s frightening. We social conservatives and people of faith must do a better job of using the resources of communication as the leftists have been doing for decades or else we will never succeed. At least we must make the media open to the views of those who have faith and able to comprehend those views. Notice how when the media covers a papal event they only bring up issues that can be considered to be political (such as abortion), but they NEVER bring up issues that deal with faith or philosophy (such as the need to address the spiritual and cultural needs of the peoples living in the so-called Third World countries in order to bring about realistic and meaningful change).

The leftist forces in journalism seem to believe that the way to solve problems in the world is only through material and political means. For example, the “stop AIDS by giving condoms” approach in Africa and other places of the world that is not working and is only aggravating the problem by encouraging promiscuity.

 

[KathleenElsie]

Unless the voters are educated and understand the issues there will never be any change. All the problems discussed here are solvable by an educated voter base.:doh2:

 

[francesco920]

Unless the voters are educated and understand the issues there will never be any change. All the problems discussed here are solvable by an educated voter base.:doh2:

Unfortunately the leftist media purposely misinforms the public and makes it impossible for the issues to be really understood by public.

As for education – a good place to start would be catechesis. If the Catholic faith had been taught better, we wouldn’t have the Kerrys and the Pelosis that we have today.

 

[mary_bobo]

True, but the fact is that it could have been easier for Bush to get things by if the Republican Senate Leadership wasn’t so incredibly weak. They let Harry Reid walk all over them all the time and he blocked any legislation he wanted to block. The Republicans and the President should have used the bully pulpit to slam Reid and the obstructionist Dems into compliance. And of course the weak response to the scandals cost them as well.

However, they sure were able to spend quite a bit. They didn’t have a problem passing bills filled with pork.

[sign]AMEN!
[/sign]

You make some good points but I think that the no bid contracts given to businesses like Halliburton are inexcusable. I’m not sure I agree with your view on the tax cuts because I do not think that the money is trickling down to workers. I definitely support tax cuts for the middle class and small businesses 100% However I don’t see how tax cuts for incredibly wealthy people and businesses (like oil companies) does anybody but the very rich any good. Anyway, my main complaint was the no bid contracts; that’s really what I was referring to.

And yes George Soros is to be feared and in my opinion he is as dangerous, if not more so, than the terrorists. His support for the worst leftist filth like abortion, to name one of MANY evils, has done and continues to do much more harm to our society than any terrorist has or does or will ever do (with the exception, God forbid, of nuclear/chemical/biological terrorism).

With this I completely agree. The leftist media is so pervasive and powerful in our society that it’s frightening. We social conservatives and people of faith must do a better job of using the resources of communication as the leftists have been doing for decades or else we will never succeed. At least we must make the media open to the views of those who have faith and able to comprehend those views. Notice how when the media covers a papal event they only bring up issues that can be considered to be political (such as abortion), but they NEVER bring up issues that deal with faith or philosophy (such as the need to address the spiritual and cultural needs of the peoples living in the so-called Third World countries in order to bring about realistic and meaningful change).

The leftist forces in journalism seem to believe that the way to solve problems in the world is only through material and political means. For example, the “stop AIDS by giving condoms” approach in Africa and other places of the world that is not working and is only aggravating the problem by encouraging promiscuity.

Another good post. On the issue of no bid contracts, I generally agree with you. But Halliburton has been so demonized by the media that they fail to mention that Halliburton is the only US company set up to do all the things they do. But we won’t have to worry about them in this country anymore. They are moving to the Middle East where the kind of work that they do has need of their services. A loss to our country, IMO.

As to taxes: the top 50% of the tax payers pay 96.70% of all taxes. The bottom 50% 3.30%. There are many people who pay no tax at all. IMO wealthy tax payers create jobs for others. With the tax cuts that President Bush put into play, the unemployment rate is now 4.6%, the lowest in many years if not history. We used to think that 6%m unemployment was considered full employment. Charitable giving has increased markedly since people now keep more of the money they earn. Interestingly enough, in a survey done by (I can’t remember but it was on the forum) Republicans were more generous that Dems.

I have enjoyed our posts. You are very astute. Keep it up. I just hope your future is as bright as mine was at your age. With all the attempts to socialize our country, it may not be.

 

[Jay74]

Interestingly enough, in a survey done by (I can’t remember but it was on the forum) Republicans were more generous that Dems.

I’m familiar with this survey. Republicans tend to be a bit more religious, and think it is their duty and not the State’s. Democrats tend to think that its the State’s responsibility. This isn’t an endorsement or critique of either–both think we should help the poor, they just differ in the mechanism. Of course, as always, there are many individual exceptions (i.e., republicans who never donate a dime and democrats, such as Angelia Jolie, who are very generous with their donations–i mention miss jolie because she has an admirable record in charity, but still calls america a stingy nation.)

I predicted the democrats would not be high in the polls. They were not elected so much because of support, but because of opposition to their opponents. That, too, isn’t a criticism, it is simply an observation. In 1994, republicans were elected in opposition largely to universal health care and thought they had support–only to soon learn they didn’t with Clinton’s reelection just 2 years later.

A strange beast–politics.

 

[gilliam]

“Congress Approval Down to 29%; Bush Approval Steady at 33%”
A new Gallup Poll finds continued low levels of public support for both Congress and President George W. Bush. Twenty-nine percent of Americans approve of Congress, down slightly from last month’s reading (33%) and this year’s high point of 37%, while Bush’s approval rating is holding steady at 33%. Both the ratings of Congress and the president are slightly lower than their respective 2007 averages.

Congress’s ratings are now lower than before the elections. Via Capt. Ed, who comments:
How bad is it? Even Democrats mostly disapprove of Congress. Only 37% of the majority party’s voters think that Congress has performed well; Gallup doesn’t mention the percentage that disapproves, but it seems almost certain that it outstrips 37%, unless more than 26% are clueless. Congress gets its worst ratings not from Republicans (25%), but from independents (24%). That should get the attention of leadership in both chambers, who owe their majorities to those independents.

Read the whole thing.
by Glenn Reynolds instapundit.com/graphics/permalink.gif