Approval Rating of Dem-Controlled Congress SINKS to 28%

[fooj]

http://electioncentral.tpmcafe.com/blog/electioncentral/2007/mar/20/poll_approval_rating_of_dem_controlled_congress_sinks_to_28

Poll: Approval Rating Of Dem-Controlled Congress Sinks To 28%
By Greg Sargent

This isn't good. A new poll finds that the approval rating of the Dem-controlled Congress is on the skids among not just Republicans, but Democrats, too -- and the pollster speculates that the Dems failure to "do anything substantive" on Iraq could be the reason why.
<snip>

[villager]

1. Needs to be pointed out that what this Gallup poll registered

...is a 9% increase in "disapproval" from previous polls. In other words, there wasn't a plummet to 28% -- but a shift of 10% (perhaps not insignificant, however...)

The Dems will need to act, and hold the Bush-crazies accountable, however...

[Cant trust em]

14. Not too surprised

I'm surprised that it's this low, but not that it's low. I liked the raise of the minimum wage. I liked the lowering of interest rates for student loans. This just proves that people want the Democrats to get us out of the war any way they can. Too much talk (non-binding resolutions) not enough action (cutting off funding).

[Maine-ah]

47. welcome to DU!

:hi:

[Nite Owl]

2. It's what they were elected to do,

the message was clear in November and people were depending on them. So far they have failed, they are letting * get just what he wanted.

[global1]

3. This Will Slip Even Lower If They Don't Subpoena Rove & Miers and.....

make them testify under oath and in public on this AG issue.

[John Q. Citizen]

9. Conyers announced he's seeking subpoenas. I assume he is....

[KT2000]

4. Howard Dean needs to be

Speaker of the House. He gets it.
They are playing it so safe they are losing the support of the people.
All I hear is "Democrats have been disappointing."

[stirlingsliver]

26. Exactly Correct.

Having Dr. Dean as Speaker of the House would be so sweet.

He truly does get it.

[seriousstan]

45. Wouldn't he need to be elected first?

[KT2000]

48. Unfortunately yes

but a girl can dream, huh?

But seriously, unless the Congressional Democrats get what Dean gets, the people are just going to see the Democratic party as the same as the repubs.

We need a show of courage, blunt speaking and righteous indignation.

[proud2BlibKansan]

5. I am not the least bit surprised by this n/t

[leftofthedial]

6. other than a couple of symbolic hearings

they are just continuing right where the repukes left off

doing virtually nothing to help the people of the US

doing everything to continue the illegal occupation of Iraq

[Ioo]

7. I agree with the pollsters, I have been very disappointed in Dem / Iraq issue

So..

[AndyA]

8. Not a surprise. They have been way too lenient on Bush.

Americans voted for the war in Iraq TO END.

END

Not in two years, not sometime maybe next year, but END

What part of the word END do the Dems not understand?

They need to get their sh!t together. We have no business being over there in the first place. Just END the war already, and approval will go up.

[SoCalDem]

10. Why? because people don't like "new boss, same as the old boss'

If they win this battle of the subpoenas, and get Slimy-Karl & Starstruck-harriet under oath on C-Span, their ratings will improve.

if they cave, and agree to the "secret conversation", it will soon be in single-digits

[Jacobin]

11. they haven't stepped up to the plate on IraqNam

I understand (sometimes) the problems with doing so.

I also agree they haven't done enough to cut off the funding

[Sammy Pepys]

12. I think this is a symptom of...

..the public view of government in general right now. All we here about GWB anymore is how much he's screwing things up, and Congress gets caught in the guilt-by-association trap, even though they're clearly not GWB allies.

[Dr Fate]

20. I disagree- I think it is a SPECIFIC view, not a general one.

Voter's SPECIFICALLY want the US out of Iraq- they dont care which party it is keeping them there- whoever it is will get the specific, rather than general blame.

To a non-partisan, everyday Joe, he could care less whether we are clearly "allies" with Bush in a true sense or not-all he sees is that we are still in Iraq.

Your average Joe does not buy all the stalling & excuses- to him it goes like this "Why cant they just put all the troops on a boat and bring them back- the same way they got there?"

[Sammy Pepys]

24. See, I just don't think it boils down to precisely one issue...

...and I don't think it's justified. I think people just see a big picture government that can't get Iraq right (and I think you're on to something here), can't get Walter Reed right and can't keep it's own house in order.

[Dr Fate]

30. Okay- I can see that. n/t

n/t

[rodeodance]

13. guess if they would have asked me, I would have rated them low also.

[WI_DEM]

15. That's a surprising number but you'll never find Congress with high approval ratings.

[leftchick]

16. It does not shock me at all. I know MANY Democrats disgusted

with this latest Iraq War funding scheme when we all want to see the troops come home. Also not having them "redeployed" to safe bases in the ME. How about a bill to fund Bringing Them Home!

[countingbluecars]

17. They need to take

strong action now and not wait until 2008. I am not a bit surprised by this poll.

[Dr Fate]

18. When DEMS/DLC decide to listen to voters rather than the pro-war lobbyists, the #s will sky-rocket.

The ball is in your court, DEMS.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

19. Politics as usual isn't cutting it. It's better to "lose" some votes than do nothing substantive.

But, as usual, the politicians seek to play to "the middle" and accomplish zilch.

[ThomWV]

21. Its Batting About A 95% With Me

Dam near perfect. Best Congress in memory.

[Terri S]

22. If they allow unsworn testimony behind closed doors

they deserve single digits...no... zero , zip, nada!!

[npincus]

23. the same frickin' public that doesn't support cutting war funding

that's how Dems can end the war.

[gatorboy]

25. Thank you!

Most people in this country are dumb as bricks. They want us out of Iraq, but don't you dare cut funding to the troops as if they can have it both ways.

It's that kind of thinking that has put Dems between a rock and hard place over this.

[Dr Fate]

34. Yes- let's blame the voters all the way to the Whitehouse!!! n/t

n/t

[Dr Fate]

33. Well, DEMS need to articulate that to the voters then. Blaming the voters wont cut it.

"Look- either we cut funds and get out of Iraq- or we stay there and keep funding it- but we know that the American people want out..."

OR

"Look- I know the same GOP & media that lied about WMDs keeps telling everyone we are taking money away from the troops- but in reality, we are bringing them home like you wanted us too..."

Something-Anything but blaming the voters.

The problem is we refuse to give black & white options- AKA what the average voter gets and understands- it's like DEMS want it to be just as grey & confusing as the GOP does.

[emulatorloo]

27. Last time I counted there were still a TON OF OBSTRUCTIONIST REPUBLICANS in congress

who are intent on blocking any substantive work on Iraq.

Maybe people are getting upset enough to throw the rest of the REPUGS out.

[tehehehe]

52. Not this time......

Its a tough sell to blame this one on Republicans. Especially for the general public. The Democrats control both chambers, and thus "they are responsible" no matter what. So far it looks like the Democrats gameplan is to make this the "year of the investigation". They are investigating everything, and passing nothing (at least nthing important). The Republicans don't even have to filibuster! No votes have been blocked in committee. Its like the Dems are "pod-people" who grew out of Republican pods at some point after the election. They are just dead in the water. No reaching out. No compromising. No legislation. They haven't even got around to voting on the DC representative. So far they haven't forced Bush to veto even one piece of legislation!

[Radical Activist]

28. The Rahm Emanuel strategy isn't working.

People want bold action.

[Leopolds Ghost]

41. Sorry, Rahm consolidated control for a reason. Party bosses MUST shut out the "Do something" crowd.

That is Rahm's only reason for existence -- to consolidate
control by the un-named post-DLC Clinton wing of the party.

Hence Kerry rolling over to Hillary Clinton saying we need
a permanent presence in Iraq.

[mikelewis]

29. I'm none to happy with them either though they still have a little more time before I start...

...FUCKING RANTING!!!!

[karlrschneider]

31. Yeah, well maybe they might consider, you know, actually DOING something.

:eyes:

[0rganism]

32. The Democrats should bring "out of Iraq" legislation to the floor every week

Force those GOP fucks to filibuster or veto it, over and over and over again. Make the GOP sound like a broken record in denying the will of the people.

Put it in standalone items, put it in as riders to appropriations bills, do it loud and do it proud.

And who knows, maybe one will get through?

[rinsd]

35. BFD. Congressional approval ratings are usually lucky if they're in the 40's (nt)

[Cessna Invesco Palin]

36. One word: Waaah!

The voting American public put Bush in office. So now they want to hit the "Undo" button and pretend that none of that ever happened. Cry me a fucking river, really.

[PhilipShore]

37. The politicians think the majority of Americans are idiots...

but on election day in 2008; if the Democrats keep it up -- and don't respect the demands of the people as stated in the 2006 election, they will start loosing power.

In my mind -- I see our country being run by a militant band of lying thieving politicians (militarists); they don't walk around with military uniforms, but then again they don't need to bother putting on a military uniform, because all they have to do is lie, and say they are politicians.

They (the politicians) march to a different tune, other then a democracy.

[Deja Q]

38. Funny how it's the I-word... it's like there are no domestic issues whatsoever.

:crazy:

[ecstatic]

39. Guess we "won't have the votes" to be the majority in 2008

:sarcasm: :mad:

[Leopolds Ghost]

40. Kerry Lost Me last night when he agreed with Clinton's stance on permanent bases in Iraq

Saying that Clinton was right, they may be necessary to protect our
interests in the region (oil) without engaging to prevent sectarian
strife. "But these issues can be finessed," Kerry essentially said.

[PhilipShore]

42. Oil interests -- exactly -- they just forgot to mention oil...

in their press release -- stating American Interests are the need for a military base, which is basically a lie to the American public.

[fooj]

43. When did he say that?

I heard him on Hardball and he said he was AGAINST permanent bases. Did I miss something?

[nadinbrzezinski]

44. mission accompished MSM

[Dr Fate]

51. Yeah-that's it-Wolf Blitzer held a gun to Harry Reid & Pelosi and said:

"If you get us out of Iraq- it's CURTAINS!"

[Toots]

46. People want responsibility and accountability...

Many things have been done with no accountability and people are tired of it. It is time for Congress to act in a responsible manner and hold those accountable for all the incompetence or negligence or spite, whatever but hold them accountable for it. If they do not then they are no better. Waxman and Conyers got the message let's hope the rest do soon..

[MadHound]

49. Is this suprising?

First of all, I think that the spectacle of the the '08 political season taking off a week after '06 was done has not reverberated well amongst the electorate.

Secondly, what have they done about the war? Not a damn thing, yet this is what they were elected to do, end the war and bring the troops home. Sadly, this is within their power, yet they continue to fiddle fart fuck around with non-bindling resolutions and such. Defund the damn war, bury all war funding bills deep in committee, and force this misadministration either into a Constitutional crisis or to bring the troops home.

And finally, if the Dems don't fulfill this clear directive given to them by the people, well they can kiss '08 goodbye. The coalition that put them into power wasn't made up just of Dems and anti-war leftists, it was also made up of disgruntled 'Pugs and centerist independents also. If the Dems don't come through, well this coalition will vanish into the night, with people either voting Republican, third party, or staying home in droves. Hopefully somebody in the Democratic leadership realizes this, and that they finally decide to end the war, if for no other reason than to save their own political ass.

[BuyingThyme]

50. Yep, it's now or never. Get the hell out of the way, Nancy.