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I wonder if dictators and royal monarchs have a better
approval rating then Congress???
Don't laugh. A dictatorship or royal monarchy requires a number of folks to help the dictator, king, queen or emperor enslave the rest of the folks and I am sure those folks approve of the dictator or monarch. I have always said that the only difference between our American democracy and a dictatorship or royal monarchy is that American's get to elect their dictator or king every two to four years. Congress has an 84% rating of disapproval Jan. 16, 2012 11:10 PM Washington Post WASHINGTON - Lawmakers will return here today to begin an election-year work session with low expectations for any significant legislative action while also receiving even lower approval ratings for themselves. A new Washington Post-ABC News poll indicates that a record 84 percent of Americans disapprove of the job Congress is doing, with almost two-thirds saying they "disapprove strongly." Just 13 percent of Americans approve of how things are going after the 112th Congress' first year of action, solidifying an unprecedented level of public disgust that has both sides worried about their positions less than 10 months before voters decide their fates. It has been nearly four years since even 30 percent expressed approval of Congress, according to the Post-ABC survey, and support hasn't recovered from the historic low it reached last fall. The poll was taken Thursday through Sunday and had a margin of error of plus or minus 3.5 percentage points. In the face of the public dismay, House Republicans and Senate Democrats are fashioning less far-reaching agendas for the year ahead, in part to avoid the bitter political showdowns of 2011 and to best position themselves for the fall elections. Because of re-election politics, the second session for any Congress is traditionally less ambitious than the first because lawmakers are campaigning and, therefore, generally spend less time in Washington. This year's legislative business, however, will take place in the shadow of $5 trillion in deficit reduction achieved through tax increases and spending cuts that are scheduled to take effect next Jan. 1. The move was triggered by an unsuccessful effort by a congressional supercommittee last fall to reach a compromise on the federal deficit and expiring George W. Bush-era tax cuts. Fiscal issues are likely to again be the central battleground in the presidential and congressional elections. If voters clearly embrace one party's position, it could tilt negotiations on a broader tax-and-spending deal in a lame-duck session after the elections. |