Poll: Bush, Democratic Congress both failures

[DuaneBidoux]

Source: Washington (CNN)

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Americans think both President Bush and the Democratic Congress have been failures so far this year, but they still tend to put more confidence in the Democrats.

In a new CNN/Opinion Research Corp. poll released Wednesday, 57 percent of those questioned say that Bush's presidency has been a failure; 55 percent say the Democrat-controlled Congress has been a failure as well.



Read more: http://www.cnn.com/2007/POLITICS/08/15/bush.congress.poll/index.html

[bemildred]

1. Sounds about right. We are far from done with cleaning house yet., nt

[shraby]

2. What's with the assertion that Bush's approval

rating is "mired in the 30's"? I was of the impression that he's batting in the low 20's.

[Lasher]

32. The Real Clear Politics average for Junior is 32.9%

http://www.realclearpolitics.com/polls/

He hasn't hit the low 20s yet.



http://www.pollkatz.homestead.com/

[Kolesar]

3. Here come the DUers to bash Congress about not-withdrawing and the spy bill

With the implicit message that Congress won't get reelected because they pissed off the left wingers of the Democratic Party.

[DuaneBidoux]

4. I didn't bash Congress, I merely posted a poll.

I don't claim we won't get reelected. It always helps to be open to critical analysis. Perception is important--and in fact is sometimes reality as well.

You'll notice that the poll did say people still think more highly of Dems than Pukes. My only point is that it is a good idea to be aware of how Congress is being perceived and to use it in strategy formulation.

[nolabels]

14. Another CNN pol?

CNN Plays With Lies and Statistics
http://www.afterdowningstreet.org/node/14135

[bemildred]

5. We want to elect more progressive candidates to Congress.

What is wrong with that?

[DJKDJKDJK]

6. Absolutely nothing

Progressives have a right to run and serve just as much as the next person.

[Exiled in America]

13. Not a single thing. In fact its the only hope for this country. (nt)

[stressfulreality]

11. actually it's pretty safe to say that congress has long been a failure

this is NOT news...

[Exiled in America]

12. Here come the DUers to tell the truth and demand their party stand for what's right

Fixed your headline.

I find it hilarious and pitiful that you act as though people criticizing congress for caving in on de-funding the war and caving in to the administration as they seek to shred constitutional protections are somehow worth being mocked.

I praise proud democratic party members in this community who refuse to apologize for the failures of their leaders and representatives and instead boldly and loudly hold them accountable and demand that they effectively do their jobs.

WE, dear sir, are the only reason why YOU will continue to have a party that distinguishes itself from Conservatives - by holding representatives and party leadership accountable and demanding that the Democratic Party not give in to forces within it that desire to undermine and weaken everything that has made the party great.

So yeah - we will continue to "bash" congress when congress deserves bashing because vocally expressing our displeasure is the only way political figures ever change.

[DuaneBidoux]

27. Thanks for your support (I'm OP). I backpedaled in the face of his criticism but what is the point

of having a party that is going to act like a bunch of sheep and support their leaders even as they become corrupt and sell out their values for expediency--after all that's what Republicans are for, right?

I like to think that one very big thing that distinguishes progressives from conservatives is that we are tolerant of differing opinions without making the other feel like s/he is a piece of shit or somehow being disloyal to the cause du jour.

[Zhade]

29. BAM. Pwned.

People like the poster you replied to are why "elected" criminals keep getting away with their crimes in this country - they excuse the lack of accountability.

[AndyTiedye]

19. They Won't Get Reelected Because They Just Let the Repigs WATERGATE Them

The regime has 6 months to issue wiretap orders without any accountability to anyone.
Those orders are good for a year.

The Repigs can spy on our candidates all they want thoughout the upcoming election season and it's all legal.

They will know our every strategy before we can even implement it. They will at least one step ahead of us all the time.
Last time (we know about) they bugged our campaign was 1972, and that election did not go well at all for us, despite 70% disapproval of the war that was going on then.

[Zhade]

28. Of course, neither of those bills had to even see the floor.

But don't let that fact stop your tirade.

[sendero]

34. With friends like you..

... and the Democratic congress, America really doesn't need enemies.

[Kolesar]

35. That was dumb...eom

[sendero]

37. No...

.. your post was idiotic.

[Divine Discontent]

36. sounds about right to me!

thanks for reminder me of their capitulation before running off to vacation.

oh, and by the way, they should ask, "are you giving Congress a low grade because of their sniveling acquiescence", because I think many would have said, absolutely!

[BlueManDude]

7. I'm not worried about Dem Congresses poll ratings

They're getting it from both sides - the GOPers who hate them anyway and the Dems who are disappointed that they haven't been tough enough on Bush and his nefarious schemes. These numbers are not a sign that the public prefers a GOP congress.

[grahamhgreen]

9. Wow, and do you believe the congress should represent the peoples opinions?

[BlueManDude]

10. I'm merely pointing out that the Dems poll numbers do not mean folks are yearning for a GOP congress

I'm talking strictly politics. Yes I'm disappointed in their lack of boldness in taking on Bush. It's the disappointment of Dems that are dragging the poll numbers down.

[Vidar]

8. I agree on both counts.

[tomhayes]

15. What people are complaining about is that...

The Democrats are not *ALL* *COMPLETELY* in LOCKSTEP (like the Republicans.)

So when 57 Democrats cross over to the side of the issue progressives feel is wrong it somehow makes the ENTIRE DEMOCRATIC PARTY a failure. Its just not so.

It was NOT NAncy Pelosi and Harry Reed who passed those awful bills recently. it was *THE ENTIRE REPUBLICAN CAUCAS!!!!" plus 20% of the Democrats.

What needs to happen IN THE FUTURE is to vote MORE Democrats in office to guarantee that the progressive congress members *CAN* vote the way we want.

it was not the SPINELESS Democrats who passed the bill. It was a FEW SPINELESS Democrats + THE ENTIRE reactionary and subservient Republican party.

And face it, the Democrats who voted against this *WILL* be tarred in the 30 second commercials as terrorist supporters. And you you that a sizable portion of the voting public will believe it, as WRONG as it is.

The Democrats *are not* a party of absolute agreement. That's healthy most of the time.

But put the blame where it belongs on the Republican Party + SOME Democrats.

[FreeStateDemocrat]

21. Barbara Mikulski (D-Md) a well known liberal voted for FISA so the problem isn't just blue-DOGS.

Besides a lack of strong leadership allows for this type of disloyalty without consequences. The best, easiest and most effective path to begin to correct this renegade behavior is new leadership starting with Harry Reid who allowed the SCOTUS to go neo-con without a real fight. He's weak and has mishandled too many issues to allow him to continue to help prop up the idiot's failed presidency by handing him uncontested victories. A majority party that cannot even mount a filibuster lacks leadership. (Harry Reid is viewed favorable by 19% of Americans the same as Scotter Libby,http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/harry_reid_s_favorables_fall_to_19)

[tomhayes]

23. Forget the POLLING NUMBERS...

Come up with a *real plan*!

Harry gets ousted and then who comes in??

Democrats filibuster unconstitutional and stupid bills that are spun this way:
1)Do nothing Congress
2)Dems don't want to protect our security

So ,tell me what we do to change it during *this* congressional cycle.

And I'm not asking in a general way, I want a SPECIFIC plan including:
1)Who replaces Reid
2)How does the new leader enforce 100% "loyalty" in Democrats?
3)How does the new leader convert a few Republicans?
4)How does the enw leader spin the spin about a DO NOTHING and OBSTRUCTIONIST congress?

Tell me how? 2006 was not enough of a win to make it happen. Razor thin margins of Democrats *CAN NOT* make law without converting at least some of the Republicans, and even then it can't have veto-proof margins.

2004 is when this country made it's bed until 2008.

At least in 2007 we are raising the minimum wage, investigating at least *some* of the crimes committed by the Republican lead congress and executive branches since 2000, and stopping *a lot* of the Republican agenda.


Tell me, and not in the same vague language that people who want to deport *all8 undocumented immigrants form the country propose to do it ("By enforcing the law!), but a real plan.

Or if you have one, keep it secret but PUT IT INTO ACTION.

2008 is when we have the chance to steer the country back onto the right path. 2006 and 2007 are about lessing the wrong path.

[ProudDad]

38. "Democrats filibuster unconstitutional and stupid bills that are spun this way"

Democrats don't have to filibuster bills any more (of course, they fucking wouldn't when they should have when the pukes were in power but...)

They don't have to allow a vote on egregious shit like the "allow bush to wiretap anyone bill" they just freakin' passed...

[Zhade]

30. No, it was just Reid and Pelosi who allowed the bills to come to the floor AT ALL.

They had it in their power not to bring it to their floors for a vote.

So why didn't they stop them, hmmmm?

[DrDan]

16. you gotta agree with that poll . . . n/t

[Virginia Dare]

17. The Repukes in Congress will probably continue their obstructionist..

tactics since they appear to be working then.

[Dervill Crow]

18. I have to agree, but only because Congress isn't getting rid of Bush.

I'm not as politically savvy as most others here, but I want Bush either gone or his powers curbed somehow. If Congress can't or won't do it what is the point in anything? Just one outrage after another. Rove leaving amidst accolades from *, sung to the tune of a hymn, "What a friend I have in Karl Rove, all my thoughts have been his work. Look at how we've f*cked Amurka, all these sheep are pathetic jerks."

Damn Bush and his cronies and his minions. Damn, damn, damn.

[saigon68]

20. With Joementum Limpmann hiding out there

[bamacrat]

22. While I feel that the Dem. congress hasn't been nearly good enough...

I don't really see it as a failure because they have slim majorities and a veto happy president. If the president won't sign anything into law he doesn't think up, and you don't have the votes to override it it's kinda hard to do what you need to.

[Zhade]

31. Well, they could try NOT allowing fucked up bills to the floor, which they can do.

They control the agenda - yet they let these bills come up for a vote knowing they'll pass?

What the fuck are they thinking?

[ProudDad]

39. The problem isn't that

they're not allowed to "do what you need to" by the veto.

The problem is that they're doing bush's work FOR HIM.

They didn't have to pass the supplemental. They didn't even have to FUCKING VOTE ON IT!

They didn't have to pass the "legalize bush's illegal wiretapping" bill. They didn't even have to allow it to come up for a vote.

It's not what they're NOT doing, it's what they ARE doing to continue the war and shred the Constitution that's got us pissed off!!

[Jack Rabbit]

24. I would agree with that

It was and continues to be a mistake to take impeachment off the table. Bush and Cheney will respect nothing short of being removed from office by a two-thirds vote of the Senate, and even then it is too easy to visualize a platoon of Marines being necessary to escort the bastards out of the White House.

[dbt]

25. All the Democrats had to do was STAND UP.

Coulda been something symbolic, a la the "Last Great Act Of Defiance" cartoon that we've all seen a time or two. But NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO.

All they did was CAVE. Roll OVER. Give bu$hler everything he demanded. AGAIN.

I'm with BartCop. How the FUCK did I get into this party of LOSERS? Poor darlings, they're afraid of being mocked on TV. Yeah, that's WAY more important than standing for something.

:puke:

PS: GrovelBot does NOT speak for me.

[leslieaa7]

40. I am with u!

they caved in alright.........and u have to wonder why?
there is more to this then meets the eye!
we have to find out why they all caved like that?
makes me wonder...yes...I have suspicious nature and have to question everything....just like everybody else should be doing!

[The Stranger]

26. So if they had fought the FISA fuckjob or put IMPEACHMENT BACK ON THE TABLE, then they would be no

worse off than they are.

[DU GrovelBot]

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[gulliver]

41. The Congress is almost half Republican...

...first of all, so the headline is misleading. Bush is 100% Republican, the Congress is almost 50% Republican.

But the real people we have to thank for this headline, which practically equates the Dems and Bush, are the weanie, whining, ignorant, backstabbing progressives who were polled. Let this be a lesson to them. Divided we fall.

Divided we get equated to Bush, fellow progressives! This tremendous image loss due to ignorant, hysterical, backstabbing progressives not supporting the Dems will lead to lives lost, a longer war, a worse environment, an increase in everything we are against, a decrease in everything we are for.

Please, fellow progressives, grow the hell up and stop being such easy marks for the opposition. When a pollster calls you to ask if you support the Democratic Congress or approve of it, the answer is a simple "Yes."

[ohio2007]

42. what did the other half get accomplished..in the first 100 days ?

they came in in '06 planning big changes in the first 100 hours... then the first 100 days slipped past w/out fanfare,pomp and ceremony.

/sarc

just saying....
some people are very upset with the "empty breifcases" they took to DC

[gulliver]

43. Jesus, this is exactly what I mean!

Have a look at this link.

http://democrats.senate.gov/journal/entry.cfm?id=279873

...and this...

http://majorityleader.house.gov/docUploads/CaucusHouseAccomplishmentsJune2007.pdf

...and these don't even take into account the investigations that have begun to bear fruit.

Some progressives seem to be a cross between Veruca Salt and Judas. I hope you are not one of them. When some progressives don't get everything they want, exactly the way they want it, and immediately, they turn mean and dumb, and they bite the hand that feeds them.

Let's none of us be like that. It's called loyalty and maturity. When a pollster calls a progressive on the phone, it is not the time for that progressive to register disapproval with the fact the war is still raging and e-mailes are still being eavesdropped upon. It is the time to realize how much better it is to have Dems in charge (any assessment to the contrary is idiotic). The answer to the pollster from the progressive is Yes, I approve.

Saying no is ungrateful, ignorant, disloyal, and counterproductive. Loyalty and goose-stepping are not the same thing, by the way. For progressives, loyalty is a higher emotion. Patience is a virtue. There are shades of gray. Ignorance is not bliss.

[bemildred]

44. No offsense, but neither Pelosi or Reid "feed" me. It's the other way around. nt