Approval ratings for Congress match historic low. No wonder.
Posted on 08/26/2007 9:55:05 AM PDT by NormsRevenge
Disappointed by the slow pace of change in Washington, California voters gave Congress its lowest rating in 10 years, and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, a San Francisco Democrat, saw her approval rating take a sharp drop during the past five months, according to a Field Poll released last week.
Approval of the new Democrat-controlled Congress as an institution is down to 20 percent, a few points lower than the rating last year under Republican leadership. And the approval rating for Pelosi, who became speaker in January, fell from 48 percent in March to 39 percent this month.
Californians' dismal view of Congress reflected the national trend. A Gallup Poll conducted nationwide last week found the approval rating for Congress down to 18 percent, matching the lowest number in more than 30 years.
Political analysts cited several reasons for the poor assessment: Democrats' frustration that a big change in Congress has not changed Iraq war policy; Republicans' reaction against Pelosi and other new leaders; and independents' views that partisan warfare has made it hard for Congress to act on immigration, energy and other issues.
"Expectations were high for the new leadership, and many Democrats are disappointed that the leaders seem to be pulling back from confrontations with the White House over the war and rules for surveillance," said Bruce Cain, who directs the University of California's Washington Center.
Voters are also adjusting to the reality of divided government, with one party controlling the White House and the other holding a majority in Congress, for the first time since the Clinton presidency, Cain added. In the Senate, Democrats have 51 votes, far short of the 60 needed for most legislation.
But the negative view of Congress may not help Republicans retake the Senate or House next year. In the Field Poll, only 19 percent of state voters approved of the Republicans' performance in Congress, compared with a 33 percent approval rating for Democrats.
Even Republican voters in the state take a dim view of the GOP in Congress, with 33 percent approving and 56 percent disapproving of GOP performance.
The Field Poll of 536 voters was conducted by telephone in English and Spanish from Aug. 3 to 12 and has a margin of error of plus or minus 4.5 percentage points.
Thomas Mann, an expert on Congress at the Brookings Institution, a Washington think tank, sees "a real difference between the low standing of the institution of Congress, and the Democrats' prospects for next year, which look better than the Republicans' right now."
The poll may also reflect frustration at the pace of change in Congress. With the exception of the minimum wage increase, which Congress passed and President Bush signed, Democratic leaders are making only incremental progress on energy efficiency, expanded health care for children, student loans and other issues.
Although House rules allow Pelosi to move quickly on some legislation, the Senate is much slower, deliberative and vulnerable to obstruction. "The irony is that Pelosi may be getting blamed to some extent for what the Senate has not done," Cain said.
At the same time, though, the state's two senators -- Democrats Dianne Feinstein and Barbara Boxer -- enjoy solid approval ratings. According to the poll, 56 percent of state voters approve of how Feinstein handles her job, and 48 percent approve of Boxer.
The relatively healthy approval ratings for the state's senators are a result of the perception that "they are working hard for the state" and that neither Feinstein nor Boxer has faced a tough re-election in recent years, Cain said.
Feinstein has taken a leading role in securing spending for the state and, as a member of the Judiciary Committee, has sharply questioned Attorney General Alberto Gonzales. Boxer, who is chairwoman of the Environment Committee, has held numerous hearings on global warming and plans to push climate change legislation this fall.
"These are popular stands in California," Cain said, adding that the Field Poll demonstrates the political adage that many voters despise Congress but give their own representatives high marks.
It’s not that Congress doesn’t get it. They have a completely differen agenda than most Americans and that’s to run our country into the ground.
ping
You just don't get it. Don't you remember dingy harry and pelosi saying they have a "mandate" and the voters wanted a change of course? < /sarcasm>
I have one mandate for the congress critters. Seal the borders.
The D Congress is the worst and most unethical Congress EVER!
What about they get routed in ‘08!
How they manage to have such high ratings as those I can't imagine!
What's funny is the MSM will report congressional approval numbers jumping into the 20% range as "soaring to new heights as the American people get behind the democrat agenda".
Seeing that it’s a Field Poll, I’m surprised it’s not down from a high of 100% to a record low of 95%.
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