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Politics : American Presidential Politics and foreign affairs -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Peter Dierks who wrote (33181)	2/24/2009 9:00:03 AM
From: Peter Dierks	Respond to of 71588

Survey Finds Sharp Erosion in Bipartisan Support As President Obama prepares to address a joint session of Congress tonight, he is receiving strong reviews for his first full month in office, but deep partisan fault lines are quickly reemerging. ... Thirty-seven percent of Republicans now approve of how he has done his job, a sharp drop from a month ago, when 62 percent gave him good marks for his handling of the transition. Also, nearly seven in 10 Americans oppose giving $14 billion in new loans to automakers General Motors and Chrysler, something Obama is considering in an effort to prop up the ailing industry and preserve jobs. ... Almost all the poll respondents considered the size of the federal budget deficit to be a problem, with nearly six in 10 "very concerned" about it. ... Any effort to deal with the federal entitlement programs will no doubt be influenced by public pessimism over the their long-term viability. Few Americans are convinced that the Social Security and Medicare systems are in shape to provide benefits throughout their retirements, according to the poll. Just 11 percent of those polled said they are sure Social Security will be able to pay their full benefits. Regarding Medicare, 8 percent are very confident the system will provide adequate health-care coverage. Seniors covered by these bedrock federal programs are generally confident that both will be able to meet their needs, but those not yet old enough to be eligible are far less sanguine about their prospects. Among those 65 or older, 78 percent are very or somewhat confident that Social Security will last throughout their retirements, and 67 percent share that view about Medicare. The numbers dive to 31 percent for both programs among those ages 18 to 64, and the number who are "very confident" is less than 10 percent. ... two-thirds see the nation as being seriously on the wrong track ... the stimulus package, the intensity of the opposition has crept upward since the plan's passage last week. About a quarter now "strongly oppose" it, with GOP antipathy solidifying over the past month. ... washingtonpost.com

To: Peter Dierks who wrote (33181)	2/24/2009 3:03:41 PM
From: DuckTapeSunroof	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 71588

Re: "plummet." Really? (Maybe you have your own personal definition for the word "plummet"? Sorta like "depends on what the meaning of 'is' is"?) Every poll I've seen yet, (below are discussed the FOUR latest polls), shows the President's political support averaging around 10 points HIGHER then either Clinton's or Bush Junior's was at this same point in their Presidencies: Obama rides high in polls despite fading GOP support USA Today Feb 24, 2009, 10:20 AM content.usatoday.com Good morning and welcome to another busy day in Washington. The big event is President Obama's first speech to a joint session of Congress. Mark will be live-blogging that at 9 p.m. ET, so come back to The Oval tonight. Late this morning, the Senate is scheduled to hold its first vote on Obama's nominee to be secretary of Labor, California Rep. Hilda Solis. It's a cloture vote to cut off debate in the face of a Republican threat to filibuster. Solis, a Democrat, has been caught in an intense partisan battle over the Employee Free Choice Act, which would make it easier for unions to organize. Passing the bill is a top labor priority. Blocking it is a top priority of conservatives and the business community. A number of news organizations have new polls today, including USA TODAY and Gallup. USA TODAY's Susan Page reports here on Obama's approval rating and here on the selling job he must do to persuade people that banks and automakers should get help. A Washington Post/ABC poll finds wide support for Obama, but also growing partisanship. A New York Times/CBS News poll finds more than three-quarters of the country optimistic about Obama's presidency. And a CNN poll finds people have relatively realistic expectations for tonight's speech. U.S. News profiles Jon Favreau, Obama's chief speechwriter and "mind-reader," and his preparations for tonight's address. Update at 1:25 p.m. ET: Gallup says its daily tracking shows Obama's approval rating dropping below 60% for the first time today, to 59%. A "slight but perceptible decline" since he took office is largely due to loss of Republican support, the company says. (Posted by Jill Lawrence)