Public Trusts Obama More Than GOP Leaders On The Deficit

The Republicans have been whining about the national deficit for a while now. Their solution is to cut all government programs (including Social Security and Medicare) that help poor, disadvantaged, and even ordinary Americans, while giving more tax breaks to the corporations and the ultra-rich. But a couple of weeks ago the President came up with his own deficit reduction plan -- a much fairer plan that asks the rich and the corporations to share in the sacrifices needed to bring the deficit under control.

So far, the Republicans have nothing good to say about the president's plan and they are likely to kill it in the House of Representatives. The real question is what do the people think. Do they trust the congressional Republicans or the president to do a better job with the deficit? The Pew Research Center has tried to answer that question. In a survey (taken between September 22nd and 25th of a national sample of 1,000 adults -- with a 4 point margin of error) they asked the public about this.

As the chart above shows, the president wins hands down. While 52% of the public trusts him to handle the deficit, only 35% trust the Republican leadership in Congress to do the right thing. That's a 17 point gap -- far more than the margin of error. And while the Democratic congressional leaders are not trusted as much as the president (probably because of all the times they have knuckled under to GOP demands), they have a 43% approval rating -- 8 points better than the Republicans.

It looks like the public is growing tired of the old Republican mantra of make everybody pay but the rich. Here is what the public thinks about some different proposals to lower the deficit:

RAISE INCOME TAXES ON THOSE MAKING OVER $250,000.
Approve...............66%
Disapprove...............31%

REDUCE MILITARY COMMITMENTS OVERSEAS.
Approve...............65%
Disapprove...............30%

LIMIT TAX DEDUCTIONS FOR LARGE CORPORATIONS.
Approve...............62%
Disapprove...............34%

REDUCE FUNDING TO HELP LOWER INCOME AMERICANS.
Approve...............40%
Disapprove...............54%

REDUCE FUNDING FOR ROADS AND EDUCATION.
Approve...............23%
Disapprove...............73%

Right now the president has the public on his side, and he needs to use the "bully pulpit" to drive the issue home. Even if the Republicans kill his program in the House, he should continue to push for it and not let them off the hook. Make them pay fir it in the next election. And do the same with his proposed jobs program. The public is on his side with that also.