Congressional Approval Still Dropping

Americans may be fed up with the federal government, but there is no part of the federal government they have less respect for than Congress. Last December, congressional approval in the Gallup Poll reached an all-time low of only 11%. At that time I didn't think it could get any lower, but I was wrong. In the latest Gallup Poll, released just yesterday, congressional approval has reached a new record-low of only 10%.

The previous record, 11% last December, was during a time when the Republican-dominated House of Representatives (and Senate Republicans) were trying to block an extension of President Obama's payroll tax cuts -- a tax cut that would affect millions of working Americans (but would mean nothing to the rich or the corporations -- the only people Republicans care about). After seeing their popularity drop, the Republicans finally agreed to a two-month extension of the payroll tax cut.

Now it is February, and that extension runs out at the end of this month. And the Republicans are once again blocking extending the payroll tax cut for the rest of this year. The problem is how to pay for the cut. Democrats (and the president) want to pay for it by raising taxes on the rich. Republicans want to pay for it by cutting government services for the elderly, children, the unemployed, and the poor -- the groups that are hurting the most right now.

I am amazed that the Republicans are still clinging to their favoritism for the rich over all other Americans -- especially since this is an election year and the rich make up only a tiny portion of the vote. The rich are pouring hundreds of millions of dollars into Republican electoral efforts -- maybe the Republicans think they can buy the coming election (after all, it's working pretty well so far for Mitt Romney within their own party).

I don't think that'll work though. Preventing a payroll tax cut by blocking a tax raise for the rich (which a huge majority of Americans support) is more likely to make their congressional approval drop even further -- down into single-digits. And the people will vote that disapproval next November.

There is another recent poll that reflects the huge disapproval of Congress. The Rasmussen Poll recently asked a very interesting question. Here is that question, and the resulting numbers:

WOULD RANDOM PEOPLE CHOSEN FROM THE PHONE BOOK DO A BETTER JOB THAN THOSE CURRENTLY ELECTED TO CONGRESS?
Yes...............43%
No...............38%
Unsure...............19%

I think that sums up the current view of Congress very nicely (and I tend to agree with the 43%).