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Poll Shows Rise In Number Of Americans Who Want Dems To Be Tougher With Bush On Iraq
A new Pew poll released today shows a clear jump in the number of Americans who want the Dem Congress to get tougher with Bush in ending the Iraq War.
The survey finds that nearly half -- 47% -- say that Dems aren't doing enough to challenge the President over Iraq. That's a seven-point jump from last spring. In contrast, barely one-fifth think Congress has gone "too far." And tellingly, nearly half of independents -- 48% -- want more action from Congress on ending the war, too.
The poll also contains some bad news -- but also some good -- for the Dem Congressional leadership. While overall approval of the whole Congress has fallen to 31%, a solid majority of 54% says they remain happy that Dems won control last year, suggesting that GOP claims that the Dems have blown it with the public are not supported by the numbers.
I'm still supporting Cindy Sheehan vs. Nancy Pelosi!!!
www.cindyforcongress.org
November 7, 2007 6:14 PM | Reply | Permalink
Republicans who think they're going to turn "dissatisfaction with Congress" to their advantage are dreaming (especially as they continue to muck up the works to help "prove" their case.)
As I said to an acquaintance years ago who was trying to convince me to support the Republican in an election because the Democrat "wasn't trustworthy," even if that's true, why should I vote for someone I can count on to do things I hate over someone I can't count on to do things I like?
November 7, 2007 6:49 PM | Reply | Permalink
It's not just Republicans -- you haven't heard of Camp Pelosi?
http://www.pelosiwatch.org/article.php?id=1851
November 7, 2007 6:53 PM | Reply | Permalink
re: "Why should I vote for someone I can count on to do things I hate over someone I can't count on to do things I like?"
Brilliant!
Although I'm not a Democrat, this is the very reason I've been voting for Democratic candidates since the GOP impeachment fiasco in 1998.
I just didn't know how to express it. Thanks.
November 7, 2007 7:01 PM | Reply | Permalink
GOP claims that the Dems have blown it with the public have never been supported by the numbers. In every poll I've seen where people were asked what they thought about Democrats and Republicans in Congress separately, approval for the Democrats, while still pretty dismal, tends to average out about 10 points higher than Republicans. Same is true of relative favorability for the parties in general and in the generic ballots for congress and the presidency.
IMHO, the Democratic congressional leadership has been doing a pretty miserable job of taking their case on Republican obstructionism to the public (to the extent that they've been doing it at all). But you look at all those numbers together it's hard not to infer that much as people expect more from Congress and disapprove of their performance in general, they're a long way from laying the blame for all that solely at the feet of the Democrats -- Republican wishful thinking and the MSM's enthusiasm for adopting and amplifying their talking points notwithstanding. People actually seem to be getting it. Anyway, I dare to hope.
November 7, 2007 7:16 PM | Reply | Permalink
Here's that last post again with the links fixed (oops):
GOP claims that the Dems have blown it with the public have never been supported by the numbers. In every poll I've seen where people were asked what they thought about Democrats and Republicans in Congress separately, approval for the Democrats, while still pretty dismal, tends to average out about 10 points higher than Republicans. Same is true of relative favorability for the parties in general and in the generic ballots for congress and the presidency.
IMHO, the Democratic congressional leadership has been doing a pretty miserable job of taking their case on Republican obstructionism to the public (to the extent that they've been doing it at all). But you look at all those numbers together it's hard not to infer that much as people expect more from Congress and disapprove of their performance in general, they're a long way from laying the blame for all that solely at the feet of the Democrats -- Republican wishful thinking and the MSM's enthusiasm for adopting and amplifying their talking points notwithstanding. People actually seem to be getting it. Anyway, I dare to hope.
November 7, 2007 7:18 PM | Reply | Permalink
Pelosi could improve her popularity by supporting impeachment for Bush.
November 7, 2007 7:33 PM | Reply | Permalink
Since she's not doing that (Hoyer reiterated that as recently as yesterday with the defeat of Cheney's impeachment motion, even though REPUBLICANS were voting for it), anti-war Dems have no choice but to vote Pelosi out.
WWCD? (What Would Cindy Do?)
November 7, 2007 7:49 PM | Reply | Permalink
Jake D knows full well he has been banned by tpm - for disruptive behavior.
November 7, 2007 8:59 PM | Reply | Permalink
What are you talking about, Troll Patrol? I have posted above ON TOPIC. Maybe you have me confused with someone else?
November 7, 2007 9:20 PM | Reply | Permalink
Yo! Jake D.,
I recognize that you feel the same about Sheehan as the majority of us feel about Tancredo.
As someone has repeatedly defended your right to be here even though we disagree on almost everything, I request that you consider being less inconsiderate.
Even you should recognize that when one of the most bombastic posters on the site (myself) feels that your posts have an inappropriate level of unpleasentness that there may be an issue . . .
November 7, 2007 10:16 PM | Reply | Permalink
OK, I admit it. I'm not fooling anyone. Yes, I'm obsessed. I fantasize about hot lesbian two-somes between Cindy Sheehan and Nancy Pelosi. I love me some hot Democratic grannytail. I'm conquering self-hate one step at a time! I'm good enough, I'm strong enough, and, doggone it, people like me.
November 7, 2007 10:36 PM | Reply | Permalink
the democrats have squandered the trust of the american public as much as the republicans have. the country is doomed.
nothing good is happening and nothing good will happen. rome fell too.
November 7, 2007 11:06 PM | Reply | Permalink
We thought if only we could put our team in Congress that ethics would be exercised and War would come to a hault. What we get is whiny excuses, betrayal and GOP lite. Pelosi, Hoyer, Emanual, Reid have showed us we need new blood in the leadership. They think Dems have no where else to go. Don't be too sure. There are rumblings about Bloomberg, and with the market and the dollar in free fall, Bloomberg is looking better all the time. As an Independent that is not in favor of the War and possesses great economic skills with socially liberal leanings, he is more of a Dem than the current roster of Dem leadership.
November 7, 2007 11:29 PM | Reply | Permalink
The way I look at it is the dems are simply gun-shy. They figure too swift of an about face could have repercussions. They figure if they start the ball rolling in the other direction, it will keep moving that way and at the same time they keep their chances best not to lose some of the Repub leaning reps. I would love to see them move swiftly and I think they risk pissing off an angry electorate that wants them to do more but I can at least see where they are coming from and I hope their scheme works out for the best. I would love to see another 10-15 house seats, another 6 or 7 Senators and the executive branch all go towards the dems. The last time a party had that solid of control is long before I started following politics and I think that there could really be some progressive overhauls to everything from Social Security to Health Care to Foreign Policy. I have been just as upset with the timidity of our dem leaders but I am willing to give them the benefit of the doubt until after the next election. If things don't start changing then, I will be at the front of the line leading protests in Washington.
November 8, 2007 1:10 AM | Reply | Permalink