These low approval rating just show how well Americans feel they are being represented by their elected Reps in Congress.

And I think it is a stretch to link this to the FISA bill.

This is about the failure of the Democratic Congress to do anything to fix the economy or end the War in Iraq. Period. End of comment.

I thought Tom Foley was the most ineffective Speaker in history until Pelosi arrived on the scene. And while the Daschle years were a time of retreat and few victories, Harry Reid's tenure as Majority Leader is a disgraceful string of surrenders, capitulations and humiliations. All but a handful of the Democrats in Congress are nothing but whores to corporate interests. It's sickening. If only a viable third party existed we could banish Pelosi, Hoyer, Emmanual, Reid, Rockefeller and the rest of the scumbags into political oblivion. These people make Neville Chamberlain look like a a macho man!

The list could go on and on. There is seemingly always one democrat or another to help the republicans, or corporate interests. I think it includes FISA, but is also impeachment is off the table, Mukasey, Alito, Roberts, Little Accountability, the administration demeaning Congressional subpoenas, inability to control Seante filibusters (when the Repubs were willing to invoke the nuclear option - but this one is a slippery slope), selling out freedom for security fairly consistently, and a general weak position all the way around.

Not to mention the possible complicity of Pelosi and others in the Bush torture crimes.

All that without a little study to make a comprehensive list.

I have to say something about War Funding. That would be the worst thing in the world for the democrats to veto or to fight. George Bush would fight the war anyways, regardless of the money and the only people hurt in the process would be the troops. Secondly, specifically with the last increase in war funding, we included the GI Bill which will be very good for the troops.

Eric, this is a pretty specious post. We make fun of other outlets that read cause-and-effect into poll numbers without any evidence to do so.

The reason Congress' ratings are so low is because America's in shitty shape now and most people are feeling it.

But trying to assign it to FISA is an enormous stretch, especially without any evidence to do so.

Don't apply your own beliefs onto a scientific poll.

The only congressional polls that mean anything are those that measure the support of reps. in their own districts. National approval polls for a collective body are pointless. Most people, that say congress is terrible, will then turn around and approve of their home district rep.

I challenge you to go outside right now, stop the next 100 people you meet on the street, and ask them what FISA stands for.
The approval ratings:
The Dems came in promising to stop the war - they haven't. Gas prices are through the roof. The housing crisis. Indymac. It's scary out there and Congress isn't doing anything about it. Republicans are happier because the Dem power change hasn't managed to reverse all the damage -- I mean, progress -- done by Republican legislation.

The reason so much money was allocated for the Iraq war is because the last thing democrats want if/when Obama becomes president is to ask for money to keep the war going. This would give him six months of funding so he doesn't get eviscerated for asking for war funds his first month in office and all the bloggers get apoplectic about asking for more money for the war.

What's not to like about THIS Congress? That FISA "compromise" is just the latest in a long series of bold initiatives by our elected representatives. After all, you know, with subpoena power, they've been busy investigating the Plame outing, and the DOJ, and war crimes and the like.

After seeing the whole "impeachment is off the table" strategy, I wish I could play poker with Pelosi and Reid. At the beginning of the night, they'd announce they were folding every hand in the dark.