xTYBALTx

It's been ages since Congress has done anything I approve of.

And Mosely - you used to trust the Surgeon General?? Were you surprised to discover that he/she is not actually a surgeon?

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A policy of freedom for the individual is the only truly progressive policy. -F.A. Hayek

xTYBALTx

Yeah, so I'm posting twice in a row. I read an article which is directly related to this thread, so here you go:

The Myth of the Unpopular Democrats

Posted on July 19, 2007, 11:06am | David Weigel

The Don Surber post that Nick links is a little bit off. Yes, Americans hate Congress. No, they don't hate the Democrats. Not yet. When pollsters ask "whether your representative deserves to be re-elected," only 41 percent of people say "yes." But when they ask if you'd vote for the Democrat or the Republican for Congress, the Democrats lead by 12 points. That's lower than their advantage in 2006, but it's still an advantage. And which party's more confident about 2008 right now? Data points:

- Democrats are dramatically out-fundraising Republicans in the presidential race, in the race for the House, and in the race for the Senate. Republicans only have an edge in the RNC-DNC cash race, and that's because of Howard Dean's habit of lighting cigars with $100,000 bills. (That's the best explanation I can think of, anyway.)

- With a couple of exceptions—Oregon's Senate race, Illinois' 8th district—Democrats are out-recruiting Republicans. They've got new challengers in the races they narrowly lost in 2006, they're trying to put more seats on the table, and many of their gains from the last election—basically everything in New England—are locked in. Republicans don't have any candidates for their most promising Senate races in Louisiana and in South Dakota, where the incumbents are hobbled by, respectively 1)an exodus of black Democratic voters and 2)a cerebral hemorrhage. I repeat: Republicans can't recruit a candidate to face a bedridden brain surgery patient.

- There's this country called "Iraq" and we're still fighting a losing war in it. Yes, maybe Gen. Petraeus will pull it out. If he doesn't, quick: Name a party that gained seats after its president lost a war.

Surber's rant about Democrats "spinning their wheels trying to 'et' George Bush" and thereby inviting disaster doesn't hold up under the lightest scrutiny. Americans hate their government but they blame Bush and the Republicans for it. It isn't fair, but what ever is?

I actually wrote a piece for the American Prospect back in 2005 about similar metrics. It seemed like Karl Rove had lost his ability to recruit candidates and that this augered poorly for Republican chances in 2006. And sure enough...

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A policy of freedom for the individual is the only truly progressive policy. -F.A. Hayek

AMosely

No, I never really trusted them either, though the office at least had a slice of credibility until I tuned into the recent congressional hearing on executive oversight of the office. I only mentioned it because my personal approval ratings are even dropping in that office too, along with the USDA, the EPA, even NASA (see James Hansen).

The United States Government has almost completed its transformation to an Enron-like corporation.

Lucky Shot

New Month, New Poll.

Bush at 29% which is horrible.
Congress at 11% which is a disaster.

Poll taken post Petraeus appearance at Congress.

http://www.reuters.com/article/polit...rpc=22&sp=true

Lucky Shot

ednos

The DMCA alone is enough to merit a 100% disapproval rating. The rest of the legislation is just poisoned icing on the poisoned cake.

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The trouble with the world is that the stupid are cocksure and the intelligent are full of doubt. ~ Bertrand Russell
I have a tendency to key out three or four things and then let them battle for supremacy while I key, so there's a lot of backspacing as potential statements are slaughtered and eaten by the victors. ~ Magna Centipede

Lucky Shot

New Poll, same result. Congress is running with an 11% approval rating according to Zogby. Congressional Disapproval is still at an all time high which has Nancy Pelosi pointing fingers at the Senate.

Lucky Shot

Gillespie

LOL. 11%.

Thank God the civilian populace is savvy enough to place the blame on the politicians and not the military. I'd hate to come into Atlanta Intl. Airport not to the sound of applause but to the sound of boos. ;P

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El_Gringo_Grande

And yet I don't think anybody is fearful of any kind of "overthrow".

Is this a great country or what?

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- "The essence of tyranny is the denial of complexity". -Jacob Burkhardt
- "A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds" - Emerson
- "People should not be afraid of it's government, government should be afraid of it's People." - Line from V for Vendetta
- If software were as unreliable as economic theory, there wouldn't be a plane made of anything other than paper that could get off the ground. Jim Fawcette

Lucky Shot

I posted this in the Video section but it works just as well here. Uncle Jay explains Congress.

http://www.funnieststuff.net/viewmov...=881224&id=575

Lucky Shot

AMosely

I know we've discussed it before, but why do you suppose so few Americans approve of the jobs that our elected officials are doing (or not doing)? What is your vote - do you approve or disapprove?

Most polls I've seen indicate that Congress' approval ratings are excessively low because in the eyes of the people who elected the democratic majority last year, nothing has been gained - namely, reversal of Bush's and the DoJ's wiretapping and torture initiatives and a drawdown in Iraq. From the other side of the aisle, you have a lame duck President and a fractured party focused on the next election. Lose - lose if you ask me, and an obviously low approval rating.

TheFatKidDeath

I'd give Congress a much lower rating than what's been posted on this thread. Don't look to the Democrats for anything short of going along to get along. They could have used the power invested to them to end the nightmare policies called the Bush administration. Instead, we get this waffling over issues which are clear as day. It's a pathetic display of governing.

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Lucky Shot

I disapprove of the way Congress is performing and it's clear that the great majority of Americans agree. We may not agree on the reasons, but when your congressperson is too busy concentrating on whether a genocide happened during WWI then serving it's people then they deserve that rating. Regardless of presidential position, this congress doesn't have to turtle up, or take on worthless causes. They could attempt to get things done for the American people but haven't done that. You expect that Congress may lose support of a minority party, but when only 11% of the people think your doing an OK job then there is a massive failure.

This is not a cyclical low number that happens everytime an opposing party controls congress in the president's last 2 years, but the LOWEST APPROVAL RATING OF THE CONGRESS since the polls started 30 years ago. They haven't accomplished much outside of the renaming of public buildings and on their core pledges have failed almost all of them. I am honestly shocked their approval number is so high.

Lucky Shot

P8riot

The politico's are only paper tigers.

Look even at the state levels.. it has gotten just horrible - 'politician' as a profession, pffft.. whatever. Last year, and for a number of years prior, Florida was in a tax-surplus position, in 6 months, you would think there is a tax deficit even though they only cut taxes a very small (miniscule) fraction of what they increased. Go figger! They certainly didn't raise teacher, firefighter, or law enforcement pay during the excess years.. but service lay-offs sure are happening here right now.

Pfft.. I usually stay out of political discussion - but what is going on is sick. Yes, I vote - although I am seriously considering joining the majority*.. you can't help but feel that it really doesn't matter.

(* None voters)

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Age of Conan: Tharashk (Taxiarchos), Thaumiel (alt), guild Ars Tactika - Cimmeria
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Requital

So how would you go about overthrowing your government? Could we add in a bill that says they don't get paid unless we like what they are doing? say 30% or more? Or maybe if they screw up they can't earn more than $100k each year for the rest of their lives?

Since everyone one did Elect the officials (this is scary thought) could it be that we as a nation are too fractured in our beliefs that we can not move forward? In which case will we fall like the Roman's or will something pull us together?

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Lucky Shot

Congress is shortening their work week because of all they have accomplished.

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/27/wa...gewanted=print

While they put in "lots" of time, they certainly failed to get worthwhile results. Of the 106 votes on bills that were enacted into law, 45 of those were about renaming federal buildings and properties.

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