More good national polling, but I'm still not convinced. Between the failed campaign to take disgraced congressman Duke Cunningham's seat, the gerrymandering around the country and the mixed messages of the Democrats, I just don't see the Democrats taking either the House or Senate. They ought to make gains, but beyond that...
Republicans are in jeopardy of losing their grip on Congress in November. With less than four months to the midterm elections, the latest Associated Press-Ipsos poll found that Americans by an almost 3-to-1 margin hold the GOP-controlled Congress in low regard and profess a desire to see Democrats wrest control after a dozen years of Republican rule.Some of the results of the poll:
Overall, only 27 percent approved of the way Congress is doing its job. Lawmakers get favorable marks from 36 percent of conservatives, 28 percent of moderates and 17 percent of liberals.Some criticism of Congress has focused on lawmakers' inability to control spending, with lawmakers tucking in special projects for their home districts.
"They used to say there's nothing worse than a tax-and-spend liberal Democrat," said Gary Wilson, 51, a self-described liberal from Gaithersburg, Md. "There is something worse: It's a borrow-and-spend Republican. This is going to come back to haunt us."
One bright spot for the GOP is that Republicans hold an advantage over Democrats on issues such as foreign policy and fighting terrorism Â? 43 percent to 33 percent Â? and a smaller edge on handling Iraq Â? 36 percent to 32 percent.
Yikes. I can't even imagine who in the hell these people are who actually think the GOP is performing well enough in these areas but it tells me the Democrats really stink at delivering a message and making it painfully obvious that the GOP is incompetent. With Rove planning to play this card in the autumn, will the Democrats ever have a plan for fighting on these issues?
