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Subscribe to RSSNBC's Chuck Todd and the National Journal's Major Garrett discuss the latest NBC News/WSJ poll.
The latest NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll finds that the approval rating for Congress has tied its all-time low in the history of the survey, while its disapproval rating has tied its all-time high.
According to the poll, only 12 percent of registered voters approve of the legislative branch's job. The only other time it was that low was in Oct. 2008.
In addition, a whopping 82 percent disapprove of Congress' job, and the only other time it reached that level was in Aug. 2011 -- which was right after the bruising debt-ceiling fight.
Much of this survey was conducted before two controversial or embarrassing incidents for House Republicans.
On Sunday, Aug. 19, Rep. Todd Akin (R-Mo.) -- who is the GOP's nominee in Missouri's Senate race -- explained his opposition to abortion even in cases of rape by saying: "If it’s a legitimate rape, the female body has ways to try to shut [the pregnancy] down."
Also on Sunday, Politico first reported that House Republicans last year took a dip in the Sea of Galilee in an evening involving alcohol; one member, Rep. Kevin Yoder (R-Kan.) was nude.
The NBC/WSJ poll also shows that 36 percent view the Republican Party in a positive light, versus 45 percent who view it negatively.
By comparison, 42 percent have a favorable view of the Democratic Party, while 40 percent have a negative opinion. Both sets of numbers are similar to last month's.
The full NBC/WSJ poll -- which was conducted Aug. 16-20 of 1,000 registered voters (300 by cell phone) -- will be released at 6:30 pm ET.
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I don't think Congress cares
How low can it go and these clowns still get relected? The numbers have barely moved for changing leadership. And this goes to show the question has be come a generic staple that means nothing:that poeple want to have soeone to kick around.
YEAR IN AND OUT POLICITICIAN ARE RATED LOWER THAN GARBAGEMAN.
Nothingchanges.
We keep electing people who tell us that Government is incapable of doing anything right and then act surprised when they prove it.
Obama & Biden are running against a vulture capitalist tax cheat and a radical right wing congressman proposing to kill Medicare and define what constitutes rape. I like their chances.
A good article on the polarization of American politics ---
Excellent discription from Dan 1018744, The Republican Christian Taliban. You just nailed it.
Start naming some specifics. Vote on the bills and let the POTUS veto it. If congress can, override it. To simply oppose or filibuster (most in history) says it all about the rethuglicans. The are pure subversionists. Name 1 thing, beyond agreements reached without bribing taxcuts for the wealthy that the rethuglicans have compromised on. I can't
Its the senate's job to block marginally supported and divisive bills. That's what its designed for. Remember, politicans dont lead. They wait for something to be fait accompli THEN they write a law for it. Bleeding edge ideas have no place coming from the top and affecting the whole country.
It appears that in Obama supporters eyes, the Democrats can do no wrong. Obviously all facts to the contrary are ignored. Here's to four more years of enemployment above 8%, and a 16% poverty rate.
Actually, if you look at the unemployment rate linked below, you'll see that unemployment has been dropping since October 2009, when it hit 10%. From October 2006 until October 2009, the Bush policies caused a near destruction of the country's economy.
You can also see that the last 29 months have shown consecutive job growth. So even if things continue at this somewhat moribund pace, things will continue to improve. And historically, once a recovery has begun, it tends to accelerate at some point.
Hopefully, the 113th Congress will actually work with the President to help the country more than 111 and 112.
http://www.google.com/publicdata/explore?ds=z1ebjpgk2654c1_&met_y=unemployment_rate&idim=country:US&fdim_y=seasonality:S&dl=en&hl=en&q=unemployment+rate
can you spell,
well, why are the job creators creating jobs?
82%of Americans disapprove
12% are idiots
Politicians are like addicts and alcoholics who can't admit they have a serious problem. Who in congress is admitting or facing up to the fact that a large majority of Americans disapprove of the ego maniacal coprolites in office? The MEDIA needs to shove the FACT that Americans are disgusted with congress DOWN THEIR THROAT until they start openly discussing their 'bad grades'.
OneTao.com
All they've done is prove thta the founding fathers were right. This much power doesnt belong at the federal level.
My kids fight tooth and nail and nothing good happens unless I show parental leadership. I'd suspect the same is true of Congress...no leadership at the top leads to a lot of brother sister conflicts.
This, too, should be laid at the feet of Obama.
Is anyone surprised? I'm not. Our Congress is, however, the best that money can buy and an example of the corrosion of corporate power.
I believe 12% is high on the approval rating. They should all be removed from office.
A system should be put in place where a congressman or senator could easily be removed if there approval rating drops below 50%. We do not send them to Washington to play games, they are sent there to represent our interest.
This doesn't speak well for the republican wins from 2010. Buyers remorse?
I am seriously flabbergasted at how close this race is. Really?
While this poll represents voter sentiment about Congresss it doesn't do a damn thing about gettng these idealogues to work together. The only way to change this is for voters to insist that candidates for office in both parties pledge to engage members of the other party in a bipartisan manner in doing the people's work.
This is the problem now ! We expect them to be representing the American people. What they are in fact doing is representing themselves and what they feel their Party and it's leaders expect.
They're both representing the loudest of their constituents. Unfortunately thats different than a majority of their constituents.
No matter how you slice it, dice it or parse it, one fact remains:
We are WORSE off now than before Barak Hussein Obama.
Period.
I respectfully disagree.
This is not correct. George Bush set the direction for this country with his economic policies that Obama has been trying to turn around. Bush is also responsible for the death and horrible wounds of thousands of young men in his war with Iraq ( no weapons of mass destruction ) only to come home and find no work available.
Bush and his entire entourage with the exception of Colin Powell should have been tried for war crimes. My guess is this would have happened had it not been for Obama.
What elementary school did you graduate from ?
and yet obama has continued those "war crimes" for another 4 yrs. Is gitmo closed yet?
Have you forgotten the stock market crashing, 16% unemployment, the auto industry about to die? We are better off then we were.
But i tell you it's all because of the lies of mr grover, the gop, the rushbo, & foxnews.com. First they lie like things like rape and global warming. That women cannot get pregnant when they are raped. I tell you women get upset. No. No. Enraged. Another example is that global warming isn't happening. But even the youngest of children worry about whether their parents are going to leave them behind, cut them off when there isn't enough food or water for the family. Much like in africa today. Children know what happens when the going gets really rough. They often see what happens on tv.
But what can you say. You can tell mr grover, the gop, the rushbo, & foxnews.com are ideologues. They have difficulty with the facts and the truth. It's why they have problems with science - the branch of knowledge dealing with the body of facts and truths. They have a war on science, the truth, and the facts. So be careful of what they will tell you.
Ok. Ok. So everybody knows how mr grover, the gop, the rushbo, & foxnews.com struggles with the facts. But then they go out of their way to lie about their arch enemies the democrats. Obama was born in kenya. Obama is a muslim. Clinton is a rapist. Clinton murdered vince foster. On and on.
Ok. Ok. It's rating time. What do you expect. The public rates everybody in politics very, very low. Lower than ever before. But hey, the public doesn't expect much either. I tell you i was upset at this video. Watch it again.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bDfdOwt2v3Y
I tell you cheney's order had to don't shoot the attacking plane down because the military man would have asked his order still stand question at 50 miles and not 10 miles if it had been otherwise. A terrible decision say sooo many because 200 military died because of the incoming aircraft was not shot down. Ok. Ok. But you expect soooo little of govt these days. The bar is set sooooo low.
We have idiots too; but ours isnt the VP.
242 republicans and you wonder why!
Your not going to believe this - Odumbo needs MORE MONEY
From: Barack Obama
Subject: This is critical:
Friend --
I just got back from Iowa, where we are being outspent 2 to 1 on the air. Voters there mentioned it to me more than once.
We expect Mitt Romney and the Republicans to outspend us.
What I will not abide is getting outspent by a margin that negates all the hard work our volunteers are doing -- talking to voters, knocking on doors, making calls.
We are in control of that outcome, but our time to close the gap is dwindling. After three consecutive months of being significantly outraised, it couldn't be more urgent.
Will you make a donation today?
Obama is getting more than Romney from small doners to his campaign. However, Romney is dominating with anonymous millionaires and billionaires who support his Super PACs. No matter who you vote for, it should freak you out that a handful of old millionaires have so much power over your government.
It says a lot about President Obama that he leads in most polls, despite being outspent 2 to 1. We can't let the millionaires own us.
Easy Answer - Vote Out All Incumbents!
Term Limits!
The only problem with trying to get term limits passed is that it would have to go through Congress and they have shown us in the last two years that NOTHING gets through Congress!!!
Obama could do it with a stroke of the pen - Executive Order.
Executive orders cant change the Constitution.
The Constitution does not address term limits.
Can You Spell Socialism?
except for maybe the Twenty Second Amendment to the Constitution. Passed in Congress in 1947 and ratified by the states in 1951
This is due to the Republican tea-baggers.
Yeah, sure. And the Democrats are all paragons of virtue, right?
No, but in their mind they are....
Even hitler thought he was good guy.
Who cares about what party you belong to ? Whatever happened to right vs. wrong ? The fact is we have no representation in the Congress or Senate of this country.
If they don't work out - Vote them out
And when I thought the poll couldn't go any lower it did, November congress is going to feel the wraith of the American Public again. And this time No sheep is safe.
Maybe we really don't need 535 congressmen to represent us.
Only 3 represent any ONE of us.
Hmmm, congress only get's a low approval rating for doing a sh1ttie job when in fact I would lose my job if I acted in such a manner. Is there a way that I can stop payment on their checks?
Maybe we should just quit withholding taxes out of our paychecks until they get the picture. No work, no money.
Sheila - I totally agree but it would take more than just you and me to make the difference. Nice thought though!
They will simply continue to borrow money from the Chinese to pay themselves. They sure won't miss a paycheck.
Oh, and by the way, even with their dismal performance, you can bet they will vote themselves an annual raise too.....
If we didnt send so much taxes to them, they wouldnt have anything to attact their strings to. Remember, they're just bribing us with our own money.
Congress gets paid no matter what. The issue was raised when Congress almost caused a government shutdown. The 27th Amendment to the Constitution states that:
"no law, varying the compensation for the services of the senators and representatives, shall take effect, until an election of representatives shall have intervened."
So, if you're seriously asking about stopping payment, we can't.