Tuesday, August 8, 2006

House Incumbents at Risk, Poll Finds

Gee,  and they probably wonder why.  Let me see:  
 
  • A war in Iraq which can no longer be viably financed and for which there is still no exit strategy
  • A Medicare prescription plan that is a travesty
  • Skyrocketing oil costs and little or no serious commitment to energy independence ( despite the lip-service given to the idea )
  • A failing energy infrastructure ( Thanks Enron)
  • Porous Borders
  • Attempts to outsource the nation's port security to a firm owned by a foreign nation who is known for allowing human slave trafficking.
  • No enforcement of an immigration policy
  • More interest in providing jobs and opportunities for the poor in a neighboring nation ( not a bad thing in itself) than the poor in our own nation ( a bad thing ). 
  • An inability to meet the needs of American citizens in a natural disaster
  • A virtual disregard for the need for environmental protection
  • Government spying on American citizens
Should I go on?   Make your own list . 
 
plk
 

Percentage of Americans Who Approve of Their Representative Has Fallen Sharply

Washington Post Staff Writers
Tuesday, August 8, 2006; Page A03
 
 
 
 
Summary:
Most Americans describe themselves as being in an anti-incumbent mood heading into this fall's midterm congressional elections, and the percentage of people who approve of their own representative's performance is at the lowest level since 1994, according to a new Washington Post-ABC News poll.

The public has soured on politicians backing the Iraq war, which Democrats consider the most important issue of the election.

A majority of Democrats, 54 percent, say a candidate endorsing Bush's Iraq policy would be less likely to get their vote, compared with 37 percent for whom it would not make much difference.

Two in three Democrats say it is time to begin decreasing troop levels in Iraq, although only one in four supports immediate withdrawal.

Especially worrisome for members of Congress is that the proportion of Americans who approve of their own representative's performance has fallen sharply.

Traditionally, voters may express disapproval of Congress as a whole but still vote for their own member, even from the majority party.

But 55 percent now approve of their lawmaker, a seven-percentage-point drop over three months and the lowest such finding since 1994, the last time control of the House switched parties.

In a small boost for Bush, his approval rating inched up to 40 percent, two percentage points higher than in June and seven higher than in May, suggesting he may have arrested a slide that deeply unnerved Republican lawmakers and strategists.

Among voters across the board, 38 percent say they are more likely to oppose candidates who support Bush on Iraq compared with 23 percent who are more likely to support them.

The poll mirrored results of surveys at this point 12 years ago, just three months before Republicans swept out Democratic majorities from both houses of Congress.

Summarized by Copernic Summarizer

 

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