Resolved: Congress sucks. If such a thing as "Congress" were on the ballot I would press Eject.

Yet I will vote for Messers Inhofe and Sullivan and Doctor Coburn on election day, incumbents all.

It's not a contradiction. It's that the Prez vs. Congress construct is inane.

Actually, it doesn't seem to be a Pres vs Congress thing - I think it's more a "We're tired of bloviating assholes blocking any sort of progress on any of the problems facing the US" sort of thing.

A problem is identified, like the oil shortange, and the first thing done is to have hearings where Democrats threatened nationalization.

Prices went up further - and again there were hearings.

Prices went up still further - and for once the Dems recognized cause and effect and held off on the hearings. Prices are stabilizing for now - but have they proposed anything constructive?

The people were watching, apparently, and have realized that aside from a talent for getting elected, the most common talent in Congress is the ability to make long-winded speeches without actually doing something (or anything) to take care of the problems they scream about.

What will happen at the polls in November? It's hard to say - but if I were an incumbent, I'd be a bit worried.

Actually, I think Pelosi et.al should be congratulated on the fruits of their undeniably hard work in this respect.

Don't get carried away, Cassy. There are a few things to consider with this rating.

1. Congressional ratings generally tend to be very low, even as the vast majority of members are reelected. It's the long standing tradition of "hate Congress, love my congressmen". Reference here.
2. The ratings are almost equally dismal among Democrats, Republicans and Independents, suggesting frustration at the economy and general disgust at Congress itself rather than at its agenda.
3. While congressional approval ratings are at an all time low, Rasmussen tends to lowball them, due to the ambiguous "fair" category. The RCP average is currently 19%, which is horrible, but still a whole lot better than 9%.
4. The same sample said that they wanted the Democrats to control Congress by a double digit margin.
5. Democrats are expected to pick up seats due to Republican congressmen being saddled with an unpopular president, the fact that the Republicans have to deal with a large number of retirements and resignations, and the fact that they are well ahead in the fundraising game. If Obama is elected and approval ratings are still as low in 2010, it is reasonable to expect the Dems to suffer heavy losses.

Cassy, the problem with congressional Democrats is that they're weak. They fail to take bold action and stick to their guns. They fail to frame the debates in a manner that is favorable to them. They haven't accomplished very much at all. If we had a Democratic president, Congress would have gotten more done but they'd still be weak. That's why they have a low approval rating.

But the American people have rejected Republicans' stances on many issues. That's why the Democrats will gain seats in November.

And Cassy... you are a radical. YOU are an ideologue and a demagogue. I consider myself independent and it alternately amuses me and pisses me off that you don't seem to comprehend how much of a wingnut you are. You are the right-wing analog to the Code Pink women.

Congressmen hate America? Encourage murder? Really? How? And if they hate America doesn't that make them America's enemy? So when are you going to call for a civil war to kill them all? Just make the leap and call for them to be executed and demonstrate just how vile your mindset really is.

Mike, democrats promise solutions. They lied. I am not voting for the democratic representative from my district. Luke, you are and idiot. STFU.

I don't doubt that the Democratic majority has been a huge letdown, Zelsdorf. I'm just saying that Cassy has misinterpreted this poll to mean massive nationwide disgust at the Democratic agenda. Why else would they also have a 12% approval rating among Democrats?

Nice response buddy. You'd never vote for a Democrat anyway.

--As the president started his speech protesters, at least one of whom appeared to be from the group Code Pink, started shouting "war criminal" and "fascism" at the president.--

a Congress that invests in defeat, embraces criminals, encourages murder, hates the United States

Same hyperbole, same distorted view of reality, same hate, from entirely different political viewpoints. Sad. Truly sad.

Vote them all out.

Elect us and we will produce a common-sense plan to help bring down the price of gasoline at the pump.

-Nancy Pelosi in 2006 when gas was $2.30/gal. We're waiting.

The polls have almost caught up with my long held view of Congress: a bunch of zeros with their hands in my pockets and their laws on my back. If we just took Shakespeare's advice and killed the lawyers in Congress, we would be half-way to cleaning our outhouse. I have no faith in the members of Congress having good character or patriotism. America has repeatedly rejected Presidential candidates from Congress since Nixon for good reason. This time we're not so lucky as to have a "no Congress" candidate. We have been enslaved by Congress; the chains of slavery constructed by them have gotten burdensome and onerous. 1776.

Luke,

You are not an independent, whatever you may consider yourself.

You are a self-deluded leftist.

If you weren't so far to the left, Cassy wouldn't like she's far to the right. If you were ACTUALLY in the center, you would see that Cassy is pretty close to you. It's a matter of perspective.

There is an essential poll result that is missing from the article and is missing from the discussion. A spokesperson for Rasmussen was on the TV news when the results were announced, and he made an interesting observation: sixty-something percent of the American people said that the government in Washington did not represent the will of the people but, rather, represented it's own interests. He said that this reflects a clear majority that has been building for more than 15 years or so. The public feels that the Washington insiders run the game for their own benefit, and it doesn't matter who is in power.

Without knowing it by name, the public has come to the conclusion that the Iron Law of Oligopoly has basically taken over. There is some truth in this. The GOP came to town as reformers, and they did succeed in making needed changes. But many of the deeper changes (e.g. full access by the public to all non-secret subcommittee hearings, elimination or reform of the income tax, and an end to subsidies) never took place. And the GOP fell to the "Dark Side", drowning in corruption. They were replaced by a Democratic majority that has done nothing. They promised little and delivered less. They have made no real effort at all at reform (or anything else). The public - correctly - concluded that this is the worst Do-Nothing Congress in history.

So where are we? Well, except for political in-fighting that is basically theater, there is no real difference between the two parties. They talk a different game and have claim to have different goals, but neither party is capable of affecting change. The Washington Party, the unelected anonymous officials who run the game with help from the MSM, will do what they want, when they want, for their own benefit.

Government now rules us for their own ends and not for the benefit of the public.

(As a chilling reminder of this, re-read the dissent by the liberals in D.C. v. Heller. Justice Breyer: "The [Second] Amendment permits government to regulate the interests that it serves." I thought that government should serve the public interest. Now, apparently, justices of the Supreme Court are prepared to balanced the rights of citizens against the interests of government.)

President Washington was correct: "Government is not reason; it is not eloquent; it is force. Like fire, it is a dangerous servant and a fearful master."

It's not the popularity of the Dims, it's the "changiness" of the Independants.

Being un-moored to any ideology, they flit about every couple of generations.

They feel great about themselves until the higher taxes and oil truly kick in under new management of the Dims.

It seems to me that a useful adjunct to our political system would be an "opposition party."

You know, a separate political entity that would have a vested interest in trumpeting the failures of the 9% popular Democrats. And one that would positively *hammer* these unpopular Democrats with their failings.

Perhaps such an imaginary opposition would feature continual advertisements that heralded the abysmal record of these Democrats ... even to the extent that they could have a presidential candidate that discussed the failings of the Democrats in Congress every time he opened his mouth.

Hmmmmm. Nah. Probably wouldn't work.

SS

Sheik, that's pretty funny considering I used to be a diehard conservative and attended a military institute. And who the hell said I was in the center? I said I was independent.

Apparently you can't grasp my criticism so I'll lay it out again: people on both sides of the political spectrum can be extremists. If you think that Democrats hate America and encourage murder, then you better take a long hard look at what you consider to be reality. If you think that Bush is a fascist and war criminal, you better take a long hard look at what you consider reality. Because the vast majority of Americans disagree with you.

If you think that Cassy's comments are mainstream, then you, Sheik, are a self-deluded wingnut. Cassy's premise that congressional Democrats suck is something we can all agree on.

Oh and one last thing. The reason I left the conservative camp is because anyone who disagrees with what you consider to be "universal" values and truths that all people must accept at face value as correct are attacked and made to seem as "leftists" or "traitors" or morons, or whatever derogatory term you can muster with which to denegrate them. At least 66% of Americans disagree with you, so unless you want to shrink into increasing irrelevance you better wake up and smell the coffee.

Now it's time for you to answer: how do Democrats encourage murder and hate America? Defend the post on its merits instead of attacking people who disagree with you, if you can.

LUKE WHY ARE YOU SUCH A STUPID COMMUNIST BABY KILLER!!!! YOU LOVE GAY MARRIAGE AND HATE THE TROOPS AND YOU CANNOT PROVE OTHERWISE IN THE CONTEXT OF THIS DISCUSSION!!!!!!!

McCAIN 2008 JUST BECAUSE!!!!!!

It seems to me that a useful adjunct to our political system would be an "opposition party."

Personally, I'd love to see the current 2 party system displaced. As the Democrats have moved to the 'Left' (i.e. bigger government, nanny state), so have the Republicans. That leaves those with the view "the government which governs least governs best" choosing the least ugly of the ugliest.

Bob Barr, the former Republican Congressman from Georgia, is making a decent showing in the polls as the Libertarian party's candidate. I'm not sure that he'll ever reach 'critical mass' though.

'When there's a new way, I'll be the first in line, but it better work this time. :)

"how do Democrats encourage murder and hate Amererica?"

They are almost universally for abortion and kill off future citizens/generations.. I'd say thats hateful.

All your uteruses are belong to JAP!

Enslaving the organs of women: I'd say that's hateful.