Bright has a lot in common with Griffith, who announced his party switch earlier today: Both are freshmen from districts that voted heavily for John McCain in 2008; they each won their races very narrowly; and both have voted against the big-ticket items of the Democratic agenda this year. So I asked what Bright's thoughts were on Griffith, whether he was committed to staying with the Democrats, and what his overall concerns might be about the political situation in Congress.Talking Points Memo
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"I just lost my grandmother last year. I know what it's like to watch somebody you love, who's aging, deteriorate and have to struggle with that," an impassioned Obama told a crowd as he spoke of Madelyn Payne Dunham. He took issue with "the notion that somehow I ran for public office or members of Congress are in this so they can go around pulling the plug on grandma."
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"This system of auto-pilot pay raises really is offensive to the American people," Vitter, of Metairie, said on the Senate floor Monday. "It would simply say if we want a raise, we have to talk about it and then have an actual vote."
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Date | Dem | GOP |
|---|---|---|
41% | 39% | |
41% | 37% | |
41% | 39% | |
40% | 39% | |
42% | 38% | |
42% | 35% | |
42% | 35% | |
42% | 36% | |
43% | 37% | |
44% | 36% | |
42% | 37% | |
42% | 38% | |
43% | 40% | |
44% | 39% | |
42% | 38% | |
43% | 41% | |
47% | 41% | |
47% | 40% | |
45% | 39% | |
46% | 38% | |
45% | 37% | |
46% | 37% | |
45% | 38% | |
44% | 38% | |
45% | 37% | |
46% | 36% | |
46% | 35% | |
46% | 36% | |
45% | 37% | |
46% | 36% | |
47% | 34% | |
45% | 36% | |
46% | 36% | |
47% | 34% | |
47% | 35% | |
47% | 34% | |
48% | 34% | |
47% | 34% | |
47% | 39% | |
46% | 41% | |
43% | 37% | |
44% | 40% | |
44% | 40% | |
43% | 38% | |
46% | 36% | |
46% | 35% | |
48% | 36% | |
50% | 32% | |
47% | 37% | |
46% | 37% | |
46% | 34% | |
45% | 38% | |
47% | 36% | |
45% | 35% |
Date | Dem | GOP |
|---|---|---|
40% | 39% | |
42% | 38% | |
42% | 35% | |
42% | 35% | |
42% | 36% | |
43% | 37% | |
44% | 36% | |
42% | 37% | |
42% | 38% | |
43% | 40% | |
44% | 39% | |
42% | 38% | |
43% | 41% | |
47% | 41% | |
47% | 40% | |
45% | 39% | |
46% | 38% | |
45% | 37% | |
46% | 37% | |
45% | 38% | |
44% | 38% | |
45% | 37% | |
46% | 36% | |
46% | 35% | |
46% | 36% | |
45% | 37% | |
46% | 36% | |
47% | 34% | |
45% | 36% | |
46% | 36% | |
47% | 34% | |
47% | 35% | |
47% | 34% | |
48% | 34% | |
47% | 34% | |
47% | 39% | |
46% | 41% | |
43% | 37% | |
44% | 40% | |
44% | 40% | |
43% | 38% | |
46% | 36% | |
46% | 35% | |
48% | 36% | |
50% | 32% | |
47% | 37% | |
46% | 37% | |
46% | 34% | |
45% | 38% | |
47% | 36% | |
45% | 35% |
Date | Dem | GOP |
|---|---|---|
42% | 38% | |
42% | 35% | |
42% | 35% | |
42% | 36% | |
43% | 37% | |
44% | 36% | |
42% | 37% | |
42% | 38% | |
43% | 40% | |
44% | 39% | |
42% | 38% | |
43% | 41% | |
47% | 41% | |
47% | 40% | |
45% | 39% | |
46% | 38% | |
45% | 37% | |
46% | 37% | |
45% | 38% | |
44% | 38% | |
45% | 37% | |
46% | 36% | |
46% | 35% | |
46% | 36% | |
45% | 37% | |
46% | 36% | |
47% | 34% | |
45% | 36% | |
46% | 36% | |
47% | 34% | |
47% | 35% | |
47% | 34% | |
48% | 34% | |
47% | 34% | |
47% | 39% | |
46% | 41% | |
43% | 37% | |
44% | 40% | |
44% | 40% | |
43% | 38% | |
46% | 36% | |
46% | 35% | |
48% | 36% | |
50% | 32% | |
47% | 37% | |
46% | 37% | |
46% | 34% | |
45% | 38% | |
47% | 36% | |
45% | 35% |
a) Overall, please tell me whether you approve, disapprove, or neither approve nor disapprove of the way Congress is handling its job.
| Approve | 23% |
| Disapprove | 74% |
| Neither / Unsure | 3% |
Source: GfK Roper Public Affairs & Media / Associated Press
Methodology: Telephone interviews with 1,101 American adults, conducted from Oct. 16 to Oct. 20, 2008. Margin of error is 3.4 per cent.
b) Do you approve or disapprove of the job Congress is doing?
| Oct. 21 | Oct. 9 | Sept. 23 | Sept. 9 | |
| Approve | 19% | 13% | 17% | 23% |
| Disapprove | 62% | 77% | 73% | 68% |
| Unsure | 9% | 10% | 9% | 8% |
Source: Opinion Dynamics / Fox News
Methodology: Telephone interviews with 1,100 American registered voters, conducted on Oct. 20 and Oct. 21, 2008. Margin of error is 3 per cent.
"But it worked in San Francisco!a) Do you approve or disapprove of the job Congress is doing?
| Aug. 2008 | Oct. 2007 | Jun. 2007 | |
| Approve | 20% | 21% | 19% |
| Disapprove | 73% | 68% | 69% |
| Unsure | 7% | 11% | 13% |
Source: Opinion Dynamics / Fox News
Methodology: Telephone interviews with 900 registered American voters, conducted on Aug. 19 and Aug. 20, 2008. Margin of error is 3 per cent.
b) How would you rate the overall job the Congress is doing—excellent, pretty good, only fair, or poor?
| Aug. 2008 | Jun. 2008 | Apr. 2008 | |
| Positive | 18% | 13% | 17% |
| Negative | 77% | 83% | 77% |
Source: Harris Interactive
Methodology: Telephone interviews with 1,015 American adults, conducted from Aug. 6 to Aug. 10, 2008. No margin of error was provided.
c) Do you approve or disapprove of the way Congress is handling its job?
| Aug. 2008 | Oct. 2007 | Jun. 2007 | |
| Approve | 17% | 22% | 27% |
| Disapprove | 73% | 69% | 65% |
| Unsure | 10% | 9% | 8% |
Source: Bloomberg / Los Angeles Times
Methodology: Telephone interviews with 1,375 American adults, conducted from Aug. 15 to Aug. 18, 2008. Margin of error is 3 per cent.
d) Do you approve or disapprove of the way Congress is handling its job?
| Aug. 2008 | Jul. 2008 | May 2008 | |
| Approve | 16% | 14% | 16% |
| Disapprove | 74% | 77% | 76% |
| Unsure | 10% | 9% | 8% |
Source: Quinnipiac University Polling Institute
Methodology: Telephone interviews with 1,547 likely American voters, conducted from Aug. 12 to Aug. 17, 2008. Margin of error is 2.5 per cent.
e) Do you approve or disapprove of the way Congress is handling its job?
| Aug. 2008 | Apr. 2008 | Mar. 2008 | |
| Approve | 16% | 18% | 23% |
| Disapprove | 78% | 75% | 72% |
| Unsure | 6% | 8% | 6% |
Source: Financial Dynamics / Diageo/Hotline
Methodology: Telephone interviews with 1,022 registered American voters, conducted from Aug. 18 to Aug. 24, 2008. Margin of error is 3 per cent.
Should Members of Congress return to Washington immediately and vote on offshore drilling? | |
|---|---|
Yes | 61% |
No | 30% |
Not Sure | 10% |
I'm sure that the "Democrat's Five-Week Vacation" in the middle of an energy crisis won't help their numbers in the next round of polls.
a) Do you approve or disapprove of the job Congress is doing?
Jul. 23
Jun. 18
Apr. 29
Approve
21%
19%
22%
Disapprove
68%
69%
67%
Not sure
11%
12%
11%
Source: Opinion Dynamics / Fox News
Methodology: Telephone interviews with 900 registered American voters, conducted on Jul. 22 and Jul. 23, 2008. Margin of error is 3 per cent.b) Overall, do you approve, disapprove or have mixed feelings about the way Congress is handling its job?
Aug. 2008
Jul. 2008
Jun. 2008
Approve
19%
18%
23%
Disapprove
75%
77%
72%
Mixed Feelings
4%
2%
3%
Unsure
2%
3%
2%
Source: Ipsos-Public Affairs / Associated Press
Methodology: Telephone interviews with 1,000 American adults, conducted from Jul. 31 to Aug. 4, 2008. Margin of error is 3.1 per cent.
Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and the Democrats adjourned the House and turned off the lights and killed the microphones, but Republicans are still on the floor talking gas prices.
Minority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio) and other GOP leaders opposed the motion to adjourn the House, arguing that Pelosi's refusal to schedule a vote allowing offshore drilling is hurting the American economy.
—Politico
"Not only does Congress have an approval rating below bubonic plague and head lice, I saw a recent poll that as many as 40 percent of people still believe that Congress is in Republican hands," says Rep. Jeb Hensarling (R) of Texas. "I wish we could get a little accuracy out there about who is in charge – and let those ratings fall where they may."
—Christian Science Monitor
