Democrats' Midterm Momentum Mounts, Poll Finds
GOP Loses Ground Over Iraq Developments, Hill Scandal
By David S. Broder and Dan Balz
Washington Post Staff Writers
Monday, October 9, 2006
Democrats have regained a commanding position going into the final weeks of the midterm election, with support eroding for Republicans on Iraq, ethics and presidential leadership, according to a new Washington Post-ABC News Poll.
Apparent Republican gains in September have been wiped out in the face of mounting U.S. casualties and gloomy forecasts from Iraq and the scandal involving Rep. Mark Foley (R-Fla.), who was forced to quit the Congress over sexually graphic e-mails with former House pages.
Congressional approval has plunged to its lowest level in more than a decade (32 percent) and by a margin of 54-35 percent, Americans say they trust Democrats over Republicans to deal with the biggest problems facing the country. Fifty-five percent of those surveyed said Democrats in Congress deserve to be reelected in November, but just 39 percent said Republicans deserve to be returned to office.
The poll measures broad public attitudes and cannot be translated directly into individual House districts, but it sketches an environment that is as difficult for the Republicans as they have faced since they took power in the 1994 elections. By a margin of 54-41 percent, registered voters said they planned to vote for the Democrat over the Republican in House races next month....
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President Bush's approval rating, which rose to 42 percent in September following an anti-terrorism offensive marking the fifth anniversary of the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, registered 39 percent in the latest poll. The percentage who said they strongly disapprove of his performance is roughly double the number who strongly approve....
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/10/09/AR2006100900868.html