President facing ‘gray and gloomy’ electorate- Approval rating at 39%

[bigtree]

Updated: 6:30 p.m. ET Jan. 30, 2006

Mark Murray
Political reporter

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/11103804/from/RSS/

WASHINGTON - Heading into Tuesday's State of the Union address and the beginning of the 2006 political season, President Bush faces an electorate that continues to be dissatisfied with his job performance, increasingly wants U.S. soldiers to come home from Iraq, and believes the Republican Party is associated more with special interests and lobbyists, according to the latest NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll.

The overall political climate for Bush is “gray and gloomy,” says Republican pollster Bill McInturff, who conducted this survey with Democratic pollster Peter D. Hart. “In general, people are just not in a happy mood.”

The survey, which was conducted from Jan. 26-29 of 1,011 adults and which has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.1 percentage points, shows Bush’s approval rating at 39 percent, which is unchanged from last month’s NBC/Journal poll. (Other recent national surveys have shown his approval rating to be slightly higher, in the low 40s.) In addition, only 25 percent say they want to see Bush take the lead role in setting policy for the country, while 49 percent say they prefer Congress.

In another sign that Americans want to bring the soldiers home, the poll shows that 66 percent want to reduce the number of U.S. troops. Yet just 28 percent want to maintain the current troop level — down from 35 percent in December. McInturff explains that Republicans and others expected the largely successful Iraqi election in December would help justify the administration’s stay-the-course Iraq strategy with the public. “It may have done just the opposite,” he says.

full report: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/11103804/from/RSS/

[rodeodance]

1. Russet talking of this now on msnbc--Hardball.

[rodeodance]

3. 2/3 say want to bring troops HOME>

[rodeodance]

4. Tim saying whereever he goes people are talking of Irag.

[DainBramaged]

15. The GE Butt plug or, I love Bush

Thanks to BartCop

If Bush or Cheney fell off a cliff, what say the odds would be that Tim Russert or Tweety would turn up hanging from the edge with the bloody stump of Bush's dick in his mouth?

Thanks to DU member kenny blankenship for this great line.

[valerief]

2. I've been humming this all day

They used to tell me it is for our freedom
And so I followed the horde
When there was code to write or battles to fight
I was glad to be right there on board

They used to tell me it is for our freedom
To make democracy grow
Why should I be standing in line
Just for H2O?

Once I built a network, made it run
It could make data spin
Once I built a network, now it’s done
Big Brother, can you spare a fin?

Once I wrote a system so complex
It took great discipline
Now the system’s run by foreign techs
Big Brother, can you spare a fin?

Once in khaki suits, man, we looked great
Wishing for body armor, too
Poisoned and shot at and sent back again
But I waved the red, white, and blue!

Say, don’t you remember? They called me Lou
It was Lou, thick and thin
Why don’t you remember? I canvassed for you.
Big Brother, can you spare a fin?

---------------------------------------
The above is an updated version of the original below.

"Brother, Can You Spare a Dime," lyrics by Yip Harburg, music by Gorney Harburg (1931)

They used to tell me I was building a dream, and so I followed the mob,
When there was earth to plow, or guns to bear, I was always there right on the job.

They used to tell me I was building a dream, with peace and glory ahead,
Why should I be standing in line, just waiting for bread?

Once I built a railroad, I made it run, made it race against time.
Once I built a railroad; now it's done. Brother, can you spare a dime?
Once I built a tower, up to the sun, brick, and rivet, and lime;
Once I built a tower, now it's done. Brother, can you spare a dime?

Once in khaki suits, gee we looked swell,
Full of that Yankee Doodly Dum,
Half a million boots went slogging through Hell,
And I was the kid with the drum!

Say, don't you remember, they called me Al; it was Al all the time.
Why don't you remember, I'm your pal? Buddy, can you spare a dime?

[rodeodance]

5. only 1/4 of people say Bush should take lead while about 1/2 say Con-

gress should take the lead.

[rodeodance]

6. says clearly says people uncomfortable with what they say is going from

WH/bush gang.

[rodeodance]

8. says the RNC put out memo saying polls seldom go up after SOTU-te he

--he says the bar has been set low.

[rodeodance]

10. says moving health care on top cause he knows people are concerned

about it.

[rodeodance]

11. says Alito would be in front row-sworn in tomorrow night if possible--usin

as a prop says Tim.

[AX10]

19. Alito would be the 1/4 who say that the Dictator....err...

should be "take charge".

[aint_no_life_nowhere]

7. You've got to wonder if anything could lower that 39% mark

What more would it take for these guys to open their eyes? If I were Bush, I would be amazed and thankful that my ratings are as high as they are at 39%, considering the daily chain of screw-ups that are so regular and continuous that you could almost set your watch by them.

[xray s]

9. 2001-2008 "The Eeyore Years"

That will be the label BushCo will wear.

[MichiganVote]

12. 39% is pretty high for an asshole

[applegrove]

13. Great news! n/t

[FightingIrish]

14. He is considered incompetent by concensus but he

still gets to saddle us with ideologue justices we will fight for a generation. Great system we have.

[Virginia Dare]

16. If MSNBC says it's 39%

It's probably more like 32-35.

[Doctor_J]

17. YEah, it's gloomy alright

ever fucking thing he or his minions in congress proposed gets passed - times are really tough for the Chimp.

[AX10]

18. Only 25 Democrats voted to filibuster.

They didn't even try! :grr: