The new NBC/WSJ Poll shows that the public is more angry at the Congress than since pollsters started asking the question.
AUGUST 2011 NBC News/Wall Street Journal Survey pdf
Q5
In general, do you approve or disapprove of the job that Congress is doing?
8/11 6/11 5/11
Approve ......................13 18 22
Disapprove ................ 82 74 70
Not sure .......................5 8 8
A overwhelming majority of Americans are disgusted the the Debt Ceiling Deal President Obama and Harry Reid made with the Republicans. A deal Boehner said gave him 98% of what he wanted.
Q31b
And, thinking some more about the debt ceiling, do you have a favorable or unfavorable opinion of the way the budget negotiation that took place in Washington was handled? If you do not have strong feelings about this, please say so.
Favorable .................................. 6
Unfavorable ............................ 71
No strong feelings ...................... 22
Not sure .................................... 1
A plurality of the Americans correctly blame the Republicans' Debt Celing brinksmanship for the nation's credit downgrade and the resulting in higher interest costs.
Q32
As you may know, Standard and Poor’s, also known as S&P, downgraded the U.S. government’s credit rating, indicating the company sees United States government bonds as no longer among the safest investments in the world. Who is most to blame for the S&P credit rating downgrade President Obama, Republicans in Congress, or Democrats in Congress? If you do not have strong feelings about this, please say so.
President Obama ........................ 13
Republicans in Congress ........... 30
Democrats in Congress ................ 15
No strong feelings ...................... 22
None (VOL) ................................ 3
All (VOL) .................................. 15
Not sure .................................... 2
Republican recklessness led to the downgrade and wasted a huge amount of tax payers money for years to come with nothing tangible to show for that all that money. This is a message the Democratic Party needs to drive home EMPHATICALLY with voters, and they need to start NOW.
A strong message for the Super Committee comes in the last question that lays out possible approaches for the Super Committee could take reducing the deficit. the results are telling.
Q33
As you may know, Congress has appointed a twelve member committee made up of six Republican and six Democratic Members of Congress, known as the “super committee”. This committee is tasked with continuing to reduce the federal deficit. I’m going to read you some things that might be considered by the super committee. For each one, please tell me if you would find this totally acceptable, mostly acceptable, mostly unacceptable, or totally unacceptable as a way to help reduce the federal deficit. (RANDOMIZE)
THIS TABLE IS RANKED BY % TOTAL ACCEPTABLE
Reduce the deficit by ending the Bush tax cuts for families earning two hundred and fifty thousand dollars or more per year
Totally acceptable-Mostly acceptable-Mostly unacceptable-Totally unacceptable
8/11 ... 32 28 16 21
Reduce the deficit by a combination of increasing taxes and cutting spending
Totally acceptable-Mostly acceptable-Mostly unacceptable-Totally unacceptable
8/11 ... 20 36 22 20
Reduce the deficit by significantly reducing defense spending
Totally acceptable-Mostly acceptable-Mostly unacceptable-Totally unacceptable
8/11 ... 16 30 24 27
Reduce the deficit by only cutting spending and not raising any taxes including not raising taxes on corporations or the wealthy
Totally acceptable-Mostly acceptable-Mostly unacceptable-Totally unacceptable
8/11 ... 15 22 26 34
Reduce the deficit by reducing spending on
Medicare, the federal government health care
program for seniors
Totally acceptable-Mostly acceptable-Mostly unacceptable-Totally unacceptable
8/11 ... 5 15 27 51
Taxing the rich and looking to the military for big cuts were the two things that scored the most agreement. The thing that registered the highest disagreement, a majority in fact, was cutting Medicare.
Is the Super Committee reading this?