The House and Senate have returned to work after the President’s Day break. As they head into what is effectively the home stretch before the 2008 election, how is the Democratic leadership faring in comparison to the last, Republican-led Congress? Not too well. According to the Real Clear Politics Average, in the last three polls taken before the 2006 midterm election, the Congressional approval rating averaged 30 percent. In the most recent three polls, the average approval rating is just 24 percent. After a year of confrontation and partisanship — over Iraq, FISA, spending, appointments, and a whole host of issues, the Congress is demonstrably less popular than it was before the last election. If Reid and Pelosi can’t pull a rabbit out of their hats, and earn a lot more credit from a disappointed public, they may be in for a rude awakening this November.
