AMERICANS SUPPORT PRESIDENT OBAMA'S HANDLING OF THE STIMULUS PACKAGE

GALLUP: The American public gives President Barack Obama a strong 67% approval rating for the way in which he is handling the government's efforts to pass an economic stimulus bill, while the Democrats and, in particular, the Republicans in Congress receive much lower approval ratings of 48% and 31%, respectively.

These findings, based on Gallup Poll interviews conducted Feb. 6-7, underscore the degree to which Obama appears to be maintaining the upper hand over his opponents from a public opinion perspective as he and congressional leaders wrangle over the precise form and substance of a new economic stimulus plan. (Recent Gallup polling also shows that a slight majority of Americans in general favor the idea of passing a stimulus plan of around $800 billion, a sentiment that has stayed constant over the last several weeks.)

While we may listen to the Republicans howl and hypocritically condemn the stimulus package (where were they when GWB passed all those spending porkulus bills during the 6 years the Republicans were in charge?), we also understand that the American people are behind their president on this.

President Obama will give a presser this evening where he'll address many concerns over this package.

He's doing just fine. The American people got his back on this.

UPDATE:

For the past two months, President Obama has bent over backwards to act in a bipartisan manner to solicit Republican support for an economic recovery package. “The monopoly on good ideas does not belong to a single party,” Obama told Republican and Democratic leaders in a closed-door meeting before his inaugration. “If it’s a good idea, we will consider it.”
True to his word, Obama has gone to great lengths to demonstrate his commitment to bipartisanship

– He attended a House GOP conference meeting to make an in-person appeal, “an exceptional gesture for any president.”

– He then joined a Senate Republican luncheon, spending “two hours and 37 minutes at the Capitol entirely with Republicans.”

– He hosted an inauguration dinner in honor of his Republican opponent John McCain. Obama also invited Republican and Democratic lawmakers to a White House “happy hour” after the House vote on the stimulus.

– He scheduled numerous White House meetings, including “one-on-one meetings” with GOP centrists in the Oval Office.

– Rahm Emanuel “invited a group of moderate Republicans to a private White House meeting.”– Obama even welcomed a bipartisan group to the White House to watch the Super Bowl.

Obama’s actions were more than mere symbolic gestures. He introduced a package with over $300 billion in tax cuts to win conservative support. To win House GOP support, he responded to their concerns by stripping a sensible family planning provision and a jobs-creating provision to restore the National Mall. To win Senate GOP support, the White House and Democratic leaders accepted Republican amendments to the bill, including three amendments offered by Sen. Tom Coburn (R-OK).

According to a CBS poll, 81% of the public understands Obama “is trying to work with Republicans in Congress in order to get things done.” Nevertheless, many conservatives refuse to appreciate the efforts. On the Sunday shows yesterday, a host of right-wing Republicans took to the air waves to blast President Obama for not achieving bipartisan consensus on the economic recovery package.

ENSIGN: We should have put the best ideas on the table. This was one-party rule.
CORNYN: This is hardly a bipartisan effort. I think it’s a disappointment, it surely must be for President Obama.
McCAIN: This agreement is not bipartisan.
GINGRICH: The result has been a very partisan process.

They're just plain nuts, and it's obvious they want to be obstructionists so that Pres. Obama will fail.

h/t Think Progress