WASHINGTON (CNN) -- A new national poll suggests that three out of four Americans approve of the job Barack Obama is doing as president, but the economic stimulus package he's trying to push through Congress is not nearly as popular.
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Seventy-six percent of those questioned in a CNN/Opinion Research Corp. survey released Monday gave Obama a thumbs-up on how he's performing his duties, while 23 percent disapproved.
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Seventy-six percent of those questioned in a CNN/Opinion Research Corp. survey released Monday gave Obama a thumbs-up on how he's performing his duties, while 23 percent disapproved.
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Sixty-four percent of those polled said the current bill being debated in the Senate would help the economy a lot or somewhat, while 36 percent felt that the package would not help the economy much or at all.
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Many Republican lawmakers argue that the bill is too expensive. It appears that argument may be working with Americans. Fifty-five percent of those questioned felt the price tag for the stimulus plan is too big, while three in 10 said the bill would spend the right amount of money and 13 percent felt not enough money is in the legislation.
The survey indicates, however, that President Obama and the Democrats in Congress do have some advantages in this political battle over the stimulus. Three out of four poll respondents said that Obama is doing enough to cooperate with Republicans in Congress, but only 39 percent feel that congressional Republicans are cooperating enough with the president.
And this letter to the editor in the NYTimes this morning makes a very good point:
To the Editor:
I have one simple question: Why are conservative Republicans, who never hesitated to sink hundreds of billions of dollars into the Iraq war, now suddenly so concerned about spending an equivalent amount to help us face this awful crisis and invest in the future?
Clara Coen
Chicago, Feb. 8, 2009
How refreshing to see President Obama in a town hall meeting where Americans who agree and disagree with him were welcomed. No screening people as was the custom in the bad old days of the Potemkin-style Bush town hall meetings, where only partisans were allowed in so as not to intrude on Bush's disconnect from reality. President Obama is not afraid of taking challenging questions from the American people.
President Obama will be in Florida today where he will be welcomed by Republican Governor Charlie Crist:
Charlie Crist Joining Obama At Pro-Stimulus Event
By Eric Kleefeld -
By Eric Kleefeld -
February 9, 2009, 1:12PM
The White House has announced that President Obama will be campaigning for the stimulus plan in Fort Myers, Florida -- where he'll be introduced by Republican Governor Charlie Crist.
It's odd to think that Crist -- who hit the campaign trail in a big way for John McCain last year, and has been courted to run for the open Senate seat -- has now broken ranks in such a conspicuous manner as to publicly appear with Obama.
It's not just that, but his official statement praises Obama in language that one would normally use for a political ally: "I am eager to welcome President Obama to the Sunshine State as he continues to work hard to reignite the US economy."
4 comments:
Not sure how much this plan can help, but I am optimistic. Anyway this is my opinion, in the mean time, I just came across a very helpful website on the current economic downturn and employment: http://www.recessioninfocenter.com
Thanks Shaw.
The letter you reprinted hits the nail on the proverbial head.
I am still waiting for Republicans/Conservatives to admit that the costs of empire have reached the level where we no longer can sustain them.
Without a huge tax increase dedicated to 'defense'. And we know how 'real Americans' feel about taxes.
The tab for the entire Iraq/Afghanistan enterprise exists outside of the regular 'defense' budget as do various nuclear weapons programs run by the DOE, international efforts by the FBI and Homeland Security.
And yet it isn't enough.
Though we spend as much as the rest of the world combined on 'defense' it still isn't enough.
It still isn't enough 'defending our borders' thousands of miles away in Iraq.
But the truth is defending 'our interests' is bleeding the nation dry.
And the guy with the beard sitting in a cave somewhere in Pakistan must be chuckling. He's succeeded beyond his wildest dreams. That particular mouse got the better of our elephant.
Cheers.
President Obama has the courage to say to us, "If this program does not work, I won't be President, I'll lose the next election and rightfully so."
Political courage is not how hard one can fight the opposition, it is making the right decision in the face of your own biases and doing what is good for the country, regardless of your own political future.
President Obama is putting it all on the line. The Republicans are protecting their own political hides. In doing so, they assure the reelection of President Obama, even if his plan does not solve all our problems (which it won't).
The light of political honesty shining from President Obama, truly shows the Republicans like to work from the dark shadows of political hypocrisy.
The costs of empire remain $0, since we do not have one.
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