From the Wall Street Journal

http://online.wsj.com/public/article/SB114...Y_20070512.html

THE HARRIS POLL

Bush's Ratings Hit

New Low, Poll Shows

THE WALL STREET JOURNAL ONLINE

May 12, 2006

President Bush's approval rating has fallen to its lowest mark of his presidency, according to a new Harris Interactive poll.

Of 1,003 U.S. adults surveyed in a telephone poll, 29% think Mr. Bush is doing an "excellent or pretty good" job as president, down from 35% in April and significantly lower than 43% in January. It compares with 71% of Americans who said Mr. Bush is doing an "only fair or poor" job, up from 63% in April.

RATING BUSH'S PERFORMANCE

• See previous Harris polls from April, March and February and January of 2006

• Polling organizations tracked in the related graphic ask respondents about President Bush's performance in different ways.

Meanwhile, approval ratings for Congress are also sliding, as 18% of Americans say Congress is doing an "excellent or pretty good job," compared with 80% who say Congress is doing an "only fair or poor" job. In February, 25% of Americans gave Congress a positive rating and 71% gave a negative rating.

Elsewhere, roughly one-quarter of U.S. adults say "things in the country are going in the right direction," while 69% say "things have pretty seriously gotten off on the wrong track." This trend has declined every month since January, when 33% said the nation was heading in the right direction.

In terms of political-party identification, 48% of Republicans said "right direction" while 39% of Republicans said "wrong track." In comparison, just 13% of Democrats said "right direction" and 83% of Democrats responded with "wrong track."

Iraq remains a key concern for the general public, as 28% of Americans said they consider Iraq to be one of the top two most important issues the government should address, up from 23% in April. The immigration debate also prompted 16% of Americans to consider it a top issue, down from 19% last month, but still sharply higher from just 4% in March.

Gas and oil prices (14%) leapfrogged health care as the third most important issue, up sharply from 3% from April, while the economy (13%) and health care (8%) rounded out the top five issues.

Go to link above for more info.

I never said the Medicare issue was perfect..its not. I work in the health insurance industry, I see first hand how it is going. But it is something. Eight years of Clinton never had any affect on healthcare, education, boarder control, national security....so having something be done, IS something to be satisfied with.

Medicare is not that complicated to be honest with you. Since I work in the field and help people get signed up for it...it can be challanging but in the end, it helps them and thats good. Will it help everyone? Of course not. We are not built for that in this country.

If all you want to do is complain about everything instead acknowledging things are getting looked at and worked on thats your issue.

What have you lied about? No one here has lied as they let Michael Moore do the lieing for them. Bush or people in his administration did not LIE to get us into war and my brother, who is serving this THIRD tour in Iraq feels it is a slap in the face to all of the soliders here and from other countries to have that said about their commander in chief. EVERYONE...Democrats and Republicans, other countries said Iraq had the weapons...he used them, they were there. That is a fact. You can not cover that up. Go back and see what Clinton, Daschle, Kerry and the rest had to say....they felt the same as the President did..before and after he was elected.

Were we wrong...sure looks like it. But that does not make a lie. If 9-11 never happened, the war would have never happened. More patience and time would have prevailed...but when you are attacked for no reason...you are on your guard...and right or wrong, THANKFULLY someone was looking out to protect us instead of taking the whole "oh well, lets just let it blow over" approach.

Being from a military family, I do not like loss of life. And sorry to tell you, the President does not sit back and laugh when a service member dies. NO ONE who serves as President want to send people over to get killed for no reason. If you think that, its a sad sad day in your world.

Like I said, to disagree, thats one thing...but all of the hateful, misguided comments here are horrid and I am glad that those in the majority here including the MODS think it is ok to just plain flat out lie and disrespect. but if I call someone a buffon...damn I get a warning! Really classy and really mature.

If anyone here could hold an intelligent converstation based on FACTS and not plotlines from Michael Moores movies, it might be a worthwhile converstation. But since we have to deal with hotheads who would rather discredit and destroy instead of looking at the big picture....its too impossible.

I am done replying. I let my brother read these posts...him and his troops in Iraq....its really sad to hear the response from them. But luckily, they are mature and keep their mouth shut and do what they do best...protect all of us...even those that slap them in the face for doing what they do.

Bush lied so soliders die? You lie and they die as well, but thats your right because they fight overseas, here and everywhere for you to speak the way you do. Thank God for them!

Contrary to what you think, we support the troops. But we're not supporting Bush's choice for getting us into this war. It's all about oil, and finishing what his daddy didn't. And it's sickening to see so many men and women losing their lives for this travesty. They're not fighting for freedom, they're fighting for a man's personal vendetta and it's not right.

BTW, I think Michael Moore is a jackass.

Bush or people in his administration did not LIE to get us into war

Sure he did. He said that Iraq had WMDs... Not true. He said that Iraq was tied to Al Qaeda, by default that's a bunch of bullshit because why would the Ba'ath party support extremist Islam? Yes, Hussein isn't exactly the nicest ruler, but if Bush is going to be all Operation Freedom and [!@#$%^&*], then he shouldn't be shocked that people are asking him about Darfur since he declared himself the world's police. He had his own agenda from the get go, and he's all about benefitting himself and his own. He doesn't care about who gets hurt in the process. He doesn't care that the troops are dying so that his buddies up in Halliburton gets more money into their pockets.

I never said the Medicare issue was perfect..its not. Medicare is not that complicated to be honest with you. Since I work in the field and help people get signed up for it...it can be challanging but in the end, it helps them and thats good.

If all you want to do is complain about everything instead acknowledging things are getting looked at and worked on thats your issue.

I'm only addressing your Medicare and so-called "you are all misinformed" response. Whether you continue to read or not is up to you. I did not vote for Bush, but when I heard about the new Medicare prescription drug plan, I was thinking, "Ok, maybe he's onto something. I'll give him the benefit of the doubt." Silly of me. Why are you trying to act like Medicare is not complicated? Because you happen to work in a the medical field and you've been trained on the ins and outs? How is the average disabled and/or elderly person supposed to know these things? Many people received NO help whatsoever until it made the national news how screwed up this new plan was. Once the issue was jammed into everyone's face, THEN came the help getting people signed up....if they could make it to their local pharmacies and SS offices, of course. If you can't get there, oh well. It IS challenging and that's exactly the way it was designed to be.

So I'm complaining because the Medicare plan is subpar? Funny, I thought that's what we're supposed to do to let the powers that be know we're not happy and this isn't working. Just because an issue is "looked at" doesn't mean it's been solved, or at the very least, improved for that matter.

I dislike when someone doesn't agree with another on a political view, that they are labelled as misguided misinformed, hateful, or as "having issues". Wow, so when people disagree with you, they're buffoons? I mean wow, reading your posts, I'm surprised I was intelligent enough to score a Federal job, TWICE. Yeah, I was actually a Federal employee and had no complaints. But things changed, for the worse, so damn right, I will complain and call our President on his misdeeds and lies. I'm not a hateful person and neither is anyone else here that I've come across in the months since I found this site. What happens is people will disagree and have their own opinions on topics in EVERY forum here. Do I hate you or think your words are hateful because you believe in Bush while I do not? Not at all. Do I despise the fact that you seem to think anyone who doesn't think like you is an idiot? Why yes...yes I do. According to you, we are just misinformed, misguided fools.

You are not the only person with family members in the military. I have plenty of cousins, uncles and most of all, my mother, an administrative nurse, who just turned 53 yesterday and she has been training because she could be deployed at any minute. Just because these soldiers are there, have been there and come home, or could soon be deployed there does not mean they agree with their reasons for being there. They know BS when they smell it, just like all the members or Bush's staff that have handed in their resignations to "spend more time with their families" and the millions that actually DID vote for him that will tell you now to your face he has screwed up royally. I am friends with and worked with so many who believed in Bush that are now singing a different tune. But I guess 71% of the country is completely out of touch and misguided too? I bet you weren't saying that when those SAME people voted for your guy the last election.

You're not the only person with an opinion and to tell you the truth, this is the first board I've ever been to where people NOT happy with Bush were in the majority. For years all over the Internet, it's been QUITE the opposite and I've dealt with it. Put your big kid drawers on and deal with the fact that you've encountered a load of people who refuse to be spoon fed by the current Administration.

I will not address Dru, obviously that would be like talking to a wall.

Bree...this war is not about oil If it were...we would be taking the oil, using the oil. We aren't. Agreed about Michael Moore, but he does have the right to make a movie...even if 95% of it is fantasy on his part. This war was not started to finish was his "daddy" didn't do. The first Gulf war completed the mission it set out to do...remove Saddam from Kuwait.

Clinton was lobbing missles and so on at Iraq all during his administration....obviously HE thought something was not right there...and he even said that..as did EVERYONE ELSE! But its ok for Saddam to kill, gas, murder his own people...its not our business....but Africia...that is our business?

I think our asses should be helping out anyone we can...thats what we do. Not just because we can...but if there is a need...we should.

The troops are fighting for freedom. Saddam had plans to attack us...he hated us...but most of all, his country was just simply another Hitler style country waiting to grow...and look what happens when you let people like Hitler go...thankfully someone learned a lesson from that.

Our troops (and you better ask the troops...the on the ground, proud to be in the service troops) they will tell you they are fighring for freedom..ours and the Iraqis.

And Danni....saying the country had WMD's and then not finding any is NOT a lie. They were there, he used them, EVERYONE in the world "knew" he had them. So if I tell you that I set my keys down on the counter, but someone moved them to the couch..I would be lieing? Get real.

And you better bet Bush had an agenda...he is President..every President has an agenda. And if he wanted to attack Iraq JUST BECAUSE...he had plenty of time to do it before he did.

BUt then again...only the US should be free..because only in the US would be !@#$%^&*] about helping another country gain what we have...how selfish is that. And your comment about how he does not care who gets hurt is an utter LIE. ANY President who has to make that choice has to live with it...and it hurts.

DOnt you think JFK, Nixon and LBJ were torn up about Vietnam? Any President, from what ever party is not going to send our troops out to get killed and be happy about it. You should raelly be ashamed of yourself for that comment. That was really unthinkable.

I normally tend to stay out of political threads just because I realize how ugly it can get.

I for one, do not agree with the war. I do believe that we were mislead and I do believe that removing Sadam from power in Iraq was personal and not a "political move in the best interest of the Iraqi people". Does that make me a bad person for believing so? No, it doesn't. It is my right as an American. It a right that is afforded to me and I'm glad that I'm able to say that. People like my grandfather, uncles, cousins, aunts and everyone else's family members put their lives on the line to protect such rights as free speech.

Do you think that in order to support the troops you must support the war as well? If you do, then well, I'll just keep that to myself. Contrary to popular belief, it IS possible to support the troops and not support the war. I have helped young children write letters to the troops (I myself have even written a few), I've helped send care packages and I've helped rally support for the soldiers at Fort Dix here in NJ.

For the record, Michael Moore is a jackass, doesn't make him a liar though. I for one, due to my love of political science watch a A LOT of news programs and I have a very good memory when it comes to that stuff. I've watched MANY programs where those in the Bush Administration have contradicted themselves as to "why we went to war". It's ashame that these people can't stick to one story.

I look at a man like General Colin Powell who, in my opinion, made himself look like an ass after he defended the US's decision to go into Iraq and hit it home that there were WMD's in Iraq only for there not to be any. IF the weapons were there, they weren't when our troops got there. That makes it a lie that he had them. I'm not saying he didn't, but the facts speak for itself.

I am one of those 71% of people who don't approve of President Bush. I'm not one of those people who believe that "As Americans, we should support our President in whatever decision that he makes". We don't need the blind leading the blind.

Like I said, to disagree, thats one thing...but all of the hateful, misguided comments here are horrid and I am glad that those in the majority here including the MODS think it is ok to just plain flat out lie and disrespect. but if I call someone a buffon...damn I get a warning! Really classy and really mature.

See, that is your opinion. Not everyone believes that the comments in this thread are hateful and misguided. When you call someone a buffon, that is offensive and grounds for a warning. Is calling people names mature? No it's not. Look in the mirror before you make a statement like that Kwing.

You are mistaken. I was not calling anyone in this post anything...but yet, you turned it around to call me a name..really classy and mature.

I am a political science major, who watches just as many shows as you, I am sure..on all networks..not just one or two. I am in tune with the world..not only through the news, but through Democratic and Republican lawmakers in my town and state. I talk to the troops, I talk to the anti-war folks as well. I base my feelings and thoughts on the whole, not a part.

Until you start looking outward, there is no point talking to you. Your opinions are fine, but until you have a just argument and just proof and just information....its all just blah blah blah.

Go ahead...HATE a President. Real mature. Real American. I do not like all this President does. I have many issues where we differ. I voted for him the second time, NOT the first time and I am glad I did.

Its all in what you think is important.

I will not address Dru, obviously that would be like talking to a wall.

Because I stand steadfast in what I believe and what I've experienced through this presidency? I could say the same for you. Why not respond? I did not call you any names, nor did I spout any hate. But because I don't agree with your beliefs I don't rate a response. Funny how anyone who doesn't share your mindset is immature and there's no point in talking to them. You're like a little kid who doesn't want to play because everyone else doesn't want to play the same game he does. I see. Fine with me.

Actually I was not going to respond because although you say your issue is Medicare, you go on to berate a President and the administration. Sure you do not like the Medicare plan, something that no one has touched ever until now, you go on to berate and belittle the President.

You know Congress approved this plan....

So, I did not respond because of that. I appreciate your interest in the medicare debate, but the math was not adding up. (fuzzyh math!) haha

Actually I was not going to respond because although you say your issue is Medicare, you go on to berate a President and the administration.

No, no. In my first post, I said I was only going to address the Medicare issue because everyone else in the thread had already covered the rest. Get it right. After the next post by YOU, other topics were unfolded and addressed because I was responding to things you'd said. So, my issues eventually went past Medicare because of YOUR responses.

I've berated and belittled the president because I don't feel he has done a good job through nearly 6 years in office? I'm one of MILLIONS who are displeased. Are we supposed just sit here and smile and nod my approval? I suppose you sat quietly in your seat when Clinton was in office and you disapproved of him? Why do you condemn those that oppose your opinions, as well as belittle and berate? You belittle everyone is this thread everytime you post and use your "holier than thou" metaphors. You know EXACTLY what I'm talking about too. They're sprinkled in every one of your posts.

Have you looked in that mirror yet?

Hey, I have to go. Y&R is on, so that trumps politics....for now.

Kwing, I think it would be in your best interest to just stop replying and ignore this thread.

If you are so angry, make a thread praising Bush. Don't come in here and attack other posters. You are the one being immature.

Dru, I appreciate your candor and your tongue-in-cheek way of talking. Even if you use words I would prefer not to be used or references..thats your deal..but you do it with class and I appreciate that. You are a good person, even if we disagree politically! Thanks

I will not be responding to these posts anymore because the moderators on this board have made it clear that mocking, berating, being juvinile and classless is permitted, and while I may have gone down that road a couple of times, I would never expect the people in 'so called' power to resort to such classless and immature tactics.

So on that note, I will stop using my free speech! You win liberals! You WIN!

Dru, I appreciate your candor and your tongue-in-cheek way of talking. Even if you use words I would prefer not to be used or references..thats your deal..but you do it with class and I appreciate that. You are a good person, even if we disagree politically! Thanks

I will not be responding to these posts anymore because the moderators on this board have made it clear that mocking, berating, being juvinile and classless is permitted, and while I may have gone down that road a couple of times, I would never expect the people in 'so called' power to resort to such classless and immature tactics.

So on that note, I will stop using my free speech! You win liberals! You WIN!

Give it a rest.

Dru, I appreciate your candor and your tongue-in-cheek way of talking. Even if you use words I would prefer not to be used or references..thats your deal..but you do it with class and I appreciate that. You are a good person, even if we disagree politically! Thanks

I will not be responding to these posts anymore because the moderators on this board have made it clear that mocking, berating, being juvinile and classless is permitted, and while I may have gone down that road a couple of times, I would never expect the people in 'so called' power to resort to such classless and immature tactics.

So on that note, I will stop using my free speech! You win liberals! You WIN!

I don't see the mocking and berating unless you are referring to your own approach. And even then I can see worse on any political panel show. Your free speech? No one has prevented you from expressing an opinion but your rage at opposing opnions might suggest that in your opinion, free speech is only for people who agree with you.

29%. Get used to it.

You are mistaken. I was not calling anyone in this post anything...but yet, you turned it around to call me a name..really classy and mature.

I am a political science major, who watches just as many shows as you, I am sure..on all networks..not just one or two. I am in tune with the world..not only through the news, but through Democratic and Republican lawmakers in my town and state. I talk to the troops, I talk to the anti-war folks as well. I base my feelings and thoughts on the whole, not a part.

Until you start looking outward, there is no point talking to you. Your opinions are fine, but until you have a just argument and just proof and just information....its all just blah blah blah.

Go ahead...HATE a President. Real mature. Real American. I do not like all this President does. I have many issues where we differ. I voted for him the second time, NOT the first time and I am glad I did.

Its all in what you think is important.

All you've done is puff yourself up here and not really addressed any issue.

The issue is 29% approval. WHY? I think this thread proves why.

Free speech is not for only those who agree with me. I do not care who agrees with me. But I prefer fact over made up propaganda.

I know the approval rating is 29%. It is nothing for me to get used to or whatever.

When it was in the 80's I thought it was inflated, and now I think it is lower than it probably really is if you asked every single person who voted.

The issue I have is the hatred being spewed. No one can find ONE good thing to say and that proves no one is paying attention to the big picture.

DONE!