If there’s good news for Bush and the GOP in the latest Washington Post/ABC News poll, it’s hiding very well.
But by a 2 to 1 ratio, the public rejected easing Senate rules in a way that would make it harder for Democratic senators to prevent final action on Bush’s nominees. Even many Republicans were reluctant to abandon current Senate confirmation procedures: Nearly half opposed any rule changes, joining eight in 10 Democrats and seven in 10 political independents, the poll found.
But when it comes to Republicans and the country being on different pages, it’s not just the nuclear option.
* Bush’s approval rating — Though Post/ABC polls have generally shown Bush with higher approval than other polls, the latest data has the president’s approval slipping to 47%, with 51% disapproving. This matches an all-time low for Bush in a Post poll.
* Judicial nominations process — The public not only opposes the Republican nuclear-option plan, they also believe Dems have been right to block the worst of Bush’s nominees. A plurality (48%) say Dems are justified, while only 36% disapprove of their efforts.
* Social Security — Support for Bush’s approach continues to plummet. 51% said people should not be allowed to put Social Security money into the stock market, an all-time high for a Post/ABC poll. The question didn’t even mention the $5-trillion price tag or the reduction in guaranteed benefits.
* Tom DeLay — A plurality (40%) said DeLay should resign as Majority Leader. Among the 36% who said they have been following the allegations against DeLay, nearly two in three said DeLay should step down. (In other words, those who are best informed are most likely to want to see DeLay go.)
* Bush on the issues — Americans disapprove of Bush’s handling of Social Security (64-31), Iraq (56-42), the nation’s energy policy (54-35), and the economy (57-40).
Now, if only the midterm elections were next month instead of 19 months away, I’d feel even better.