Republicans are looking across the aisle and asking, ‘Why are all those Democrats smiling?’

For all the talk in some circles that “obstructionism” is politically dangerous for Democrats (Sebastian Mallaby, I’m looking in your direction), evidence keeps mounting that the current Republican agenda is fundamentally unpopular with the public.

Yesterday, there was the new Washington Post/ABC News poll showing support for Bush’s handling of Social Security falling to just 35%. As encouraging as those results are, let’s also not forget the other end of Pennsylvania Avenue.

Fewer Americans approve of the way Congress is handling its job than at any time since shortly after Republicans impeached President Clinton, a Gallup Poll finds.

Only 37% of Americans gave Congress a high approval rating, down from 45% last month, the poll taken last week showed. A total of 53% disapproved, up from 48% in February.

Looking back, Congress’ approval rating hasn’t been this low in five years, and hasn’t been lower in almost eight years.

What’s more, these poll numbers are not merely the result of frustrated Dems; public dissatisfaction with Congress is bi-partisan.

The decline in Congress’ approval from last month was about the same among Democrats and Republicans, whose party controls both the Senate and House of Representatives. That may be because Congress faces several controversial issues and not because of a specific one, analyst David Moore wrote on the Gallup Organization Web site.

“Democrats are even unhappier with the Republican Congress than before,” Brookings Institution political analyst Thomas Mann said. “And many Republicans don’t like what they are hearing about Social Security and the budget.”

And yet, most Republicans on the Hill and in the White House insist that they need to stay the course and wait for the political rewards. We can only hope they don’t change their minds.