Forty percent of Americans approve of the job Congress is doing, according to the latest AP poll. That may not seem like much, but it’s up from 25 percent just before the last election and higher than Bush’s mid-30s. A word of warning to candidates who are still fleshing out their Iraq positions: The same poll suggests voters, especially those coveted independents, are really sick of this war.


AP:

Against that backdrop, the AP poll indicates the public wants Congress to push for an end to a war that has claimed the lives of more than 3,200 U.S. troops.

Forty percent of those surveyed said they approve the job Congress is doing, up from 25 percent approval registered for the Republican majority in the weeks leading to last fall’s elections. Disapproval of Congress totals 57 percent.

The public opinion split is identical on the issue of Democratic handling of Iraq — 40 percent approve, 57 percent disapprove.

Support is lower among self-described political independents, who deserted Republicans in last fall’s elections to give 57 percent of their votes to Democrats. Now, only 32 percent of them register approval of the job Congress is doing; 36 percent favor the way Democrats are handling Iraq.

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