With recent polls (see article below) already showing Congressional approval at 18%, last night's downgrade by S&P of our nation's credit worthiness can only further erode this all time low. How much lower can it go?
It always has been said by Americans that "I hate Congress but my Congressman/woman is pretty good." Now I think we are seeing that sentiment also eroding. Congress does not seem to be able to do what is in the best interests of the United States. They talk about pork but keep putting it in bills. The "bridge to nowhere" is only surpassed by appropriating money for Chinese prostitutes so they can learn how not to get drunk before going out with their johns. Insanity has somehow taken over our government and it is time that we do something about it. Otherwise, we will end up like the Roman Empire.
The Roman Empire stretched from Scandinavia to Africa. It had the most powerful armies in the world, at that time. Its citizens lived very well and got benefits from its generous government. However, over time, its armies became involved in conflicts throughout the world and were soon stretched to a point they were no longer strong. The money that had flowed from the booty from conquered countries slowed also. The Roman Senate argued incessentantly and turned more and more power over to the leaders of the country. When things got worse, there were no leaders who stepped up and soon Rome degraded into a dictatorial government.
Does any of this sound familiar? Our troops are stationed in 80 plus countries around the world. We still have troops in Germany, twenty years plus years after the Cold War was over. The troops that Bill Clinton put in Kosovo (who attacked us there?) are still there. How many years ago was that? And there are our troops operating under NATO in Libya.
Our Congress argued for weeks over the debt issue and then passed an insignificant piece of legislative lies and deceit. Spending increases were reduced and called spending cuts. Rating agencies told them to cut the budget by 4 trillion and they could only get half way. Now we get a downgrade and everyone is surprised.
In past years, Congress had turned more and more of the legislating to the Executive Branch. "The President has not proposed anything" was the talking points during the debt limit discussion.. Folks, that it not his job. The House is responsible for submitting all finance bills, period, not the President. We have forgotten that. Other bills can be created in either house and then sent to the President for his signature or veto. Yes, he can propose bills to either house for their consideration, but he is not responsible for legislation.
Additionally, why was the President in the middle of the debt discussion? Yes, he should have input and should be consulted so a bill can be constructed that could get signed but, it is the responsibility of Congress to create the bill.
We see both houses giving the President too much power and it is time the power is returned to the Congress otherwise the Executive become too powerful and the legislative becomes a rubber stamp. This was not the objective of the Founders.
Can Congress change this way of doing business? I doubt it. In an effort to get things done, the President will continue to propose bills and hammer Congress to pass them. The more this occurs, the less power and influence they will have and we will degrade just like Rome did.
18% approval is terrible and it shows the concern that Americans of all political stripes have with their government. It is time that Congress wakes up and smells the coffee otherwise, we, as their bosses, must fire the lot and start over. My brother-in-law, who is a Democrat told me the other day, "I want to fire them all." I think his sentiments are pretty universal. What about you?
Poll: 82 percent disapprove of Congress
By Michael O'Brien - 08/05/11 06:00 AM ET
A record number of Americans said they disapprove of Congress in the wake of this week's move by lawmakers to approve compromise legislation to raise the nation's debt ceiling.
Eighty-two percent of Americans disapprove of the way Congress is handling its job, according to a New York Times/CBS News poll released Friday. Lawmakers' approval rating stands at 14 percent, matching the low point at which Americans rated Congress in March of 2010, in the midst of the healthcare battle.
The figures suggest a deep dissatisfaction with Congress in the wake of the protracted fight over spending cuts related to the debt limit that has dominated political discussion in Washington over the past few months.
Just 14 percent of registered voters said that most members of Congress deserve reelection; 74 percent said that lawmakers don't deserve another term.
President Obama is also pummeled in the poll, though he fares better than Congress.
Forty-six percent of Americans said they approved of the way Obama handled his job, compared to 47 percent who expressed a disapproving view of the president, according to the poll.
The poll numbers suggest that the tarnish associated with the debt-ceiling fight has stuck to most political actors, but especially to Republicans in Congress.
Seventy-two percent of poll respondents disapproved of the way Republicans in Congress handled debt negotiations. (By comparison, 66 percent disapproved of Democrats' handling of the crisis.)
And House Speaker John Boehner (Ohio), the primary voice for Republicans throughout the debt-ceiling fight, saw his unfavorable numbers rise, too.
Fifty-seven percent of respondents said they disapprove of the way Boehner is handling his job, up from 41 percent in mid-April. Boehner'sBoehner.
It always has been said by Americans that "I hate Congress but my Congressman/woman is pretty good." Now I think we are seeing that sentiment also eroding. Congress does not seem to be able to do what is in the best interests of the United States. They talk about pork but keep putting it in bills. The "bridge to nowhere" is only surpassed by appropriating money for Chinese prostitutes so they can learn how not to get drunk before going out with their johns. Insanity has somehow taken over our government and it is time that we do something about it. Otherwise, we will end up like the Roman Empire.
The Roman Empire stretched from Scandinavia to Africa. It had the most powerful armies in the world, at that time. Its citizens lived very well and got benefits from its generous government. However, over time, its armies became involved in conflicts throughout the world and were soon stretched to a point they were no longer strong. The money that had flowed from the booty from conquered countries slowed also. The Roman Senate argued incessentantly and turned more and more power over to the leaders of the country. When things got worse, there were no leaders who stepped up and soon Rome degraded into a dictatorial government.
Does any of this sound familiar? Our troops are stationed in 80 plus countries around the world. We still have troops in Germany, twenty years plus years after the Cold War was over. The troops that Bill Clinton put in Kosovo (who attacked us there?) are still there. How many years ago was that? And there are our troops operating under NATO in Libya.
Our Congress argued for weeks over the debt issue and then passed an insignificant piece of legislative lies and deceit. Spending increases were reduced and called spending cuts. Rating agencies told them to cut the budget by 4 trillion and they could only get half way. Now we get a downgrade and everyone is surprised.
In past years, Congress had turned more and more of the legislating to the Executive Branch. "The President has not proposed anything" was the talking points during the debt limit discussion.. Folks, that it not his job. The House is responsible for submitting all finance bills, period, not the President. We have forgotten that. Other bills can be created in either house and then sent to the President for his signature or veto. Yes, he can propose bills to either house for their consideration, but he is not responsible for legislation.
Additionally, why was the President in the middle of the debt discussion? Yes, he should have input and should be consulted so a bill can be constructed that could get signed but, it is the responsibility of Congress to create the bill.
We see both houses giving the President too much power and it is time the power is returned to the Congress otherwise the Executive become too powerful and the legislative becomes a rubber stamp. This was not the objective of the Founders.
Can Congress change this way of doing business? I doubt it. In an effort to get things done, the President will continue to propose bills and hammer Congress to pass them. The more this occurs, the less power and influence they will have and we will degrade just like Rome did.
18% approval is terrible and it shows the concern that Americans of all political stripes have with their government. It is time that Congress wakes up and smells the coffee otherwise, we, as their bosses, must fire the lot and start over. My brother-in-law, who is a Democrat told me the other day, "I want to fire them all." I think his sentiments are pretty universal. What about you?
Poll: 82 percent disapprove of Congress
By Michael O'Brien - 08/05/11 06:00 AM ET
A record number of Americans said they disapprove of Congress in the wake of this week's move by lawmakers to approve compromise legislation to raise the nation's debt ceiling.
Eighty-two percent of Americans disapprove of the way Congress is handling its job, according to a New York Times/CBS News poll released Friday. Lawmakers' approval rating stands at 14 percent, matching the low point at which Americans rated Congress in March of 2010, in the midst of the healthcare battle.
The figures suggest a deep dissatisfaction with Congress in the wake of the protracted fight over spending cuts related to the debt limit that has dominated political discussion in Washington over the past few months.
Just 14 percent of registered voters said that most members of Congress deserve reelection; 74 percent said that lawmakers don't deserve another term.
President Obama is also pummeled in the poll, though he fares better than Congress.
Forty-six percent of Americans said they approved of the way Obama handled his job, compared to 47 percent who expressed a disapproving view of the president, according to the poll.
The poll numbers suggest that the tarnish associated with the debt-ceiling fight has stuck to most political actors, but especially to Republicans in Congress.
Seventy-two percent of poll respondents disapproved of the way Republicans in Congress handled debt negotiations. (By comparison, 66 percent disapproved of Democrats' handling of the crisis.)
And House Speaker John Boehner (Ohio), the primary voice for Republicans throughout the debt-ceiling fight, saw his unfavorable numbers rise, too.
Fifty-seven percent of respondents said they disapprove of the way Boehner is handling his job, up from 41 percent in mid-April. Boehner'sBoehner.
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