Another day, another horrible set of poll numbers for President Bush and the Republican-controlled Congress. Late last week, it was a Wall Street Journal poll showing ?disapproval of Congress?s performance is higher than it has been since 1994," combined with an American Research Group survey showing that the country disapproves of President Bush?s performance in office by a 43%-51% margin.Today, it's a USA Today/CNN/Gallup poll which has Bush's approval ratings on the economy, Iraq and Social Security at "the lowest levels of his White House tenure." The Republican-controlled Congress fares even worse, with Americans saying by a nine-point margin (47%-36%) that the country would be better off if Democrats, rather than Republicans, controlled the House and Senate. The survey also indicates that 51% of Americans lean towards the Democratic Party, with just 40% leaning Republican -- an 11 point margin for the Democrats! Oh yeah, and Americans disagree with Bush by a 17-point margin (57%-40%) "on the issues that matter most to them." In other words, if elections were held today, the Republicans would lose in a monumental landslide. Amazing what a few months can make, huh?
So why do Republicans in Congress and the White House continue to push their extreme right-wing agenda? Do these people really believe they received a "mandate" in the 2004 elections for trashing the constitution, invoking a "nuclear option," intruding on peoples' personal lives, assaulting Social Security, preventing therapeutic stem cell research, and threatening the country's independent judiciary? Is that what Americans wanted when George W. Bush lost the popular vote in 2000, then barely squeaked out an electoral vote victory in 2004? Or are Republicans just terrified and completely beholden to the extreme right wing of their party, the so-called "Christian Taliban?"
Whatever the reason, it looks like the GOP is paying the price for its actions the past few months. Sorry to disappoint all the Republicans out there who thought that the last elections meant Republican control forever, but a little birdie tells me that you were just a wee bit premature. In fact, if current trends keep up, Republicans will be lucky to keep either the House or the Senate in 2006.
Before we get to 2006, of course, Virginians will have the distinct pleasure of demonstrating our displeasure, at the ballot box this November, with the Republican Party's corruption, arrogance, and power-crazed overreach. First, we get to elect Lt. Gov. Tim Kaine to carry on Gov. Mark Warner's great legacy of leadership the past four years. Second, we get to send a message to the entire nation that we Virginians will not stand by as Republicans assault our freedoms, our values, our jobs, our pensions, and our health. Finally, we will have the chance to tell all the special interest, out-of-state money pouring into Jerry Kilgore's campaign to take a hike -- our votes cannot be bought.
Yep, starting right here in Virginia in November, the right-wing Republicans are going right down the drain. Listen and you'll hear the unkmistakeable sound: glub, glub, glub. What a sweet sound it is.