Congressional Performance
Congressional Approval Falls to Single Digits for First Time Ever

The percentage of voters who give Congress good or excellent ratings has fallen to single digits for the first time in Rasmussen Reports tracking history. This month, just 9% say Congress is doing a good or excellent job. Most voters (52%) say Congress is doing a poor job, which ties the record high in that dubious category.

Last month, 11% of voters gave the legislature good or excellent ratings. Congress has not received higher than a 15% approval rating since the beginning of 2008.

The percentage of Democrats who give Congress positive ratings fell from 17% last month to 13% this month. The number of Democrats who give Congress a poor rating remained unchanged. Among Republicans, 8% give Congress good or excellent ratings, up just a point from last month. Sixty-five percent (65%) of GOP voters say Congress is doing a poor job, down a single point from last month.

Voters not affiliated with either party are the most critical of Congressional performance. Just 3% of those voters give Congress positive ratings, down from 6% last month. Sixty-three percent (63%) believe Congress is doing a poor job, up from 57% last month.

Just 12% of voters think Congress has passed any legislation to improve life in this country over the past six months. That number has ranged from 11% to 13% throughout 2008. The majority of voters (62%) say Congress has not passed any legislation to improve life in America.

Voters hold little positive sentiment about the future. Just 41% find it at least somewhat likely that Congress will address important problems facing our nation in the near future, while 55% find this unlikely.

http://rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/mood_of_america/congressional_performance/congressional_performance

Proof? Expect a big power shift to the Democrats this year.

In a nutshell, "People are severely disappointed with a Democrat controlled congress but it's the Republicans' fault."

Republicans Vote Against Moms; No Word Yet on Puppies, Kittens

By Dana Milbank
Friday, May 9, 2008; A03

It was already shaping up to be a difficult year for congressional Republicans. Now, on the cusp of Mother's Day, comes this: A majority of the House GOP has voted against motherhood.

On Wednesday afternoon, the House had just voted, 412 to 0, to pass H. Res. 1113, "Celebrating the role of mothers in the United States and supporting the goals and ideals of Mother's Day," when Rep. Todd Tiahrt (R-Kan.), rose in protest.

"Mr. Speaker, I move to reconsider the vote," he announced.

Rep. Kathy Castor (D-Fla.), who has two young daughters, moved to table Tiahrt's request, setting up a revote. This time, 178 Republicans cast their votes against mothers.

It has long been the custom to compare a popular piece of legislation to motherhood and apple pie. Evidently, that is no longer the standard. Worse, Republicans are now confronted with a John Kerry-esque predicament: They actually voted for motherhood before they voted against it.

Republicans, unhappy with the Democratic majority, have been using such procedural tactics as this all week to bring the House to a standstill, but the assault on mothers may have gone too far. House Minority Leader John Boehner, asked yesterday to explain why he and 177 of his colleagues switched their votes, answered: "Oh, we just wanted to make sure that everyone was on record in support of Mother's Day."

By voting against it?

Rep. William Clay [D-MO]: Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 1113) celebrating the role of mothers in the United States and supporting the goals and ideals of Mother's Day.

H. Res. 1113, "Celebrating the role of mothers in the United States and supporting the goals and ideals of Mother's Day,"
ntroduced by
Rep. Jeffrey Fortenberry [R-NE]
cosponsors (54) About 10 D 44 R

reconsider - Senate rules permit one motion to reconsider any question decided by vote, if offered by a Senator who voted on the winning side. Normally a supporter of the outcome immediately moves to reconsider the vote, and the same Senator or another immediately moves to table this motion, thus securing the outcome of the vote.

table, motion to - A Senator may move to table any pending question. The motion is not debatable, and agreement to the motion is equivalent to defeating the question tabled. The motion is used to dispose quickly of questions the Senate does not wish to consider further.

A motion to reconsider is a parliamentary practice that gives the House (or Senate) one opportunity to review its action on a motion, amendment, or measure.

Motions to reconsider are routinely laid on the table -- or killed. If a motion to reconsider is adopted, it requires a vote be held again on whatever the House has voted to reconsider. Only Members who voted on the winning side may move to reconsider a vote.

May 7, 2008: This bill passed in the House of Representatives by roll call vote. The vote was held under a suspension of the rules to cut debate short and pass the bill, needing a two-thirds majority. The totals were 412 Ayes, 0 Nays, 21 Present/Not Voting.

The democrates did not want to reconsider their actions on the bill. the Republicans did

"Oh, we just wanted to make sure that everyone was on record in support of Mother's Day."

Maybe the Democrates are trying to push a lot of stuff through. That would not be good for the USA. The Republicans are stopping them with all the filibustering

But hey this is the view of someone who thinks Bush is a war criminal and should be dragged out of office and hung for treason so clearly I’m just some dumb radical.

This subject has ALREADY been covered in another thread in the "Politics" section: Confidence in "Congress at record low", started on June 20. 12% Approval