January 9, 2006

A rising tide: National Journal’s PollTrack reports support for 2006 Democratic candidates is increasing, with 49% of respondents saying they would want to see Dems win control of Congress if elections were held today, while only 36% said they wanted to see the GOP in control, according to a new Associated Press/Ipsos Public Affairs survey.

Curiously, recent high-profile scandals don’t seem to be affecting legislators’ numbers: 34% of respondents said they approve of how Congress is handling its job — up 3 points since December; 63% disapproved.

President Bush, however, didn’t enjoy a similar bump. Just 41 percent said they approved of his job, and 58 percent disapproved. In the last survey, his split was 42/57.

Many of Bush’s numbers on his work on individual issues slipped a few points since AP/Ipsos’ poll in the first week of December. The approve/disapprove split on his handling of domestic matters went from 39/59 to 35/63, and his split on the economy went from 42/55 to 38/60.

A little Alito: As the Senate cranks up its ponderous judicial confirmation process for Judge Sam Alito today, his initial polling numbers look like Chief Justice John Roberts’ survey results at the beginning of his hearings, according to National Journal’s PollTrack.

A new ABC News/Washington Post poll found 53% of respondents said the Senate should confirm Alito, while 27% said they did not want Alito to be confirmed; 20% had no opinion.

Those numbers are similar to John Roberts’ figures at the same point in the process. An ABC/Post poll conducted in the days before his hearings, which started Sept. 12, showed that 55 percent of respondents wanted the Senate to confirm him. Twenty-six percent said he should not be confirmed.

Abortion is set to be a flashpoint issue during Alito’s hearings. A 38-percent plurality told pollsters that if Alito is confirmed, he would vote to leave abortion law as it currently is. Twenty-six percent predicted he would vote to impose greater restrictions on Roe v. Wade, and 18 percent predicted he would vote to overturn it.

More than 75% of Republicans and 40% of Democrats support Alito.

Day: January 9, 2006

Poll: Support for ’06 Dem Candidates Rising

Poll: Alito’s Numbers Look Like Roberts’

Poetic Justice

Verbatim

“The man is afraid of the voice of the people and that the people understand and know what he’s doing. He’s trying to stifle the ability of journalists to let the people of America know what’s really going on with their government.”

— “Kamala Harris called President Donald Trump’s ban of CNN, MS NOW and Politico from the White House ‘absolutely abhorrent,’” The Wrap reports.

“Not one of them is trained in technical skills. Not one research PhD, as opposed to China, where half the cabinet is science and technology PhDs. We’re led by grifters and fools.”

— Columbia professor Jeffrey Sachs, on X, on President Trump’s 35-person cabinet.

“Mr. President, some of your immigration enforcement efforts have gone too far… The same Hispanics who helped you get to the White House in 2024 feel betrayed today.”

— Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar (R-FL), breaking with President Trump in a direct-to-camera video.

Numerati

1,000

10%

“The unprecedented spate of mid-decade redistricting for the U.S. House has changed the congressional districts for one-tenth of Americans and significantly altered the makeup of at least one-fifth of districts, according to a new study,” the Associated Press reports.

71%

A new Fox News Poll finds 71% of voters think the Trump administration lacks a clear strategy for ending the Iran War, including 95% of Democrats, 83% of independents, and 43% of Republicans. Sixty percent say U.S. military action against Iran was the wrong decision, while just 37% say it was right.

$9.5 billion

“The Trump administration last year spent $9.5 billion on paid administrative leave for federal workers as part of its plan to shrink the government and save taxpayers money, according to a new estimate by a congressional watchdog,” CNN reports.

470

Reuters has documented at least 470 targets of retribution under Trump’s leadership – from federal employees and prosecutors to universities and media outlets. The list illuminates the sweeping effort by the president and his administration to punish dissent and reshape the government.