Please feel free to use the comments for discussion

Had enough?

Just 14% of Americans have a great deal or quite a lot of confidence in Congress. 

This 14% Congressional confidence rating is the all-time low for this measure, which Gallup initiated in 1973.  The previous low point for Congress was 18% at several points in the period of time 1991 to 1994.

Congress is now nestled at the bottom of the list of Gallup’s annual Confidence in Institutions rankings, along with HMOs.  Just 15% of Americans have a great deal or quite a lot of confidence in HMOs.  (By way of contrast, 69% of Americans have a great deal or quite a lot of confidence in the military, which tops the list.

I am pleased to announce GOP Bloggers’ ninth 2008 Straw Poll. Like our last poll, you get to pick which candidates you find acceptable and which ones you don’t and it will tally who has the largest net positive or net negative support, and you can choose which candidate is your first choice for the GOP nomination in 2008… You can indicate what state you are in, your gender and your age bracket. You may also indicate how many hours a week you spend reading blogs, and how committed you are to your first choice for president in 2008.

Visit the following link to vote

via Drudge

The new poll up asks a simple question:

Nov. 7 Elections are coming up - Which party do you think will win majority?

Your options are:

Republicans
Democrats

Discuss your choice in this thread - the post is open for discussion on the topic.
View previous poll results.

This weeks poll asks:

The Senate Judiciary committee approved two bills. One that allows warrantless wiretapping of calls and one that requires special court warrant approval. Which bill should the Senate pass?

Your options are:

I Support National Security Warrantless Wiretapping
I Support Court Approved Warrant Required Wiretapping

Discuss your choice in this thread - the post is open for discussion on the topic.
View previous poll results.

Related in the news:
Don’t Let the Senate Legalize Warrantless Wiretapping - Amherst Times
GOP Leaders Back Bush on Wiretapping, Tribunals - WaPo
Rove blasts warrantless wiretapping decision - CNN
Republican Rift Over Wiretapping Widens - WaPo

Related in blogs:

Bill authorizing warrantless wiretapping stalls - Think Progress
The Secret Room — The Bush Administration’s Surveillance Game - New America Media
Tech of NSA Wiretapping (and why the warrants argument is dumb) - Code Better
Distinguishing Original Meaning and Original Intent - Volokh Conspiracy
Not digging Judge Anna Diggs Taylor - Ann Althouse

As promised the last time we ran the poll for Republican favorites - here is the poll for Democratic favorites for your best Presidential nominiee pick. The latest poll asks the question:

Who would be your best pick for presidential nominee for the Democratic Party?

Your Options:
Hillary Clinton
Joe Biden
Russ Feingold
Al Gore
John Edwards
John Kerry
Wesley Clark
Mark Warner
Tom Daschle
Tom Vilsack
Barack Obama
Unsure
Someone else

Discuss your choice in this thread - the post is open for discussion on the topic.
View previous poll results.

After a very long hiatus, I’m back with the latest RV Poll. First let me just thank Peejz for doing such an awesome job here on this site as the sole author here. The past several months have been hectic for me with work and wedding planning. But, Chris and I were married on 6/24 (if interested, there are a few pictures here, here and here) - followed by an extended vacation/honeymoon and I *think* we’re settling back into reality now (that’s debatable). So thank you, peejz - - you ‘da best!

So..on with the latest poll…

Time for a 2008 Presidential Race gut check. The latest poll asks the question:

Who would be your best pick for presidential nominee for the Republican Party?

Your Options:
Rudi Guliani
Condoleeza Rice
John McCain
Newt Gingrich
Jeb Bush
Bill Frist
Dick Cheney
George Pataki
Mitt Romney
George Allen

With his recent approval ratings hitting an all time low of 31% - this weeks RV Poll asks:

Has your personal approval for the job President Bush is doing wavered?

Your options include:
Completely - I’m sorry I voted for him
Yes it has, a lot
Yes, but only a little
No, not really at all
I’m not sure
I never did approve of him

You can participate in the poll in the upper left of the site. This post is open for discussion on the topic.

View previous poll results.

Related in the news:

Editor & Publisher: Gallup: Bush’s Approval Rating Hits Record Low of 31%, Disapproval at 65%

ABCNews: Poll: Conservatives Drive Bush’s and Republican Congress’ Approval Ratings to New Lows

MSNBC: Republican right abandoning Bush -
45 percent of self-described conservatives disapprove of president

PRNewsWire: President Bush’s Job Approval Ratings Remain Low, Says Harris Poll

Related in blogs:

This weeks poll asks:

Do you think Ray Nagin will win re-election as Mayor in New Orleans?

Your Options include:

Yes
No
I don’t know

You can participate in the poll in the upper left of the site. This post is open for discussion on the topic.

View previous poll results.

Related In The News:
New Orleans Elections: Is Nagin Still The Real Deal? - BayouBuzz.com
Nagin Wins — or Does He? - Time.com
Storms Payback From God, Nagin Says - WaPo
Candidates Ask That Race Be Kept Out of Runoff - WaPo

Related in Blogs:
Slobkan consults the Magic 8-Ball

Independant Conservative with: Blacks Were Not New Orleans’ Majority Voting Bloc in 2002 Either!, states: “Now given Mayor Nagin was never very popular with Blacks and he’s ticked off many Whites. It will be no surprise to me if Ray Nagin looses the run-off election to Louisiana Lt. Gov. Mitch Landrieu. But it will be very interesting watching the reaction from the usual band of race warlords, if Nagin looses.“

This is a photo from the Los Angeles Times, of immigrants rights protesters in LA.

This weeks poll asks:

Have the recent demonstrations made you more or less sympathetic to the illegal immigrants?

Your Options include:

More Sympathetic
Less Sympathetic
I wasn’t sympathetic to begin with
I am sympathetic - but my sympathy is unchanged
I don’t really know

You can participate in the poll in the upper left of the site. This post is open for discussion on the topic.

View previous poll results.

Related In The News:

High Point, Northwestern Students Stage Mass Protests - WaPo
Immigration rallies sweep US - WaPo
Immigrants Have Strong Voice in Government - WaPo
Immigrant protests hit New York - CNN
Strategy Sessions Fueled Immigrant Marches - NYTimes

This week, lawmakers in the state of Massachusetts approved a bill that would make Massachusetts the first state to require that all its citizens have some form of health insurance.

The plan — approved just 24 hours after the final details were released — would use a combination of financial incentives and penalties to dramatically expand access to health care over the next three years and extend coverage to the state’s estimated 500,000 uninsured.

If all goes as planned, poor people will be offered free or heavily subsidized coverage; those who can afford insurance but refuse to get it will face increasing tax penalties until they obtain coverage; and those already insured will see a modest drop in their premiums.

Yahoo - AP

This weeks poll asks:

Would you support a government-run, taxpayer-funded universal health system modeled after Medicare?

Your Options include:

Yes
No
Unsure