Congress disliked even more than Bush

WASHINGTON — Too much bickering and not enough legislating.

That, in just a few words, explains why public approval of Congress' job performance has fallen 11 points since May, to 24 percent, its lowest level in a year, an Associated Press-Ipsos poll finds.

That's lower than for President Bush, who isn't exactly "Mr. Popularity," either.

Hear the people:

"I disapprove of all the fighting that they do all the time. ... They're not making George Bush do anything. They're not doing anything themselves," added Tammy Lambirth, a Democrat and data researcher from San Antonio.

"They're not addressing the issues that are worth addressing," Steve Wofford, a moderate Republican and software consultant from Scottsdale, Ariz., said of Congress.

"They've abandoned all the social issues. They don't want to deal with universal health care. They don't want to deal with the problems in our education system. It just goes on and on," lamented Rod Butler, a Democrat from Redondo Beach, Calif., who teaches music at a university.

The 24 percent approval rating for Congress matched its previous low. That came in June 2006, five months before Democrats won control of the House and Senate due to public discontent with the job Republicans were doing.

Just two months ago, 35 percent approved of Congress' productivity.

Poll respondents from both political parties say they're tired of the bickering between Congress and the White House, and they want the two branches of government to work together on such issues as education, health care and the Iraq war.

The latest fight involves Bush's refusal to hand over documents and let former White House aides answer questions from the Democratic-controlled Congress about the firing of U.S. attorneys. The dispute could end up in federal court.

"They don't approve of anything he does," Theresa Holsten, an unemployed Republican from Lawton, Okla., said of Congress. "He can't do anything right, according to what some people say. It irritates the living daylights out of me."

While the public's approval of Congress has dropped 11 points since May, the percentage of Democrats who are turning up their noses at Congress — like Lambirth — nearly doubled. Among Republicans, though, not so much.

Approval among Democrats fell 21 points, down from 48 percent in May to 27 percent.