Gallup released the results of its annual Honesty & Ethics in Professions survey last week. This year, for the first time, members of Congress fell to the lowest of all professions with a 7% high-favorability rating. As I noted in a post last year, members of Congress were previously at a 9% high-favorability rating, two points higher than lobbyists and car salespeople. This year, they managed to drop to the bottom with those two groups.
Even more dramatic is the upward trend of the low-favorability rating for members of Congress, now standing at a record 64%:
As Gallup stated in its report:
This year's ratings of members of Congress are the worst for them on record, with 7% rating them as high and 64% as low. That is consistent with Americans' poor views of Congress in general, as both its job approval rating and broader trust in the institution are also at record lows.
Congress is the only profession that established a new low rating for the profession this year.
This comes as no surprise to most people. Anyone who is following the Kabuki Theatre taking place on the House floor in regard to the payroll tax debate can understand why these people lack the trust and respect of the American people.
For many of us, a 7% high-favorable rating seems about 7 points too high.
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ps: This is my last post for the year. I’ve got too much going on with company in town.
I want to wish all OS regulars the best of wishes for the holidays as well as in the New Year. I have always felt that OS writers are the best on the web. There are many here who I enjoy reading much more than any of the writers on Salon, Huff Post or any of the other “main stream” web sites.
See you next year.
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Comments
the people who work in brothels are not virtuous, in a conventional or traditional sense, although they are better respected nowadays than many, such as bankers, politicians, and priests..
the only 'virtue' you can reasonably expect from a politician is, after he takes your bribe, he delivers your favor.
it is convenient to blame politicians for lying to voters, for taking bribes, but this is self-serving hypocrisy. the simple truth is, americans superficially expect saintly behavior from politicians to excuse themselves from the duties of citizenship.
next time you express disgust at the behavior of politicians, ask yourself, "why do i go on voting for them?"
you are unwilling to put yourself to the trouble of demanding democracy, probably fearful of the consequences of allowing your fellows to direct the nation, and you have demonstrated a willingness to allow the politicians guild to destroy millions of families, just to save you from the responsibilities of your citizenship.
be kinder to politicians, they whore after bribes, and dupe their voters, but what do you deserve?
And, more importantly, what is it that you are doing to make this situation better?
it would work, if supported, it's easy to do, and not one progressive has explained why he isn't joining the plan. no one says, 'can't work,' they just change the subject.
when i come up with a better plan, i will publish it, have you got one?
-R-