Approval of Congress in US Below that of Osama bin Laden in Pakistan?

February 18, 2008 | Filed Under Congress, Democrats/Leftists, GOP, Government, Corruption, Media Bias, News, Publius Contributor, Security/Safety, Society/Culture, War on Terror, Warner Todd Huston |

-By Warner Todd Huston

We frequently hear the US media trumpet that Bush’s approval ratings are so low. Not quite as often we hear that Congress’ approval ratings are even lower than Bush’s. But, did you know that Osama bin Laden and his al Qaeda has an approval rating in Pakistan two percent higher than Congress does?

Both Congress and bin Laden seem to have fallen on hard times of late. According to the AP, in the USA Nancy Pelosi’s Congress has an approval rating of 22% while Bush has an approval rating of 30%. Congress’ low approval rating matches its documented poorest grade and has dropped 4 percentage points since January.

Now, if someone were to tell you that Congress in the US ranks lower than bin Laden and al Qaeda does in Pakistan, you might not think that so wild a statement. Of course the Islamic radicals in Pakistan would love bin Laden and al Qaeda, and Americans might, you might imagine, be more critical of their own leaders. However, a recent Washington Post report might startle you.

Support in Pakistan for al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden has fallen from 46 percent in August to 24 percent now, according to a separate poll released Sunday.

If this poll is to be believed, then that means that al Qaeda is nearly as disliked as Congress. It also shows that Bush has a much higher approval rating than both Congress and bin Laden.

Let me warn here that I am not taking the Pakistani poll as gospel, of course. But, this news report is interesting for the fact that these results have not been viewed side by side. After all, the MSM wouldn’t want the public to know how low approval is for both bin Laden and Congress and how those ratings are so closely tallied.

If these polls are to be believed, Americans view congress in the exact same light as do al Qaeda’s supporters and that is badly. This should startle any American because it really shows just how low an opinion that Americans have of Congress.

Unfortunately, it doesn’t seem that things are going to get better any time soon. But, at least Congress can say that they beat al Qaeda. Of course, they beat them at being worse.
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Warner Todd Huston is a Chicago based freelance writer, has been writing opinion editorials and social criticism since early 2001 and is featured on many websites such as newsbusters.org, townhall.com, New Media Journal, Men’s News Daily and the New Media Alliance among many, many others. Additionally, he has been a frequent guest on talk-radio programs to discuss his opinion editorials and current events. He has also written for several history magazines and appears in the new book “Americans on Politics, Policy and Pop Culture” which can be purchased on amazon.com. He is also the owner and operator of publiusforum.com. Feel free to contact him with any comments or questions : EMAIL Warner Todd Huston