Congress, too, lags in new poll

WASHINGTON -- People think the Democratic-led Congress is doing just as dreary a job as President Bush after four months of bitter political standoffs and little progress on Iraq and a variety of domestic issues, an AP-Ipsos poll says.

The poll also found that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is more popular than the president and her colleagues on Capitol Hill, though she faces a gender gap in which significantly more women than men support her.

The survey found 35 percent approve of how Congress is handling its job, down 5 percentage points in a month. That gives lawmakers the same approval rating as Bush, who has been mired at about that level since last fall, including his dip to a record low for the AP-Ipsos poll of 32 percent in January.

"It's mostly Iraq" plus a lack of progress in other areas, said Rep. Tom Cole, R-Okla., who heads the House Republican Party campaign committee. "These are not good numbers for an incumbent, and it doesn't matter if you have an 'R' or a 'D' next to your name."

Democrats agreed the problem is largely Iraq, which has dominated this year's session of Congress while producing little more than this month's Bush veto of a bill requiring the withdrawal of U.S. troops.

The issue also has overshadowed House-passed bills on stem-cell research, student loans and other subjects the White House opposes, Democrats said.

"People are unhappy, there hasn't been a lot of change in direction, for example in Iraq," said Rep. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., chairman of House Democrats' campaign effort.

Rising gasoline prices also could be a factor, lawmakers said.

In another measure of popular discontent, the survey found that 71 percent think the country is on the wrong track, about even with the 73 percent who said so last May, the worst level since the AP-Ipsos poll began in December 2003.

White House spokesman Tony Snow declined to comment on the poll.

Congress' approval rating this week was 10 points higher than a year ago, when Republicans were in control.

But after bumping up in April, this month's drop left lawmakers' job approval where it was when the year began. April saw Congress defy Bush and send him a bill financing the war and requiring a troop withdrawal. He vetoed the measure May 1.

"People wanted change in Washington" on many issues, not just Iraq, said Rep. Rahm Emanuel, D-Ill., a member of the House Democratic leadership. "I'm not surprised about where people are. They're hearing only about Iraq."

As for Pelosi, D-Calif., her overall approval of 45 percent stood 10 points higher than those of Bush and Congress.

She was seen favorably by 52 percent of women, but only 39 percent of men.

The survey was taken Monday through Wednesday. It involved phone interviews with 1,000 adults and has a margin of sampling error of plus or minus 3 percentage points.