WASHINGTON — All of Washington’s elected leaders earn negative marks for handling budget negotiations, but the public’s ire toward Republicans in Congress has hardened quicker than disapproval of President Barack Obama and Democrats through a fortnight of failed negotiations.
A new Washington Post-ABC News poll finds nearly three-quarters of Americans disapprove of the way Republicans in Congress are handling negotiations over the budget (74 percent), up from 63 percent since the start of the shutdown after hitting 70 percent last week. Disapproval of congressional Democrats also has risen by a smaller amount — 56 percent to 61 percent — since the shutdown began, owing in large part to greater approval among fellow Democrats.
After a brief uptick last week, Obama’s ratings for handling budget negotiations are once again clearly negative, with 42 percent now approving and 53 percent disapproving. Obama now stands essentially where he did two weeks ago, when 41 percent approved and 50 percent disapproved.
