Third National Poll Confirms: Americans' Concern About Nasty Politics Continues to Climb

/PRNewswire/ -- Building on its April 2010 survey on the growing incivility in politics, the Center for Political Participation (CPP) at Allegheny College, in conjunction with Indiana University–Purdue University Fort Wayne (IPFW), today released the findings of new polling data that suggests Americans see politics as increasingly nasty and that the current political tone may be harmful to our democracy. Still, an overwhelming majority believe that passionate but respectful campaigning is possible.

Some 63 percent of respondents in the latest civility poll, conducted during the last four days leading up to the November midterm elections, believe politics has become less civil since President Barack Obama took office nearly two years ago. This is up from 48 percent in the April survey, and up from 58 percent in a second poll conducted in September, two full months before the midterms.

"You have to remember," said Professor Daniel M. Shea, director of the CPP, "our first wave of polling was done immediately following the health care reform vote. Things were rather hot in Washington. The dramatic increase in the perceptions of negativity since then is stunning. Things have gotten even worse."

A full 46 percent of registered American voters in the November poll said this year's election was the "most negative they had ever seen." An additional 26 percent said that it was "more negative than in the past," but they had seen worse. Only 4 percent said that campaigns were more positive than in the past.

"Sure, memories are short and it's common for all of us to think the most recent election was the worst," said Shea. "But these polling results are powerful. Nearly three out of four people believe this election was one of the nastiest they have ever seen."

A majority of voters (64 percent) polled in November said that the degenerating tone of politics is unhealthy for our democracy. Only 17 percent think the tone of campaigns is healthy for our democracy, while 14 percent think the tone has little impact on democracy. Eighty-seven percent of Democrats who viewed 2010 as the most negative election said that incivility in politics hurts our democracy. Independents and Republicans also see a detrimental effect, with independents at 78 percent and Republicans at 72 percent.

Although a majority of African Americans and Hispanics believe the negative tone of campaigns hurts our democracy, these groups (55 percent black, 50 percent Hispanic) were less likely than whites (67 percent) to consider this as harmful to democracy.

Even so, the November poll finds that voters remain optimistic about candidates' ability to run positive campaigns. Nine out of 10 registered voters believe it is "possible for candidates to run for office in aggressive, but in respectful ways."

"This percentage actually grew by 5 percent from our mid-September poll," said Michael Wolf of Indiana University–Purdue University Fort Wayne, co-author of the study. "Just because the public views campaigns as brutal, particularly this year's, doesn't mean they think it has to be that way. At least for now there remains some optimism out there."

Does their perception of negativity in politics have an impact on voters' willingness to get involved? Thirty percent of all registered voters questioned in the poll reported that the tone of the midterm elections made them less interested in becoming engaged in the process. Independents and Democrats were much more likely than Republicans to say they were less interested due to the tone. Indeed, a majority of Republicans who said that the 2010 election was the most negative they had ever seen said the uncivil tone would actually push them to participate. Additionally, African-Americans—who on the whole are loyal to Democrats—were much more likely than all Americans to say that negative campaigning made them more interested in getting involved in elections.

Another sore subject for voters was the role that so-called "outside money" – through which interest groups not located in a particular district flood a race with ads, mailings and phone calls -- has played in campaigning. Just less than 60 percent of respondents oppose this practice. Democratic respondents were more opposed to outside money (69 percent) than independents (57 percent opposed). A majority of Republicans (51 percent) also oppose this practice.

"It's a bit early to know with certainty, but early evidence suggests a strong majority of outside money was aimed at helping the GOP retake control of Congress, and a vast majority of these ads were hard-hitting and negative," Shea said. "It would make sense that some of these ads actually revved up GOP voters."

This recent wave of polling for Allegheny and IPFW was conducted by SurveyUSA between Oct. 28 and Nov. 1, 2010. In all, 1,252 registered voters were contacted, yielding a margin of error of plus or minus 2.5 percent.

For a complete set of the data, along with cross tabulations and graphic displays of the results, see: http://www.allegheny.edu/novemberpoll. The survey findings from the September poll, along with charts and cross tabulations, can be accessed at: www.allegheny.edu/septemberpoll. The April 2010 survey, "Nastiness, Name-calling & Negativity," is available at www.allegheny.edu/civility.

What's Next? An Issue that Unites Americans: Preservation of Parental Rights

/PRNewswire/ -- The following is a statement by Michael P. Farris, J.D., President of ParentalRights.org:

In the aftermath of this past election, it is appropriate to ask the question: What next? What will some of the legislative priorities be for the newly constituted House and Senate?

An issue that motivated many activists in last week's elections, while going largely uncovered by the national media, is the protection of the right of parents to make decisions concerning their children. This promises to be on the short list of action items for a new House controlled by Republicans.

During the last election cycle, Barbara Boxer, Nancy Pelosi, President Obama, and other Democratic leaders promised that they would seek and obtain ratification of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC).

Senator Jim DeMint (SC) introduced a resolution, S.Res.519, which opposes the ratification of the UN children's treaty that threatens the constitutional rights of parents. With the leadership of Senator DeMint and the substantial grassroots efforts of Parentalrights.org and 140+ affiliated family organizations, the Senate resolution has 31 formal sponsors. Written commitments from two additional senators bring the number to 33 Senators who stand against the use of international law to govern American parents. This is just one Senator away from the number needed to block ratification of this treaty.

A recent Zogby poll demonstrates that Americans oppose the Convention by 78.3% to 6.4%--a ratio of approximately 12 to 1.

On the flipside, 93% of Americans endorse the Supreme Court's traditional rule protecting parental rights as a fundamental freedom. And even with no explanation of the need for an amendment, 63% of the American public supports a constitutional amendment to protect these rights.

The proposed Parental Rights Amendment currently has 142 co-sponsors in the House, including 140 Republicans and two Democrats. In addition, dozens of candidates for the 112th Congress signed a pledge to cosponsor the Parental Rights Amendment. With many of these winning on November 2, ParentalRights.org already anticipates 156 cosponsors on the measure in January.

Support for Universal Healthcare Dropping Among all American Adults According to LightSource Poll

/PRNewswire/ -- When asked how much additional money they are willing to pay each year to achieve truly universal healthcare coverage for all United States citizens, Americans are becoming less willing to provide their own personal funds. According to LightSource Poll, conducted by KJT Group, the average amount that an adult is willing to spend has decreased dramatically over the past year.

The average adult was willing to spend $201 additionally per year as of February 2010. This dropped to $123 per year as of July/August. These figures are broken down in greater detail in Table 1.

Incremental Additional Amount Adults are Willing to Pay
               Yearly to Achieve Universal Healthcare

                                   February '10       July/August '10
                                         ------------       ---------------
                   $0                   73%                  68%
               $1-$50                    8%                  11%
             $51-$100                    6%                   8%
            $101-$150                    1%                   1%
            $151-$200                    2%                   2%
            $201-$250                    0%                   1%
       Over $250                        10%                  10%
       ---------                             ---                  ---
            Mean                        $201                 $123
                ----                        ----                 ----


  Table 1: How much additional adults are willing to pay annually in
          order to achieve truly universal healthcare coverage

Only 32% of all adults are willing to pay any additional amount of money on a yearly basis as of July/August 2010.

For each wave, there were no statistical differences between Democrats, Republicans and Independents in the average amount they are willing to spend on a yearly basis. Democrats and Independents are more likely than Republicans to contribute any amount toward achieving universal healthcare coverage.

Democrats are far more likely than Republicans or Independents to agree with the statement that "Health care is a right, and should be provided to all citizens regardless of ability to pay or their behavior." These results are shown in Table 2.

Democrats       Republicans       Independents

                                    ---------       -----------       ------------

  Completely agree/

    somewhat agree               69%               26%                54%

             -----------------             ---               ---                ---

  Neither agree nor

       disagree                  13%               20%                16%

             -----------------             ---               ---                ---

      Completely

       disagree/

       somewhat

       disagree                  17%               54%                30%

              ----------                ---               ---                ---



Table 2: Percentage of adults who completely agree or somewhat
   agree that "Health care is a right, and should
  be provided to all citizens regardless of ability to pay or their
   behavior." July/August '10

While Democrats and Independents have remained relatively consistent with their agreement over the past year, Republicans have grown more antagonistic with this notion. 33% of Republicans completely disagree with the above statement.

This wave of the LightSource poll was conducted among 1,000 U.S. adults (18 years or older) between July 29 and August 6, 2010. This was a non-probability, stratified sample, collected via web-based interviews. As such, margin of error cannot be accurately estimated. In addition to the results shown here, an oversample of 600 New York State residents was collected and is published separately. For more information such as a detailed methodology, or additional results from this wave of the LightSource, go to www.lightsourcepoll.com.

New Pew Research Center Survey Reveals Growing Number of Americans Who Say Barack Obama is a Muslim

/PRNewswire/ -- A new national survey by the Pew Research Center for the People & the Press and the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life finds that a substantial and growing number of Americans say that Barack Obama is a Muslim, while the proportion saying he is a Christian has declined. More than a year and a half into his presidency, a plurality of the public says they do not know what religion Obama follows.

According to the survey, nearly one-in-five Americans (18%) now say Obama is a Muslim -- an increase from 11% in March 2009. Only about one-third of adults (34%) say Obama is a Christian, a sharp decrease from 48% in 2009. Fully 43% say they do not know what Obama's religion is. The survey was completed in early August, before Obama's recent comments about the proposed construction of a mosque near the site of the former World Trade Center.

The belief that Obama is a Muslim has increased most sharply among Republicans (up 14 points since 2009), especially conservative Republicans (up 16 points). But the number of independents who say Obama is a Muslim has also increased significantly (up eight points). There has been little change in the number of Democrats who say Obama is a Muslim, but fewer Democrats today say he is a Christian (down nine points since 2009).

The new poll, conducted between July 21 and Aug. 5 among 3,003 respondents, also examines the link between Americans' perception of Obama's religion and their opinion of his job performance, and covers views on the President's approach to religion, including the influence of his religious beliefs on policy decisions. In addition, the survey explores Americans' attitudes toward churches' involvement in politics and religion's influence on American life and government, and looks at religion's impact on voting preferences for the upcoming 2010 congressional races.

The report, including a summary and topline questionnaire, will be accessible on the Forum's new Web feature, "Religion & Politics 2010," which provides a variety of election resources, including:

-- Poll analyses and survey reports on topics related to the midterm
elections
-- Links to news stories about religion-related issues impacting 2010
congressional and gubernatorial races around the country
-- "Election news briefs" highlighting interesting articles and common
themes making news headlines


The Pew Research Center's Forum on Religion & Public Life conducts surveys, demographic analyses and other social science research on important aspects of religion and public life in the U.S. and around the world. As part of the Washington-based Pew Research Center, a nonpartisan, nonadvocacy organization, the Pew Forum does not take positions on any of the issues it covers or on policy debates.

Americans More Favorable of President's Plans for Health Care, Economy and Foreign Policy after Viewing State of the Union Address

/PRNewswire/ -- Results of a national study among 1,050 self-reported Democrats, Republicans and Independents revealed that favorability for the President's plans for health care, the economy, and foreign policy increased among all political parties after viewing President Obama's State of the Union Address.

HCD Research conducted the study using its mediacurves.com website earlier last evening to obtain Americans' "level of favorability" regarding the president's plans for critical issues including the U.S. economy, health care and foreign policy. To view detailed results go to www.mediacurves.com.

After the speech, President Obama's likeability ratings increased among all parties, with Democrats giving him an average likeability score of 6.2; Republicans giving him an average likeability score of 4.0; and Independents giving him an average likeability score of 5.1. In addition, the percentage of respondents who indicated that they would vote for Barack Obama if he ran for a second term increased among all parties.

Among the findings:



 Are you in favor of President Barack Obama's plans for the future on
 the following issues?


 BEFORE ADDRESS     Democrats     Republicans     Independents
                    Yes    No      Yes     No      Yes     No
 Health Care        75%   25%      10%    90%      41%    59%
 U.S. Economy       80%   20%      13%    87%      45%    55%
 Foreign Policy     75%   25%      24%    76%      47%    53%

 AFTER ADDRESS      Democrats      Republicans    Independents
                    Yes    No       Yes     No     Yes     No
 Health Care        83%   17%       18%    82%     47%    53%
 U.S. Economy       90%   10%       27%    73%     58%    42%
 Foreign Policy     87%   13%       29%    71%     57%    43%


 Would you vote for Barack Obama if he ran for a second term as President?
         
                    Democrats      Republicans      Independents
                  Before  After   Before   After   Before    After
 Yes               77%     86%      9%      14%      43%      52%
 No                23%     14%     91%      86%      57%      48%


 Please rate President Barack Obama on the following attributes where 1
 represents "Not at all strong in this attribute" and 7 represents
 "Extremely strong in this attribute."



 LIKEABILITY           Mean Before            Mean After
 Democrats                5.9                    6.2
 Republicans              3.9                    4.0
 Independents             5.0                    5.1

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Poll: Americans - and Millennials - Lack Confidence in Government and Wall Street on Economy

/PRNewswire/ -- A new national poll finds a crisis of confidence on economic issues among Americans -- and younger Americans (those 18-29) -- alike.

Among the key findings, Americans and Millennials:

-- Are not confident in the government's ability to handle the economic
crisis. (59% of Americans; 55% of Millennials)
-- Want a free market approach and oppose greater government regulation
of business. (55% of Americans; 53% of Millennials)
-- Believe the country is headed in the wrong direction. (67% of
Americans; 60% of Millennials)
-- Want the same set of moral standards in business life as in personal
life. (75% of Americans; 66% of Millennials)
-- See business decisions based on greed as morally wrong. (74% of
Americans; 77% of Millennials)
-- Think their careers will be negatively impacted for the long-term by
the current economic situation (55% of Americans under 65 years old;
55% of Millennials).


"A year into the Obama administration, we find that Americans -- and younger Americans -- are having a crisis of confidence," says Carl Anderson, CEO of the Knights of Columbus, the group that commissioned the poll. "People are increasingly pessimistic about the government's ability to handle the economic crisis and a majority believes that increased government regulation will hurt the economy."

Mr. Anderson adds, "At the same time, most Americans are unhappy with the ethical environment in business. They want less greed, and the same core values that govern an executive's personal life to also govern business decisions. In other words, Americans neither want sleight of hand on Wall Street or a heavy hand from Washington, and these attitudes are shared by America's young adults."

The poll was conducted by the Marist Institute for the Knights of Columbus as part of the Moral Compass Project, a series of surveys on the ethical attitudes of Americans.

Survey results are available online at www.kofc.org

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Ethnic Americans Support Federal Stimulus Spending; Most Americans Question Current Impact of Package

/PRNewswire/ -- Ethnic Americans have a far better image of the $787 billion stimulus package than their white counterparts, with 84 percent of African Americans saying it was "a good thing" for the country, while only 45 percent of white adults agree with that statement, according to a recent poll commissioned by New America Media (NAM).

In total, the poll conducted by Bendixen & Associates found that more than two-thirds of Hispanics, African Americans, Asian Americans and Native Americans said the legislation was a "good thing" for their families and communities. And most Americans have a positive outlook about the future. More than three-fifths of adults from all ethnic and racial groups were optimistic that their personal financial situation will improve over the next year.

Nevertheless, most ethnic adults agreed with whites that, as of now, they are not aware of actual benefits from the legislation. These poll results strongly indicate the Obama administration has failed to inform the American public on ways that the stimulus spending may be having a positive impact on families and the national economy.

Moreover, the poll painted a picture of many ethnic Americans struggling to survive in the difficult economic times. More than 60 percent of Hispanics worry about their ability to pay housing expenses; 50 percent of Native Americans worry whether they can afford basic food, medicine and clothing for their families; and more than 30 percent of African Americans and Asian Americans worry about losing their current full-time job.

"Our poll shows the Obama administration has not done a good job of informing Americans about the economic opportunities that currently exist because of the stimulus package," said Sandy Close, executive director of NAM, which represents the interest of more than 2,500 ethnic media outlets.

"Across the country," she said, "the Recovery Act has made billions of dollars available for extended unemployment benefits and health insurance for laid off workers. It has appropriated money for small businesses and arts organizations. It has prevented thousands of teachers from being laid off and kept firehouses from closing. Our poll shows that across the racial and ethnic spectrum most Americans remain unaware of the actual impact on their communities."

In some instances, perceptions towards the stimulus package appear to be shaped by factors well outside of its influence. Two-thirds of Americans say their monthly take-home pay has "stayed the same" or actually "decreased" in the last six months, even though the administration said the stimulus package would cut taxes for 95 percent of Americans.

Overall, approximately half of Hispanics, Asian Americans, whites and Native Americans say that - as of now - the stimulus package has had "no effect" or that it has "made the economy worse." Only African Americans believe the stimulus package "has made the economy better." There are also regional differences regarding the impact on the economy: 48 percent of those polled in the Northeast said the economic stimulus had made the economy better but only 29 percent felt that way in the Midwest.

The poll is based on 1,000 interviews with whites, Hispanics, African Americans, Native Americans and Asian Americans during the last week of August and the first two weeks of September, and has a margin of error of three percent. It is the first poll to measure public attitudes about the stimulus package along racial and ethnic lines, with questions administered in English, Spanish, Korean, Mandarin, Cantonese or Vietnamese depending on the language of preference of the respondent.

The survey also found that:

-- Americans doubt the effectiveness of the direct relief to state
governments to prevent layoffs of teachers, firefighters and police
officers. Large majorities of whites, Hispanics, Asian Americans and
Native Americans say the stimulus package has not had a significant
impact on avoiding dismissals of public employees. Only African
Americans give the legislation credit for having been effective on
this front.
-- Two-fifths of whites and Asian Americans and one-third of Hispanics
said they were aware of newly-created projects, such as construction
at military bases, ports, bridges and tunnels, while only one-fourth
of all Americans are aware of "green jobs" that have been created in
their community during the last six months.
-- Only about one-third of African Americans, Hispanics, Asian Americans
and Native Americans believe contractors and businesses in their
communities know how to access stimulus dollars.
-- More than four-fifths of all Americans do not know of any small
business that has received a government loan over the last six months.
-- Approximately two-thirds of all respondents say that they are also not
aware of any arts programs, environmental projects, health research
centers or affordable housing programs in their community that have
received stimulus dollars.
-- One-quarter of Hispanics, Asian Americans and Native Americans and
two-fifths of whites and African Americans believe there is still time
for local businesses and community groups to apply for economic
stimulus dollars. The rest either think that most of the money has
already been spent or have no opinion on the matter.

"The good news is that there's still time for all Americans to get help from the Recovery Act," said Ms. Close, noting that less than half of the stimulus funds have been spent so far. "The problem is that across racial and ethnic lines most Americans don't know this. They feel like the stimulus train has left the station and they're still waiting on the platform."

Sergio Bendixen, president of Bendixen & Associates, noted that the poll found that the nation's economy remained under a "black cloud" as the anniversary of the 2008 stock market crash approached. "A majority of whites, Hispanics and Native Americans think that the American economy is off on the wrong track," said Mr. Bendixen. "And only four percent of all Americans say there are a lot of jobs available in their community."

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Poll Shows Liberals Opposed to Extending Taxpayer Funded Healthcare to Illegal Immigrants

/PRNewswire/ -- According to a nationwide poll of 600 self-identified liberals and progressives, a majority of liberals oppose extending taxpayer-funded healthcare to illegal immigrants. The poll revealed that although liberals support a universal plan and agree with the President's handling of healthcare reform, many express concern that current proposals would extend healthcare coverage to illegal aliens and result in increased costs. The poll was conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC, on September 3, 2009.

Key findings of the poll revealed:
-- Fifty-three percent reported opposition to providing healthcare to
undocumented aliens.
-- Forty-six percent felt that current proposals would likely provide
coverage to illegal immigrants.
-- Forty-eight percent of liberals and progressives felt that providing
healthcare to undocumented immigrants would likely lead to increased
healthcare costs.
-- With regard to the President's handling of healthcare reform, the poll
revealed that sixty- seven percent of self-identified liberals approve
of the President's actions. Seventy-five percent were in support of a
public healthcare plan administered by the federal government and
forty-nine percent felt the President's plan would result in better
overall quality of healthcare services.

"The results of this poll demonstrate that illegal immigration and healthcare are issues that concern all Americans, regardless of political affiliation," says Leah Durant, Executive Director of Progressives for Immigration Reform. "Although liberals favor extending healthcare to America's poorest citizens and legal residents, without entitlement provisions Americans will be asked to shoulder an ever increasing burden for the world's uninsured. It's time to create a new progressive narrative around healthcare that is balanced and fair, and results in policies that are economically sound."

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'Rasmussen Poll Confirms Americans Fear Obama Gun Control Agenda' - CCRKBA

/PRNewswire/ -- A new Rasmussen poll reveals that 57 percent of American citizens believe gun sales are up over the past several months because of widespread fears that the government will tighten restrictions on gun ownership.

"The poll results confirm what we've been saying," noted Alan Gottlieb, chairman of the Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms. "American citizens are fearful that the Obama administration and a Democrat-controlled Congress will pass new laws to further erode the individual right to own firearms. This concern was further enhanced by yesterday's ruling in Minnesota that far left anti-gunner Al Franken should be seated as a U.S. Senator representing that state, giving Democrats a 60-member majority."

The Rasmussen telephone survey found that only 23 percent of the respondents believe gun sales have risen due to concerns about rising crime. Twenty-one percent are not sure. The poll also revealed that 63 percent of male Americans and 51 percent of women believe gun sales are linked to concerns about new gun control schemes. Another finding is that 65 percent of Republicans and 66 percent of those not affiliated with either major political party think booming gun sales are connected to fears about increased government restrictions.

"Americans realize that despite all of the campaign rhetoric, Barack Obama and Congressional Democrats led by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi are waiting for the right moment to spring new gun control measures," Gottlieb stated. "There is little doubt they would like to renew the ban on semiautomatic sport-utility rifles, place limits on the number of firearms someone may purchase, and maybe institute some kind of licensing and registration scheme, as Pelosi hinted during an appearance on ABC's Good Morning America. Wherever these measures have been tried on the local level, they have invariably failed to prevent or reduce violent crime. The Clinton gun ban failed. One-gun-a-month schemes have failed.

"How many times do you have to fail at something before you reach the inescapable conclusion that your plan isn't going to work?" he questioned. "The Rasmussen poll affirms that Americans are waking up to the Obama-Pelosi agenda, and they are stocking up for what they think is an inevitable attack on gun rights."

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Americans Fear the Consequences of a New Government-Run "Public" Health Plan

Democrats who support a government takeover of health care are citing the latest New York Times/CBS News poll, which they claim shows support for a government-run system. Yet that very same poll shows widespread concern about potential consequences of a government-run health plan on the relationship Americans have with their doctor and the quality of care they receive – facts which have been reflected in other polls. For example, the New York Times/CBS News poll shows that:

63 percent were concerned that their own health care would get worse under a government-run system of health care;
68 percent believed a government-run system would limit their access to treatments and quality care; and
53 percent were concerned they would have to give up their own doctor under a government-run system.
What’s clear is that Americans overwhelmingly oppose the consequences of a government-run health system. They want access to their doctor, they want access to the quality care they are accustomed to, and they want access to the medical treatments they need when they need it rather than being subject to the whims of a government bureaucrat that makes health care decisions at the expense of patients and doctors. All would be jeopardized under a government-run scheme being proposed by congressional Democrats.

Here are the Top 10 facts about the House Democrats’ health care proposal and the consequences it will have for the American people and their health care:

Costs Middle-Class Families and Small Businesses Billions
Forces Tens of Millions Out of their Current Health Care Coverage
Destroys Millions of American Jobs
Puts Bureaucrats in Charge of Key Medical Decisions
Costs Future Generations Money They Don’t Have
Cuts Seniors’ Key Medicare Benefits and Limits Choices
Places a New Mandate on Individuals
Raises Taxes on Families, Small Businesses
A Missed Opportunity to Reduce Health Care Costs
Harms Small Businesses, Costs Jobs

Congressional Democrats can continue to ignore these consequences if they choose, but the facts are not on their side. The House Democrats’ plan could force more than 100 million Americans off of their current health care plan and onto the government rolls, according to a Lewin Group study published earlier this year. A Congressional Budget Office report said a similar plan authored by Senate Democrats that would force at least 23 million Americans off of their current plans. And according to the Associated Press, even the White House admits that the President’s promises about allowing the American people to keep their health care shouldn’t be taken literally.

House Republicans have a better solution: a plan that ensures all Americans who like their health care coverage can actually keep it. The plan outlined by the House GOP Health Care Reform Solutions Group, led by Rep. Roy Blunt (R-MO), is designed to:

Make quality health care coverage affordable and accessible for every American, regardless of pre-existing health conditions.
Protect Americans from being forced into a new government-run health care plan that would eliminate the health care coverage that more than 100 million Americans currently receive through their job.
Let Americans who like their health care coverage keep it, and give all Americans the freedom to choose the health plan that best meets their needs.
Ensure that medical decisions are made by patients and their doctors, not government bureaucrats.
Improve Americans’ lives through effective prevention, wellness, and disease management programs, while developing new treatments and cures for life-threatening diseases.

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Egyptian Public to Greet Obama With Suspicion

/PRNewswire / -- A new WorldPublicOpinion.org poll finds Egyptians continue to view U.S. foreign policy quite negatively and see President Obama as closely aligned with it. At the same time, Obama has much better ratings than Bush had, and there are signs of thawing feelings toward the U.S.

Asked how much confidence they have in Obama to do the right thing in international affairs, 39 percent say they have some or a lot of confidence -- up sharply from the 8 percent who viewed George W. Bush positively in January 2008. Views of the United States government have also improved with favorable views rising to 46 percent from 27 percent in an August 2008 WorldPublicOpinion.org poll.

However, there has been little change in the views of U.S. foreign policy. Sixty-seven percent say that the U.S. plays a negative role in the world.

Large majorities continue to believe the U.S. has goals to weaken and divide the Islamic world (76%) and control Middle East oil (80%). Eight in 10 say the U.S. is seeking to impose American culture on Muslim countries (80%). Six in ten say it is not a goal of the U.S. to create a Palestinian state. These numbers are virtually unchanged from 2008.

When asked about Obama's goals, Egyptians' views are almost exactly the same as their views of U.S. goals. Sixty percent say they have little or no confidence that Obama will do the right thing in international affairs.

"Egyptians appear to be saying to Obama, 'Show me you are really different,'" comments Steven Kull, director of WorldPublicOpinion.org, a project managed by the Program on International Policy Attitudes at the University of Maryland.

The poll was conducted through face-to-face interviews from April 25-May 12 with 600 urban Egyptians. The margin of error is 4.1 percent.

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Poll: Independents reject Obama, agree with Libertarian Party

Despite a deep financial crisis and the election of a left-wing president, political independents still see “big government” as a greater threat than “big business” by an unchanged two-to-one margin, America’s third-largest party notes today.

“Independent voters believed Candidate Obama when he said he would be mainstream. Their trusting votes gave him a narrow victory,” said Donny Ferguson, Libertarian National Committee Communications Director. “But now that the real Barack Obama has revealed himself, they’re not following his bootlegger turn toward the radical left. They still believe the same Big Government that Obama promises as our global salvation will be America’s undoing.”

“Only one party in America agrees with independent voters, and that is the Libertarian Party,” said Ferguson. “Republicans spent 14 years fattening government with their ever-escalating budgets. Even the Republican ‘alternative budget’ called for massive deficits and bigger spending.”

“Once again, Libertarians are the only mainstream party in America. Only Libertarians will reduce the size and cost of government. Obama and the Republicans have us spiraling towards national bankruptcy.”

A Rasmussen Reports poll released Monday asked 1,007 adults “which of the following will be the biggest threat to the country in the future –”big business”, big labor or “big government?” Fifty-nine percent (59%) of politically independent Americans viewed “big government” as the greatest threat, virtually unchanged from the 60 percent measured the last time the question was asked in 2006 – before the financial crisis and election of Barack Obama.

Only 30 percent answered “big business” and 8 percent answered “big labor,” both also virtually unchanged from the 26 percent and 10 percent measured in 2006.

Since the question was asked major financial crises have weakened the economy and the White House has been occupied by a president pushing radical expansions of government size and power -- with virtually no effect on independents. The poll has a margin of error of plus or minus three percent.

The poll was released on the same day the White House released numbers showing the economy performing worse than Obama promised, and the federal budget deficit growing to a size four times larger than the 2008 Bush record. Under Obama, the federal government will borrow nearly 50 cents for every dollar it spends, an unsustainable and inflationary level of borrowing.

In more bad news for Obama, the only Americans buying into his opposition to capitalism are largely those who already voted for him, leaving little room to expand his support.

Democrats in 2006 feared “big government” more than “big business” by a 55 percent to 32 percent margin. Following in lockstep with Obama, they have flipped their views. Now, Democrats fear job creators more than government by a 52 percent to 32 percent margin.

Opposition to “big government” grew among grassroots Republicans, though their party leadership doesn’t seem to share that view, based on their “alternative budget.” In 2006, Republicans feared “big government” more than “big business” by a 68 percent to 18 percent margin. That grew in 2009 to 80 percent to 10 percent.

“Grassroots Republicans oppose Big Government and want a party that agrees with them. Once again, the Libertarian Party is the only party that proposes cutting spending. We don’t follow the still-vibrant Republican tradition of making government bigger and costlier each year,” said Ferguson.

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U.S. Reps, Faith and Military Leaders Want Action on Climate Change to Prioritize Most Vulnerable

/PRNewswire / -- As climate bill negotiations reach their apex this week, Members of Congress, religious and military leaders are intensifying their efforts to ensure the legislation prioritizes the most vulnerable at home and abroad. Bolstered by the results of a new national poll that shows strong support among key religious groups for action on climate change and its impact on the most vulnerable, U.S. Reps. Heath Shuler and Tom Perriello joined religious and military leaders today to discuss the importance of these principles and announce a new radio and email campaign pressing this message in key districts across America.

"The climate bill provides us with the unique opportunity of answering the call to be good stewards of creation in a way that will not only create jobs and make our nation safer, but will also allow us to care for the least of these among us," said Congressman Heath Shuler (D-NC). "It is not often that Congress has the ability to accomplish all of this in one bill, and I am grateful for the ability to work alongside leaders in the faith and military communities to ensure that these values are reflected in the final bill."

"Addressing climate change is not just a matter of national security and sound economic policy, but a moral duty to care for God's creation and to care for the needs of those who are contributing the least to climate change but bearing the brunt of its burden," said Congressman Tom Perriello (D-VA). "We need to ensure that this legislation fairly addresses the burden on low- and middle-income families, especially at a time when millions of Americans are out of work."

According to the new national survey, sponsored by Faith in Public Life and Oxfam America and conducted by Public Religion Research:

-- Majorities of Americans, including majorities of Catholics and
Evangelicals, believe dealing with climate change now will create new
jobs and help avoid more serious economic problems in the future.
-- Nearly 7-in-10 (69%) Americans and similar numbers of Catholics and
Evangelicals agree that climate change is making it harder for the
world's poorest people to support their families.
-- Approximately three-quarters of the general public and similar numbers
of Catholics and Evangelicals favor helping the world's poorest people
adapt to food and water shortages caused by rising global
temperatures.


The new media campaign, beginning today, includes ads on Christian radio at saturation levels in key districts in GA, FL, NC, MS, AL, LA, VA, OH and emails to over 5.3 million evangelicals and Catholics in GA, FL, AL, and NC. The campaign, sponsored by the faith-based nonprofit American Values Network, is designed to demonstrate that the faith and military communities will stand behind and encourage undecided Members to support a climate bill that protects the most vulnerable and makes America more secure. (Listen to the ad here: http://americanvaluesnetwork.org/climate/ad)

Specifically, members of Congress are pushing for the bill to include: direct rebates to help offset increased energy costs for the most affected vulnerable people and communities and to encourage spending on energy efficiency, as well as sufficient international adaptation funding to ensure that the most vulnerable populations in developing countries have the resources they need to proactively adapt to climate change.

Religious groups have long been committed to ensuring that legislation pays special attention to the needs of vulnerable communities at home and abroad who will be most affected by climate change. They have also consistently pressed Congress to prioritize the needs of at-risk populations who will have the most difficulty adjusting to our attempts as a nation to combat climate change. The groups include the Evangelical Climate Initiative, Southern Baptist Environmental Climate Initiative, National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference, The United Methodist Church General Board of Church and Society, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, Presbyterian Church (USA), The Episcopal Church, and Redeem the Vote.

"This important new poll confirms what I have seen in my own congregation and across the country -- people of faith are ready to address climate change and deal with its full range of effects, including its disproportionate impact on the poor," said Rev. Joel Hunter, pastor of the 10,000-member Northland, A Church Distributed. Rev. Hunter is also the voice of the campaign's radio ads.

"The moral measure of climate change legislation is how it treats the poor and vulnerable in our own country and around the world," said John Carr, Director of Justice, Peace, and Human Development for the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.

Military groups -- including The Truman Project, VET PAC, and Veterans Green Jobs -- also support addressing the needs of those who are most impacted by climate change worldwide because they recognize the national security implications of the issue.

"Threats to nations and our world economies do not always originate with our enemies," said Rear Admiral Stuart Franklin Platt, USN Ret, a highly decorated Vietnam veteran, with over 20 medals for military sea and combat service. "Global climate change is one of the greatest threats to our national security both because it literally threatens the very planet we inhabit and because the droughts, famine, and floods it creates threaten to destabilize regions around the world."

"This new poll shows that a majority of Americans, including people of faith such as Catholics and Evangelicals, support addressing climate change even in our challenging current economic conditions. Moreover, majorities support tackling climate change in a way that assists the poor who are affected by these changes," said Dr. Robert P. Jones, president of Public Religion Research.

Results of the survey were based on telephone interviews with 1,200 adults 18 years of age and older and an over sample of 250 white evangelical Protestants and 252 Catholics. The survey was conducted from March 20 to March 27, 2009. The margin of error for the national sample is +/- 3.0% at the 95% confidence interval. The national sample of adults was interviewed using random digit dial process.

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Zogby/O'Leary Report 100-Days Poll Shows That Taxpayers are More Opposed to President Obama's Policies Than Non-taxpayers

/PRNewswire/ -- During the 2008 presidential campaign, polls showed that President Obama drew enthusiastic support from an often overlooked demographic: Americans who have no federal income tax liability (who total 30 percent of the electorate). Conversely, Americans who pay federal income taxes (70 percent of the electorate) were more skeptical of Obama's policy proposals - particularly on issues that deal with the economy.

Recently, Zogby International and The O'Leary Report conducted a 100-Days Poll (which surveyed 3,937 people who voted in the 2008 presidential election) to revisit these two demographics and gauge their opinions on the Obama Administration's actions and proposals. The results show that non-taxpayers are still more likely to support President Obama's agenda than taxpayers. Interestingly, however, enthusiasm for the President appears to be dwindling among non-taxpayers - even on economic issues.

Taxes & Spending

Q. Thinking about the Tea Party demonstrations that took place on April
15th to protest the growth in taxes and federal government spending, do
you...?
Paid Paid
Federal No Federal
Taxes Taxes
----- -----
Strongly support the beliefs
of the organizers.. 47% 38%
Somewhat support them 11% 15%
Somewhat oppose their beliefs 12% 13%
Strongly oppose them 27% 29%
Not sure 3% 6%

Economy

Q. Which of the following do you think is a better economic system -
A or B?

A: A system in which the public or the state have ownership and
administration of the means of production and distribution of goods.

B: A system in which wealth and the means of producing wealth are
privately owned and controlled rather than state owned or controlled
with the state regulating them.

Paid Paid
Federal No Federal
Taxes Taxes
----- -----
Statement A 12% 29%
Statement B 76% 55%
Not sure 12% 16%

Energy

Q. Which course of action should America take with regards to energy
policy?

Paid Paid
Federal No Federal
Taxes Taxes
----- -----
Make energy cheaper by developing all
sources of U.S. energy, including coal,
nuclear power, offshore drilling and
drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife
Refuge 57% 48%
Reduce America's production of fossil
fuels that might cause global warming 38% 46%
Not sure 5% 7%

First Amendment

Q. Senator Durbin recently offered an amendment in the U.S. Senate that
requires the Federal Communications Commission to take actions to
encourage and promote diversity in communication media ownership.
Opponents say the move would threaten the breakup of radio networks that
largely carry conservative talk radio shows like Glenn Beck, Rush
Limbaugh and Sean Hannity. Do you support or oppose this legislation?

Paid Paid
Federal No Federal
Taxes Taxes
----- -----
Support 36% 47%
Oppose 57% 43%
Not sure 7% 10%

Q. The Federal Communications is entertaining the idea of re-instituting
advisory boards to determine the needs and interests of their communities,
to promote localism and diversity. These boards, appointed by the FCC and
would monitor what is said over the radio and report back if they were
offended by the talk show hosts and their guests. Critics argue that such
a proposal is nothing more than a back door implementation of the Fairness
Doctrine. Do you support or oppose the FCC's efforts to reinstitute
advisory boards?

Paid Paid
Federal No Federal
Taxes Taxes
----- -----
Support 19% 27%
Oppose 69% 58%
Not sure 12% 15%

Abortion

Q. President Obama's health secretary nominee, Gov. Kathleen Sebelius is a
supporter of abortion on demand. President Obama indicated that he would
appoint someone who was neutral on the issue, but pro-life forces find
Gov. Sebelius' pro-choice record unacceptable. Do you support or oppose
Gov. Sebelius is a good choice for Secretary of Health and Human Services?

Paid Paid
Federal No Federal
Taxes Taxes
----- -----
Support 44% 52%
Oppose 48% 35%
Not sure 8% 13%

Second Amendment

Q. Do you think new gun laws should be passed or do you think we should
enforce the laws already on the books.

Paid Paid
Federal No Federal
Taxes Taxes
----- -----
New gun laws should be passed 24% 31%
Enforce the laws already on the books 73% 66%
Not sure 4% 4%

Religion

Q. While visiting Turkey recently, President Obama said America is not a
Christian nation. Do agree or disagree that the US is a Christian
nation?

Paid Paid
Federal No Federal
Taxes Taxes
----- -----
Agree 38% 47%
Disagree 54% 47%
Not sure 7% 6%


The O'Leary Report/Zogby poll was conducted April 24-27, surveyed 3,937 voters nationwide, and has a margin of error of plus-or-minus 1.6 percentage points. Only voters who voted in the 2008 presidential election were surveyed, and the sample was weighted to reflect the outcome of the 2008 Presidential Election (i.e. 53% Obama voters and 46% McCain voters).