If I were Obama, it's not the 44 percent approval rating that would keep me up at night. It's the 29 percent approval rating among independents that would worry me. The Marist poll shows Democrats and Republicans seeing things from a very different perspective: 81 percent of Democrats approve of the president's job performance, 80 percent of Republicans disapprove. If you wonder why the Dems and the GOP can't work together on Capitol Hill, think about how discordant the views of garden variety Democrats and Republicans are. Hope and change can get you elected. But if you can't deliver hope and change while governing, the electorate may hope for change next time around.

With the O going down in popularity and the brewing perception and reality that he is incompetent and that the job is too big for him, it is a perfect time for the GOP to push back on everything this most unpopular President is for.

Sensing what he can't believe is the inevitable (or, more likely what his handlers and puppeteers are telling him), Obama wants to have a public dialogue on healthcare and invite the Republicans to "participate" in the discussion.

There is no possibility of a "dialogue" with this guy or his party and any public discussion can go nowhere for Republicans and will only legitimize the illegitimate act of the takeover of healthcare by the government. At the same time it will allow for the Fraud in Chief to posture in front of the nation.

I want to hear more "no" from the GOP / Conservatives until they can say, as Obama has said: I won.

I'm still waiting for a conservative to list 5 concrete examples of differences between Obushma and Bush administration policies. If anything, Obushma's an even better servant of state-corporate power than Bush ever was. I'm not sure over what all the conservative manbabies are so upset.

Post BDS has become un-becoming. I think.

1. Tripled the deficit. Like Bush, but 3 times worse.
2. Placed a justice on the Supreme Court that believes the Constitution should be interpreted to support whatever the justice wants.
3. Wants a Labor lawyer on the NLRB.
4. Wants to relinquish the Bush tax cuts.
5. Does not support "Don't ask, don' tell."

Now I don't say these are all bad, but they are differences and they are concrete, I think.

They are all really, really bad.

Wayne,

Point 1 is unfair, as I highly doubt the Bush administration deficit would've been much smaller. Do you think the Bush administration would've ended the bailouts? Do you think they would've cut military spending? Do you think they would've cut SS and mandatory health spending, or advocated doing so? Regardless, Congress drafts budgets, the executive only passes or vetoes them.

Point 2 is a legitimate difference.

Point 3 is a legitimate difference, though extremely minor. How much power does the National Labor Relations Board have, Wayne, relative to say the Treasury or DOJ?

Point 4 is a legitimate difference.

Point 5 is silly. Robert Gates supports a repeal of DADT. I suppose you conservatives have difficulty remembering historical facts.

Is you is, or is you ain't my constituency?