Congress' approval hits all-time low

While Congress dithers over whether or not to extend a payroll tax cut - due to expire at the end of the month and affecting 160 million working Americans - their job approval rating has sunk to a record low.

How does 10 percent sound?

A Gallup poll released this afternoon said the new rating was down from 13 percent in January and the previous low of 11 percent, recorded in December.

The new-low 10 percent approval rating was based on a survey conducted Feb. 2-5, about two weeks after President Obama's State of the Union address and the reconvening of the U.S. House and Senate.

Democrats' and Republicans' approval of Congress are equally low, at 11- and 12-percent, respectively, while eight percent of independents approve.

Congressional approval averaged 17 percent for all of 20ll.

Gallup said it was difficult to pinpoint any specific actions that may have led to the continuing deterioration in Congress' image, particularly because much of the political attention in January and early February has focused on the Republican presidential race.

But the pollster said it was "notable" that Obama has continued to make criticism of Congress a part of his broad re-election strategy, and that in the same survey Americans expressed modestly increased satisfaction with the way things are going in the country.

The survey was based on telephone interviews conducted with 1,029 adults, aged 18 or older, living in all 50 states and the District of Columbia.