Do Americans think Congress is good at their job?
Friday, March 13th, 2009
By: Dave Heller
dheller@whyy.org
Is Congress doing a good job these days? Well, America certaintly thinks so. Dave and Frank discuss the polling numbers on Congressional approval and why it's up in this week's What Are We Thinking? We'll also talk about public emotional well being and the economy, President Obama's lifting of the ban on federal funding for stem cell research, and more.
Topics:
-Congress job approval – Consumer Mood Index
-The tragic shootings in Alabama and in Germany likely will increase calls for stricter gun control. Do Americans want that?
-President Obama this week signed an executive order lifting curbs on stem cell research. How many Americans are upset with that?
-The oil and gas industry is gearing up to fight Obama administration proposals to close loopholes for oil and gas production and to increase taxes thereupon. Do Americans wholeheartedly support that?
MOST INTERESTING FINDING OF WEEK
Concern about global warming – despite Al Gore's best efforts – is going down! Not up! More Americans think that claims about global warming are exaggerated than at any time in Gallup's history of asking about it!
THIS WEEK IN HISTORY
10 years ago, it was 1999 – Gallup was asking Americans about the looming worries over the Y2K issue that some said would basically shut down the world's infrastructure.
TOP 5 LIST
Top & Bottom 5 States in the Union with the Highest Well-Being.
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I'm one of Al Gore's presenters and I agree with the finding that fewer people are conserned about global warming. I've given 89 presentations in front of some sizable audiences. In fact, I'm speaking at the United Nations on April 16th. I've done 9 television shows, many radio programs, and many newspaper and magazine interviews. In spite of that, concern is falling as scientists find more and more alarming discoveries about the state of climate change. I blame the mainstream media for the fall. The media is confusing the hell out of the public by continuing to give credence to the skeptic side. THis confuses people. Another aspect is that network television won't report on global warming. On March 2 we had several hundred thousand people protest a coal-fired power plant in Washington DC. The only newspaper that reported it was the Washington Times and the only television news station to cover it was CNN. Key speakers at that event were climate scientists James Hansen from NASA, Bill McKibbon, and Bobby Kennedy Jr. No wonder the public doesn't know about global warming.
I spoke yesterday at the Philadelphia Convention Center at the Green Expo in a Media discussion that included Channel 10, NBC, the Philadelphia Inquirer, and Philly.com and said the same thing to them. The media, in general, is dumbing down society and this is a perfect example of that. We are at 385 PPM of CO2 right now and that is a very dangerous level and we keep pumping 70 million tons of CO2 into the atmosphere every 24 hours. THis should be of the most urgent concern to everyone on the planet.