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 Linda Thomas
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RootCanal.jpg
As bad as a root canal may be, a poll finds most of us think more highly of painful dental work than we do of the current Congress. (AP File photo)

NFL replacement refs and root canals are better than Congress

January 8, 2013 @ 3:17 pm (Updated: 3:47 pm - 1/8/13 )

Remember how much we didn't like the NFL replacement referees? Even they are more popular than Congress.

After a contentious election and financial showdown, Congress is facing low ratings and is less popular than a number of dreaded things.

Public Policy Polling, a North Carolina-based firm that has been described as Democratic leaning, found an 85 percent unfavorable rating for Congress.

Results of their poll released Tuesday show Congress is now less popular than root canals, NFL replacement referees, head lice, the rock band Nickelback, colonoscopies, carnies, traffic jams, cockroaches, Donald Trump, France, Genghis Khan, used-car salesmen and brussel sprouts.

Those polled weren't entirely down about Congress.

Representatives and Senators did manage to beat out telemarketers, John Edwards, the Kardashians, lobbyists, North Korea, the ebola virus, Lindsay Lohan and Fidel Castro.

People also thought playground bullies and meth labs were worse than Congress, but that's about it.

Women view Congress slightly more favorably than men. Democrats are more positive than Republicans about how lawmakers in D.C. are doing.

"We all know Congress is unpopular, but the fact that voters like it even less than cockroaches, lice, and Genghis Khan really shows how far its esteem has fallen with the American public over the last few weeks," Dean Debnam, President of Public Policy Polling said in a statement.

Lawmakers are back to work introducing several bills. Representative Jim Moran, D-Va., introduced the first legislation of the new Congress to impose gun controls that he claims even most National Rifle Association members support, such as mandatory background checks for all gun sales and gun shop employees.

By LINDA THOMAS

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Comments (10)


  • Add A Comment

  • Chuck Gould wrote...
    As long as "compromise" remains a dirty word on both sides of the aisle,
    January 8, 2013 4:02 pm
    as long as most of our politicians think party is more important than country, as long as anybody thinks that trying to make the "other side" look bad is more important than helping the country do better, our congress will be dysfunctional.

    It's that dysfunction that has everybody so angry. If they could manage to actually do *something*, even if it was not 100% popular people would still respect congress for doing its job.

    But what can we expect when the leadership or either party thinks spending four years in a failed attempt to "prevent the reelection of the president" is the highest and best use of their time?

    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • ron prevost wrote...
    Sorry, but true. Civility in American politica sende 1/20/1989.
    January 8, 2013 4:54 pm
    Probably not Bush I's fault, but that is when the art of compromise started to end.

    Will it return ? ... Yes, everything goes in cycles. .... But when?

    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Amorget wrote...
    I prefer
    January 8, 2013 7:01 pm
    That they are stuck in this log jam and are basically unable to do anything. When they do something it's normally horribly thought out and will cost us 10-100 times more then they expect/lie. Right now both sides are so liberal or conservative, pandering to their 1%, that it's a good thing neither of them can actually get anything done.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • 2112 wrote...
    Root Canals
    January 8, 2013 5:17 pm
    Are only painful when the pulp is infected and the efficacy of the local anesthetic is diminished due to the infection. Novocaine, a very poor local anesthetic was responsible for a lot of horror stories. Novocaine has not been on the market for 30 years. If you are scheduled for a root canal, request Articaine the latest "best" anesthetic available.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • rational wrote...
    2112
    January 8, 2013 5:50 pm
    So what you're saying is that root canals beat out congress because of better pharmaceuticals? I wonder if we just need stronger drugs to tolerate congress...guess we in WA state may find out with the new drug law.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Rangerhawk wrote...
    And the beatings will continue....
    January 8, 2013 6:58 pm
    until morale (the economy) improves.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • grow up/get real wrote...
    Ah, but who did the American voting public just re-elect to congress?
    January 8, 2013 6:59 pm
    That is right, the very congress that has an approval rating in the 20%'s and that everyone is complaining about was re-elected at an alarming incumbent re-election percentage (over 80% at least?). Look in the mirror people. They are a reflection of this decaying society. By the way, if you do need a root canal, 2112 is exactly right.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • TwoTrees wrote...
    @ grow up/get real
    January 9, 2013 7:03 am
    Ooh! The truth...it hurts!
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • mnpat wrote...
    Congress hasn'y fixed anything for 1/2 century
    January 9, 2013 9:26 am
    But they love putting on bandaids....and then continue the can kicking contest.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • rational wrote...
    shut the gov't down
    January 9, 2013 6:48 pm
    We'd be far better off if they just shut down for a year or two.

    Just today there is a story about the Obama admin giving 1.4 BILLION dollar loan to Nissan to build electric cars. So we're borrowing money to lend to a foreign car company?! I bet you'll find that Nissan donated money to the Obama campaign and this is just payback using our tax money, that we'll have to also pay interest on, to return a favor to a big corporation.

    There's a book about the Obama admin called Culture of Corruption. I haven't read it but the title sounds dead on accurate.

    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }