By Irene Tsikitas, NationalJournal.com
© National Journal Group Inc.
Friday, Dec. 21, 2007

As 2007 draws to a close, pundits, politicians and pollsters are beginning to reflect on all that has been accomplished in Washington over the past year -- or, as is so often the case, all that has not been accomplished.

With congressional Democrats waiting until the last possible minute to pass a slew of bills on everything from the alternative minimum tax to the federal budget, it's no wonder most assessments of the 110th Congress are bleak. The legislative branch's approval rating still languishes in the low 20s, according to the latest Diageo/Hotline poll [PDF].

A recent CNN/Opinion Research Corporation survey has some good news for the Democrats: Fifty-three percent of a half-sample said it's a good thing that Democrats are in control of Congress. But an even stronger majority (56 percent) told pollsters they disapprove of what Democratic leaders in both chambers have done so far this year. Only about 40 percent of a half-sample said they approve; that's down from half of respondents approving back in May (subscription).

While the budget and concerns about the economy have largely dominated the headlines amid growing signs of progress in Iraq, a recent Gallup poll shows the war is still considered the most important issue facing America. But despite sweeping promises of change one year ago, congressional Democrats have made no real progress in altering the course of the war, and the harsh partisan bickering that characterized the debate during last year's campaign has continued unabated.

In the latest National Journal poll [PDF] of congressional insiders, Democratic lawmakers expressed deeper frustration with their party leadership's handling of the Iraq issue this year than Republicans did. On average, Democratic respondents gave their leaders a C+ rating on Iraq, but many still placed the ultimate blame elsewhere. "Democrats overpromised on the war," one Democrat commented. "And now we are being roadblocked by the Republican minority and a defiant president." Republican respondents gave their leadership a B+ average.

So if 2007 was considered by many to be a wash for the 110th Congress, what are the prospects for 2008? More than half of Republican respondents to the insiders poll predicted an even less productive legislative year -- an outcome they may well be hoping for as they seek to paint the Democrats as ineffective ahead of the November elections. Democrats were less united, with a slim, 40-percent plurality predicting more of the same, one-third expecting a more productive outcome and one-quarter taking the pessimistic view.

Sign Up For Poll Track's E-Mail Alert
Poll Track's daily roundup of the latest national numbers is available as an HTML e-mail alert (click here to see a sample). The alert is sent at noon each weekday and available to all NationalJournal.com subscribers. Click here to sign up.