In case you missed it, the recent Gallup and Pew polls show big trouble for congressional Republicans. According to the Pew poll, only 14% of independents approved congressional Republican leaders' negotiations with President Obama. 69% of independents disapproved of GOP leaders' actions. Meanwhile, 74% of Republicans see Mr. Obama as the winner over Speaker Boehner, Senate Minority Leader McConnell, and other GOP leaders. Independents rate the president as the winner by a solid 55%. Again, per Pew, a plurality of Americans (46%) believe that the Fiscal Cliff deal hurts the "economy, deficit, and average people." 69% of Republican identifiers rate the deal as hurtful, while 52% of independents do so. Slightly higher numbers are posted when Republicans (73%) and independents (55%) were asked if the tax deal hurt people like them. Over at Gallup, 25% of all respondents approved the way the GOP's congressional leadership handled the Fiscal Cliff negotiations. 67% disapproved of...(Read Full Post)