No surprise here, but the approval numbers for state and local government are encouraging. Pew: Americans' opinion of the federal government has fallen to a record low even as they continue to view local and state governments favorably, according to Pew Research Center survey released on Monday. Just 28 percent of Americans rate the government in Washington favorably, the lowest percentage ever in a Pew survey and down 5 percentage points from a year ago, Pew said in a statement. The favorability rating has fallen steadily from a high of 82 percent in November 2001, after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks on the United States. The March survey showed Democrats with a more favorable opinion than Republicans of the federal government, at 41 percent to 13 percent. Democrats' opinion has fallen 20 percentage points since July 2009, six months after President Barack Obama took office. The Republicans' favorable opinion is down 11 percentage points. The poll shows that 63 percent of...(Read Full Post)