Last Call For The Big "L" On Your Forehead

The GOP is now distinctly losing the shutdown fight in the court of public opinion.

Disapproval of congressional Republicans’ budget wrangling after a weeklong shutdown has shot up to 70 percent, with 51 percent disapproving “strongly,” according to a new Washington Post-ABC News poll. 

At the same time, President Obama’s approval rating has ticked up due to improved marks among moderate Democrats and independents. No group, however, earns positive marks for their handling of budget negotiations overall.

President Obama is holding steady, if not doing slightly better.  But Congress is definitely doing worse, especially Republicans.  Disapproval of the GOP is now at a massive 70%.  Here's the interesting part:

The poll finds Democrats and Republicans have become convinced that the opposite party is in the wrong on budget negotiations, but are far less united in support of their own leaders. Just 52 percent of Republicans, for instance, approve of how Republicans in Congress are handling budget negotiations. Fully 89 percent of Republicans disapprove of Obama, with 74 percent disapproving strongly. An identical 89 percent of Democrats disapprove of Republicans. 

The wide unpopularity of Republicans in Congress in budget talks is in large part due to a schism within Republicans themselves. By 59 to 39 percent, conservative Republicans approve of the way their party’s members of congress have handled budget negotiations in combined interviews over two weeks. But Republicans who identify as moderate or liberal split narrowly: 44 percent approval to 49 percent disapproval. 

This ideological split within the Republican party comes into sharper focus when looking at the most conservative party members. Republicans who describe themselves as “very conservative” approve of Republicans in Congress by 68 to 32 percent. Those who are just “somewhat conservative” split 51 to 45 percent in two weeks of combined poll results. 

By contrast, Obama wins wider approval from his fellow partisans that spans Democrats’ ideological wings. Fully 77 percent of Democrats approve of Obama’s handling of budget negotiations, including 84 percent of liberals within the party. Among moderate and conservative Democrats, three quarters approve of Obama, up 11 points from last week.

Democrats are rallying around the President's refusal to give in to GOP economic terrorism.  Republicans on the other hand are coming apart.  A majority of moderate Republicans (what few are left) are revolting against the GOP tactics because they realize they're being held hostage too by the Tea Party nutjobs.

So when will these Republicans demand an end to the insanity?  The time to speak up is now, guys...or you're going to go down with the rest of the Republican losers.