PRESIDENT STILL SLUGGISH IN FOX POLL – AT 7:46 P.M. ET:  Fox confirms what other polls are showing, that any bounce the president may have gotten after the passage of the health-care bill has flown away:

Two weeks after President Obama signed the new health care bill, opposition to it remains strong. In addition, the president’s legislative victory did not help his job approval rating, which hit a new low in a Fox News poll released Thursday.

The poll also finds more voters would punish rather than reward incumbents who voted for the health care bill, and that the Democratic win did nothing to energize the party faithful for the midterms.

President Obama’s overall job approval rating dropped to a new low of 43 percent. Nearly half -- 48 percent -- disapprove. In mid-March, it was 46-48 percent. His current rating among Democrats (80 percent) and independents (38 percent) are among his lowest ratings with these groups. He is now in single digits among Republicans (7 percent). By comparison, former President George W. Bush’s approval among Democrats went as low as 4 percent.

The poll finds by a 54 to 39 percent margin, American voters oppose the new health care law. Just prior to the bill’s passage, 55 percent opposed, while 35 percent favored the overhaul.

And get this:

Interest in this fall’s elections among Democratic voters continues to fall far below that of Republicans.

COMMENT:  Voters say the economy will be their number one issue, which is not surprising.  I'd like to see, though, how the president stands on foreign policy.  The signing of the arms-control treaty today is a pretty slim reed.  The rest of the record is failure and excuse.

Obama now says that sanctions against Iran are just weeks away.  Trouble is, they were weeks away a year ago.

April 8, 2010