OH DEAR, OH DEAR, WHY MUST WE BOTHER WITH ALL THESE NUMBERS? – AT 9:16 A.M. ET:  A new Gallup poll has bad news for the president's handling of the federal budget deficit.  The results come just before Mr. Obama's new budget is released:

PRINCETON, NJ -- President Barack Obama's approval rating for handling the federal budget deficit has gone from bad to worse in recent months, even as his ratings on all other major national issues have generally held steady. Currently, 27% of Americans approve of Obama on the deficit, down from 32% in November, while 68% disapprove.

Overall, Obama is doing much better on international issues than domestic ones. Among eight issues on which Obama was rated in the new poll, Americans give the president the highest approval ratings on foreign affairs and the situations in Egypt and Afghanistan. The deficit, the economy, and taxes rank among his lowest ratings, alongside health-care policy.

COMMENT:  Ah, please note the mention of health-care policy.  Unless there's a full-blown foreign crisis, domestic issues will dominate the upcoming presidential election.  Republicans have a golden opportunity...if they can get their act together, come up with a new and popular health-care reform plan, and enact some serious spending cuts. 

We should begin to see Republican tactics at work in the coming weeks, as funding legislation makes its way through Congress.  All funding bills must originate, Constitutionally, in the House, where the GOP now has a commanding majority.  But there have been signs of fissures in the Republican Party, which will be a test for Speaker Boehner and Majority Leader Cantor.  It will also be a test of the maturity of the Tea Party members, who, if they go off in their own direction, can wreck the gains of the November election. 

February 9, 2011