Republicans Get Most Blame for Shutdown

A new AP-GfK poll finds that 62% of Americans mainly blamed Republicans for the government shutdown while 49% said Obama or the Democrats in Congress bear much responsibility.

Most interesting: “The poll found that the tea party is more than a gang of malcontents in the political landscape, as its supporters in Congress have been portrayed by Democrats. Rather, it’s a sizable — and divisive — force among Republicans. More than 4 in 10 Republicans identified with the tea party and were more apt than other Republicans to insist that their leaders hold firm in the standoff over reopening government and avoiding a default of the nation’s debt in coming weeks.”

Wow: “Most Americans disapprove of the way Obama is handling his job, the poll
suggests, with 53% unhappy with his performance and 37%
approving of it. Congress is scraping rock bottom, with a ghastly
approval rating of 5 percent.”