RPT-WRAPUP 11-BP reinstalls cap on Gulf of Mexico oil leak

June 25, 2010 By Leave a Comment

HOUSTON/WASHINGTON, June 23 (Reuters) – BP Plc (BP.L)(BP.N) said on Wednesday it had reinstalled an oil-siphoning cap on its blown-out well in the Gulf of Mexico and resumed collecting crude while the Obama administration appealed a court ruling that blocked its six-month moratorium on deepwater drilling.

As the high-stakes dramas unfolded, the political risks from the disaster were underscored by a new poll that showed President Barack Obama’s job performance rating has dropped to the lowest level of his presidency.

The worst spill in U.S. history has been thrust to the top of Obama’s crowded domestic agenda but the Wall Street Journal/NBC News poll found half of those surveyed disapproved of his handling of the spill.

Overall Obama’s rating stood at 45 percent in the poll, down 5 points from early last month. For the first time in the survey, more people, or 48 percent, say they disapprove of his job performance.

The administration sought to keep its key responses to the catastrophe in play as it appealed the ruling to lift the deepwater drilling ban after a judge said it was too far-reaching and not adequately justified despite the spill.

The government also asked District Judge Martin Feldman in New Orleans to put his ruling against the moratorium on hold pending the outcome of the appeal or until the appeals court can consider a request for a stay.

The Justice Department said in the court filing that the temporary moratorium only affected 33 active deepwater drills in the Gulf of Mexico and the harm from another potential oil spill.

In addition to the appeal, Interior Secretary Ken Salazar said he would revise his original order suspending drilling below 500 feet of sea level (152 meters) to make it more flexible and thus address the court’s concerns.

The government imposed a six-month moratorium on deepwater drilling after an offshore rig exploded on April 20, killing 11 workers and rupturing BP’s well. <^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ For full coverage link.reuters.com/hed87k Breakingviews [ID:nLDE65M0H5] Insider TV link.reuters.com/jav43m Graphics link.reuters.com/qam39k Special Report: Wall Street touted BP

link.reuters.com/kux53m ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^>

Oil gushed largely unchecked from the well after an undersea robot collided with a system intended to capture some of the gushing crude.

BP reinstalled the critical containment cap after several hours and the it resumed oil and gas at 2000 EDT on Wednesday (0000 GMT Thursday).

The cap system installed on June 3 captured 16,600 barrels on Tuesday, BP said. A separate oil-flaring system that collected 10,500 barrels is still operating. A team of U.S. scientists estimate the leak is spewing between 35,000 and 60,000 barrels a day.

OIL COATS PENSACOLA BEACH

The spreading oil slick has shut down rich fishing grounds, killed hundreds of turtles and seabirds and dozens of dolphins and soiled the coastlines of four U.S. states.

Florida saw its worst effect yet from the spill as thick oily sludge washed ashore on Pensacola Beach.

Emergency workers said the pudding-like mixture covered three miles (5 km) of Pensacola Beach, a barrier island that is part of the Gulf Islands National Seashore.

“It’s just a line of black all the way down the beach as far as you can see in both directions. It’s ruined,” said Pensacola fisherman Steve Anderson.

The disaster and scathing criticism from the government and U.S. lawmakers has fueled investor fears about BP’s future and its stock has tumbled since the April 20 spill, losing half its value and trading at levels not seen since 1996.

New York Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli said the state pension fund planned to sue to recover losses from the drop in BP’s stock. Other big U.S. state funds are watching New York’s lawsuit but have not yet taken legal action.

“BP misled investors about its safety procedures and its ability to respond to events like the ongoing oil spill and we’re going to hold it accountable,” said DiNapoli, a Democrat, who will stand for election in November.

BP’s share price fall has led some major investors, including Aviva Investors and UBS Asset Management, to start buying again, despite worries about the oil giant’s total liabilities related to the spill. [ID:nN23216964]

Under the Clean Water Act, which levies a $4,300 per barrel fine, BP could face penalties of more than $15 billion. That does not include the $20 billion compensation fund it agreed to last week or the many billions of dollars in criminal fines that analysts have said are likely.

According to U.S. government estimates, up to 4 million barrels of oil have spewed into the ocean since April 20, about 15 times as much as was spilled by the Exxon Valdez in Alaska in 1989. BP said it has collected about 325,700 barrels.

Workers at a bird cleaning facility in Fort Jackson, Louisiana were collecting blood and feather samples as evidence of environmental damage that could be used in possible lawsuits against BP.

“Most spills are over really quick, but this is like a new spill everyday. It’s really discouraging,” said Jay Holcomb, director of the International Bird Rescue Center. (Additional reporting by Tom Doggett and Ayesha Rascoe in Washington, Chris Baltimore in Houston, Ben Gruber in Florida and Ernest Scheyder in Fort Jackson, Louisiana; Writing by Ed Stoddard and Ross Colvin; Editing by Chris Wilson)

Filed Under: International News Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

BP reinstalls cap on Gulf of Mexico oil leak

June 25, 2010 By Leave a Comment

HOUSTON/WASHINGTON, June 23 (Reuters) – BP Plc (BP.L)(BP.N) said on Wednesday it had reinstalled an oil-siphoning cap on its blown-out well in the Gulf of Mexico and resumed collecting crude while the Obama administration appealed a court ruling that blocked its six-month moratorium on deepwater drilling.

As the high-stakes dramas unfolded, the political risks from the disaster were underscored by a new poll that showed President Barack Obama’s job performance rating has dropped to the lowest level of his presidency.

The worst spill in U.S. history has been thrust to the top of Obama’s crowded domestic agenda but the Wall Street Journal/NBC News poll found half of those surveyed disapproved of his handling of the spill.

Overall Obama’s rating stood at 45 percent in the poll, down 5 points from early last month. For the first time in the survey, more people, or 48 percent, say they disapprove of his job performance.

The administration sought to keep its key responses to the catastrophe in play as it appealed the ruling to lift the deepwater drilling ban after a judge said it was too far-reaching and not adequately justified despite the spill.

The government also asked District Judge Martin Feldman in New Orleans to put his ruling against the moratorium on hold pending the outcome of the appeal or until the appeals court can consider a request for a stay.

The Justice Department said in the court filing that the temporary moratorium only affected 33 active deepwater drills in the Gulf of Mexico and the harm from another potential oil spill.

In addition to the appeal, Interior Secretary Ken Salazar said he would revise his original order suspending drilling below 500 feet of sea level (152 meters) to make it more flexible and thus address the court’s concerns.

The government imposed a six-month moratorium on deepwater drilling after an offshore rig exploded on April 20, killing 11 workers and rupturing BP’s well. <^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ For full coverage link.reuters.com/hed87k Breakingviews [ID:nLDE65M0H5] Insider TV link.reuters.com/jav43m Graphics link.reuters.com/qam39k Special Report: Wall Street touted BP

link.reuters.com/kux53m ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^>

Oil gushed largely unchecked from the well after an undersea robot collided with a system intended to capture some of the gushing crude.

BP reinstalled the critical containment cap after several hours and the it resumed oil and gas at 2000 EDT on Wednesday (0000 GMT Thursday).

The cap system installed on June 3 captured 16,600 barrels on Tuesday, BP said. A separate oil-flaring system that collected 10,500 barrels is still operating. A team of U.S. scientists estimate the leak is spewing between 35,000 and 60,000 barrels a day.

OIL COATS PENSACOLA BEACH

The spreading oil slick has shut down rich fishing grounds, killed hundreds of turtles and seabirds and dozens of dolphins and soiled the coastlines of four U.S. states.

Florida saw its worst effect yet from the spill as thick oily sludge washed ashore on Pensacola Beach.

Emergency workers said the pudding-like mixture covered three miles (5 km) of Pensacola Beach, a barrier island that is part of the Gulf Islands National Seashore.

“It’s just a line of black all the way down the beach as far as you can see in both directions. It’s ruined,” said Pensacola fisherman Steve Anderson.

The disaster and scathing criticism from the government and U.S. lawmakers has fueled investor fears about BP’s future and its stock has tumbled since the April 20 spill, losing half its value and trading at levels not seen since 1996.

New York Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli said the state pension fund planned to sue to recover losses from the drop in BP’s stock. Other big U.S. state funds are watching New York’s lawsuit but have not yet taken legal action.

“BP misled investors about its safety procedures and its ability to respond to events like the ongoing oil spill and we’re going to hold it accountable,” said DiNapoli, a Democrat, who will stand for election in November.

BP’s share price fall has led some major investors, including Aviva Investors and UBS Asset Management, to start buying again, despite worries about the oil giant’s total liabilities related to the spill. [ID:nN23216964]

Under the Clean Water Act, which levies a $4,300 per barrel fine, BP could face penalties of more than $15 billion. That does not include the $20 billion compensation fund it agreed to last week or the many billions of dollars in criminal fines that analysts have said are likely.

According to U.S. government estimates, up to 4 million barrels of oil have spewed into the ocean since April 20, about 15 times as much as was spilled by the Exxon Valdez in Alaska in 1989. BP said it has collected about 325,700 barrels.

Workers at a bird cleaning facility in Fort Jackson, Louisiana were collecting blood and feather samples as evidence of environmental damage that could be used in possible lawsuits against BP.

“Most spills are over really quick, but this is like a new spill everyday. It’s really discouraging,” said Jay Holcomb, director of the International Bird Rescue Center. (Additional reporting by Tom Doggett and Ayesha Rascoe in Washington, Chris Baltimore in Houston, Ben Gruber in Florida and Ernest Scheyder in Fort Jackson, Louisiana; Writing by Ed Stoddard and Ross Colvin; Editing by Chris Wilson)

Filed Under: International News Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Americans fed up with Washington, Obama, Republicans and Democrats: Poll

May 26, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Washington, May 26(ANI): A new poll has revealed that Americans are frustrated with nearly everyone in Washington, including President Barack Obama, Congress, and the Democratic and Republican parties, and have become increasingly pessimistic about what the future holds.

According to the CBS News poll, seven in ten Americans are dissatisfied with the way things are going in Washington, including 22 percent who say they are “angry” about the situation.

The poll further highlighted that the president’s job approval rating has fallen to 47 percent, and Americans no longer say he shares their priorities for the country.

The percentage that says Obama shares their priorities has fallen to 45 percent, a drop of 13 points from October, while the percentage who say that he ‘does not’ has risen to 47 percent, up from 38 percent seven months ago.

It also found that just 15 percent overall approve of the job being done by Congress.

Meanwhile, opinions about the Republicans and Democrats are at or near historic lows, as 55 percent of those surveyed hold unfavorable views of Republicans, and 54 percent hold unfavorable views of Democrats. (ANI)

Filed Under: International News Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Obama job rating slips into negative territory again: Fox Poll

May 21, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Washington, May 21 (ANI): Views continue to be mixed on President Obama’s job rating, and for the first time, his approval rating has dipped below 80 percent among Democrats, a Fox News poll finds.

In all, 45 percent of voters approve and 46 percent disapprove of the president”s job performance.

Earlier this month 48 percent approved and 43 percent disapproved. A year ago, 60 percent approved and 30 percent disapproved (May 12-13, 2009).

Seventy-nine percent of Democrats approve and 12 percent disapprove. That”s a record low approval for Obama among his party faithful.

Republicans remain solidly in the disapprove column, as 84 percent give the president a negative rating and 12 percent approve. More independents disapprove (48 percent) than approve (39 percent) — and that”s been true for about two months.

The poll followed up the presidential job rating question with an open-ended question that allowed voters to say in their own words why they approve or disapprove.

Among those approving of President Obama”s performance, 45 percent say it”s because he”s “doing a good job” overall, followed by nine percent saying because he “cares about average people.” Eight percent say health care, 7 percent the improving economy and 6 percent say they agree with him on the issues. Smaller numbers mention his honesty (4 percent) and liking him personally (4 percent).

The most common reason cited for disapproving of the president is “he is doing a bad job” (21 percent). Other reasons include the deficit and government spending (14 percent), disagreeing with him on the issues (14 percent), the economy (13 percent), and health care (13 percent). The next most often cited reason for disapproving is he is “pushing socialism” (6 percent).

The job rating of Congress, meanwhile, is holding steady: 22 percent approve and 65 percent disapprove. Last month 22 percent of voters approved and 68 percent disapproved.
The national telephone poll was conducted for Fox News by Opinion Dynamics Corp. among 900 registered voters from May 18 to May 19. For the total sample, the poll has a margin of sampling error of plus or minus three percentage points. (ANI)

Filed Under: International News Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Americans optimistic about economy, pessimistic about jobs

May 14, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Washington, May 14 (ANI): A majority of American voters believe the nation””s economy is improving, but an equal number believe the job situation is getting worse, according to the latest Fox News poll.

Many more voters continue to say former President George W. Bush is responsible for the federal deficit.

The new poll finds 49 percent of voters think the economy is getting better, while 37 percent say it is getting worse and 11 percent say “staying the same.”

The number saying things are getting better is up 9 percentage points from 40 percent who thought so a year ago (June 2009).

But when it comes to jobs, it””s the reverse: 36 percent say it””s getting better and 48 percent getting worse.

On a personal level, 36 percent say it feels like things are getting better for their family, while about the same number — 38 percent — says it feels like things are getting worse. Another 24 percent say it feels like things are staying the same.

Opinion Dynamics Corp. conducted the national telephone poll for Fox News among 900 registered voters from May 4 to May 5. For the total sample, the poll has a margin of sampling error of plus or minus three percentage points. (ANI)

Filed Under: International News Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

2010 Congressional election remains close, 2012 split evenly

May 13, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Washington, May 13 (ANI): If a Congressional election were held today in the United States, 42 percent of voters would back the Republican candidate in their district, while 40 percent would support the Democrat, according to the latest Fox News poll.

According to the poll, most Republicans (86 percent) back their party”s candidate and most Democrats (80 percent) back theirs, and independents are divided.

By 37-31 percent independent voters are somewhat more likely to back the Republican candidate, while 20 percent are undecided.

A similar split is seen when the question is about voting in the 2012 presidential election: 41 percent would back Barack Obama, and 41 percent the Republican Party”s candidate.

In one hypothetical three-way race with New York City Mayor Mike Bloomberg as a third-party candidate, President Obama (42 percent) has a clear advantage over both the unnamed Republican candidate (29 percent) and Bloomberg (10 percent).

In a two-way race, independents are more likely to back the Republican nominee (38 percent) over Obama (28 percent).

In the three-way vote, Obama keeps almost all of his independent support (25 percent), while the Republican candidate (18 percent) loses a significant amount of support to Bloomberg (19 percent).

Either way, for many independents it”s too soon to say how they will vote in 2012.

Overall, former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee (42 percent favorable) has the highest favorable rating of the potential 2012 Republican candidates in the poll.

Former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney (40 percent favorable) and former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin (37 percent favorable) follow him closely.

Among only Republicans, Palin (65 percent favorable) and Huckabee (64 percent favorable) lead the field — topping Romney (59 percent favorable) and Gingrich (51 percent).

By comparison, President Obama has a 53 percent favorable rating overall, and a 91 percent favorable among Democrats.

Twenty-eight percent of voters have a positive view of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, as do 49 percent of Democrats.

Former First Lady Laura Bush receives a 68 percent favorable rating, which is the highest positive rating of the individuals tested on the poll.

The national telephone poll was conducted for Fox News by Opinion Dynamics Corp. among 900 registered voters from May 4 to May 5. For the total sample, the poll has a margin of sampling error of plus or minus three percentage points. (ANI)

Filed Under: International News Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Wealthy and hardline, they make sure it’s no Tea Party for Obama

April 17, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Tea Party activists rallied in the capital they love to hate on Thursday, carrying signs that read “Don’t Tread on Me” and “Follow the Constitution”. The close of their spirited cross-country tour fell on tax day, a dark marker for the conservative anti-tax movement.

Serenaded by patriotic songs, the protesters streamed to Washington’s Freedom Plaza to hear exhortations against the political order. The slogans were biting, sometimes raw: “We Want Regime Change”, “Save a Seal, Club a Liberal”, “Down with the Govt Takeover”, “End the Fed” and “Waterboard Bernanke”. Some American flags waved upside down in the breeze.

The movement opened its tour three weeks ago with a Nevada rally that drew 9,000 and heard from Sarah Palin.

According to the latest New York Times/CBS News poll, Tea Party supporters are wealthier and better educated than the general public, and are no more or less afraid of falling into a lower socio-economic class. The 18 per cent of Americans who call themselves Tea Party supporters tend to be Republican, White, male, married and older than 45.

They are likely to describe themselves as “very conservative” and Obama as “very liberal”. While most Republicans say they are “dissatisfied” with Washington, Tea Party supporters are more likely to classify themselves as “angry”.

The Tea Party movement burst onto the scene a year ago in protest of the economic stimulus package, and its supporters have vowed to block the Democratic agenda on the economy, the environment and healthcare.

Asked what they are angry about, Tea Party supporters offered three main concerns: the recent healthcare overhaul, government spending and a feeling that their opinions are not represented in Washington.

Filed Under: International News Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

68 percent of Americans would vote out all lawmakers: Fox poll

March 20, 2010 By Leave a Comment

New York, Mar.20 (ANI): A Fox News poll shows 68 percent of voters would oust all incumbents, while 20 percent would keep all lawmakers in office.

The poll further revealed that even 52 percent of Democrats, whose party controls both houses of Congress, would get rid of all incumbents. Thirty-two percent would keep them.

Most Republicans (79 percent) and independents (78 percent) would vote to get rid of all incumbents.

This “throw them out” sentiment reflects what the poll also found about voters’ perception of Congress: just 18 percent approve of the job Congress is doing, while 76 percent disapprove.

Moreover, 17 percent think Congress cares what the American people want, compared to the large 79 percent majority who think Congress does whatever it wants to do.

In response to the traditional generic ballot question, if the election were held today, 42 percent of American voters say they would back the Republican candidate in their district and 38 percent the Democratic candidate.

Opinion Dynamics Corp. conducted the national telephone poll for Fox News among 900 registered voters from March 16 to March 17. For the total sample, the poll has a margin of sampling error of plus or minus 3 percentage points. (ANI)

Filed Under: International News Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Some Americans think opposition to Obama’s policies is based on racism

September 19, 2009 By Leave a Comment

Washington, Sep. 18 (ANI): Some Americans, including former President Jimmy Carter, believe that those who are opposing US President Barrack Obama’s policies have a racial element against him instead of simple disagreement.

According to a recent Fox News poll, 65 percent Americans think that opposition to Obama’s policies is based on honest disagreements, while 20 percent say it is mostly motivated by racism.

However, Black voters are twice as likely to say the opposition is motivated by race, with 63 percent citing racism as the reason for opposition and 27 percent say it is based on honest disagreements.

Most white voters (71 percent) say the opposition comes from honest disagreements.

Most Republicans (87 percent) and independents (69 percent) believe that opposition to Obama’s policies is based on honest disagreements, while 48 percent Democrats say honest disagreements and 34 percent say it is motivated by racism, the poll found.

Opinion Dynamics Corp. conducted the national telephone poll of 900 registered voters with a 3-point margin of error.

The poll also found that 54 percent of Americans think Obama is a “new kind” of politician, while a large 39 percent minority says he is a “typical” politician.

As for Obama’s handling of health care, 44 percent approved and 48 percent disapproved.

Obama received better ratings on his handling of the economy (55 percent approve) and on the war in Afghanistan (51 percent).

By a wide 60 percent to 27 percent margin, Americans think the country has become more divided rather than more united since Obama took office in January, the poll found. (ANI)

Filed Under: International News Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Poll says Americans more wary of Obama on health care

September 2, 2009 By Leave a Comment

Washington, Sep.2 (ANI): US President Barack Obama’s approval rating on health care has dropped six points since July to 40 percent, and now more Americans, 47 percent, disapprove of his handling of health care, according to a new CBS News poll taken between Aug 27 – 31.

As the president’s poll numbers sink on the issue, two-thirds of Americans remain confused about the health reform proposals on the table.

One-third say they are dissatisfied with the way the Obama administration is handling health care, and another 17 percent describe themselves as angry about it. Thirty-four percent are satisfied, and just 11 percent are enthusiastic.

Americans are not only sceptical of Obama’s handling of health care, but also of the effectiveness of reform. Americans are more apt to say the middle class and small business would be hurt, not helped, by the plans currently under consideration.

Still, the public continues to say the health care system does need reform, and that things will worsen if nothing is done. Americans strongly support government regulations on insurance companies, including cost controls and mandates for covering all applicants.

The bulk of the public does not think current reform proposals would help them. Forty-six percent say they’d have no effect on them personally and another 31 percent thinks they’d hurt. Just one in five thinks they would help. (ANI)

Filed Under: Entertainment News Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Obama approval rating dips

September 2, 2009 By Leave a Comment

Washington, Sep.2 (ANI): US President Barack Obama’s overall approval rating has only dipped a couple percentage points in August.

In the latest CBS News poll released Tuesday night, the president’s overall approval rating is 56 percent, which is down two points from the last poll taken at the end of July.

That rating for Obama is the lowest in a CBS News poll since he took office in January, but only by one point. The president’s approval rating in mid-July was at 57 percent, according to CBS News polling.

The president’s approval rating hit a high in late April at 68 percent just as Obama was completing his first 100 days in office. The rating remained in the 60s until dropping in that mid-July poll. (ANI)

Filed Under: International News Tagged With: , , , , , , , , ,

Obama’s job approval rating goes down: CBS Poll

July 14, 2009 By Leave a Comment

Washington, July 14 (ANI): Amid rising questions about US President Barack Obama’s handling of the economy, his job approval rating has gone six points down in the past month, a new CBS News poll has found.

Obama’s current approval rating is 57 percent, down by 11 points from its peak of 68 percent in April, and six points from last month’s 63 percent.

Meanwhile, his disapproval rating has risen from 23 percent in April to 32 percent today.

Surprisingly, the decline in support is not coming from Republicans – whose support for the president has actually risen – but from Democrats and independents.

A total of 82 percent Democrats still approve of the job Obama is doing, this number is down ten points from last month.

His support among independents has fallen eight points to 50 percent, while 30 percent of Republicans back Obama, that’s up from 23 percent in June.

The prime issue behind the Obama’s decline in approval appears to be the economy. His approval rating on handling the economy is now 48 percent, while 44 percent disapprove.

Last month, Americans approved of his handling of this issue by a margin of 22 points.

Half of all Americans expect the recession to go on at least two more years. Fifty-seven percent say the country is on the “wrong track,” up from 50 percent last month. And 44 percent describe the economy as “very bad,” up from 36 percent in June.

On the implementation of the stimulus package, just 21 percent say it has had a positive impact on the economy, while a whopping 60 percent said it has had no impact. Fifteen percent say the stimulus has made the economy worse.

Perceptions of the Obama’s handling of health care reform have improved five points since last month, and his approval rating on the issue now stands at 49 percent.

That same percentage says that America must fix health care because of the bad economy. But nearly 46 percent – say the country cannot now afford to reform health care. (ANI)

Filed Under: International News Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Just 1 in 4 Americans see Palin as their favourite

July 14, 2009 By Leave a Comment

Washington, July 14 (ANI): Less than one in four Americans hold a favourable view of Alaska’s outgoing governor Sarah Palin, a new CBS News poll has found.

According to the survey, just 23 percent view Palin favourably, while 37 percent hold an unfavourable view of the former Republican vice presidential nominee. Another 39 percent are undecided.

Palin’s favourability rating has slipped since last November, 37 percent of registered voters then held a favourable view of Palin. While her unfavourable rating has held steady since November, the percentage of undecided voters has risen.

The poll also found that most Americans think that Palin is resigning as governor of Alaska not because it’s in the best interest of her state but because it would benefit her political career.

Just 24 percent of those accept Palin’s explanation that she resigned because it was the right thing to do for Alaska. More than twice that percentage – 52 percent – cited her political ambition as the reason for her resignation.

Even Republicans are skeptical of the explanation, with a higher percentage saying Palin resigned for her political career (36 percent) than saying she did so for Alaska (31 percent).

Thirty-nine percent of those surveyed expect Palin to run for president in 2012, while 43 percent say she will not. If she runs, she’ll likely face widespread skepticism: As CBS News revealed on Monday, just 22 percent say Palin has the ability to be an effective president. Sixty-five percent say she does not. (ANI)

Filed Under: International News Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Majority of Americans favour sex education in schools

June 20, 2009 By Leave a Comment

Washington, June 20 (ANI): While a majority of Americans are in favour of sex education lessons in schools, nearly a third are against talking about homosexuality.

These findings have surfaced following a Fox News poll released on Friday.

The poll results show that even though majorities think it is appropriate to discuss the topics of pregnancy and homosexuality in sex-ed class, a sizable minority says discussing homosexuality should be off limits.

While 53 per cent of the people surveyed said that sex-ed should be taught in school, 20 per cent believed that it should be left to the parents to teach. Another one in four said “both”.

The study also showed that people under age 30 were 16 per cent more inclined than seniors aged 65 and over to say sex education should be taught in school.

The researchers say that that difference might be due to the fact that about 50 per cent of seniors said that they learnt the “facts of life” at home, while a plurality of young people said that they learnt them at school.

However, the results also showed that 72 per cent people said sex education should be optional, while 26 per cent said that students should be required to attend.

Parents and non-parents agree sex education should be taught in school, and that it should be optional.

There were mixed views regarding what should be the right age to start talking about sexual issues, with 14 per cent suggesting that it was appropriate to start talking about the birds and bees to elementary school students.

However, most thought that those topics were best reserved for middle school or even high school.

Few thought that it is not appropriate to discuss pregnancy and birth control in sex education programs at all. (ANI)

Filed Under: Entertainment News Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Under Obama, three in five Americans see improvement in race relations

May 2, 2009 By Leave a Comment

New York, Apr.28 (ANI): The latest New York Times/ CBS News poll claims that the Barack Obama presidency is seeking to alter the public perception of race relations in the United States.

According to the poll, three out of five Americans now say race relations are generally good, and the percentage of blacks who say so has doubled since last July.

The poll found Black Americans remain among the president’s staunchest supporters — 70 percent of black respondents now say the country is headed in the right direction, compared with 34 percent of whites.

The poll found broad support for Obama’s approach on a variety of issues, including one of the most contentious: whether Congress should investigate the harsh interrogation tactics authorized by George W. Bush.

Sixty-two percent of Americans share Obama’s view that hearings are unnecessary.

Americans seem to have high hopes for the president — 72 percent said they were optimistic about the next four years and by and large, Americans expect him to make significant progress in health care, energy and immigration policy, issues central to his ambitious domestic agenda.

But this optimism is tempered by a feeling of resignation about two of the most difficult challenges he faces: reviving the economy and ending United States military involvement in Iraq.

Most Americans say Obama has begun to make progress on both fronts, but many do not expect either the recession or the war to be over by the end of his term.

Obama’s 68 percent job approval rating is higher than that of any recent president at the 100-day mark.

But while Americans clearly have faith in Obama, the poll revealed something of a disconnect between what the public thinks the president has already accomplished and what it expects him to achieve.

Obama will mark his 100th day in office on Wednesday with a trip to St. Louis and a prime time news conference, where aides say he will make the case that he has made “a down payment” on fixing the nation’s biggest problems.

The nationwide telephone survey was conducted Wednesday through Sunday with 973 adults. For purposes of analysis, blacks were over sampled in this poll, for a total of 212, and then weighted back to their proper proportion in the poll, based on the census. The margin of sampling error is plus or minus three percentage points for all people, and plus or minus seven points for blacks. (ANI)

Filed Under: International News Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Majority Americans believe Obama’s foreign policies are good

April 26, 2009 By Leave a Comment

Washington, Apr 25 (ANI): Few Americans are actually at odds with many of President Barack Obama’s specific positions, despite majority of them believing that the Obama Administration has performed its best in foreign policy in its first 100 days.

The latest FOX News poll finds a majority of Americans (55 percent) think Barack Obama has done the right thing in his diplomatic dealings with unfriendly dictators like Hugo Chavez and Fidel Castro.

About one third (34 percent) take the opposing view that Obama’s behavior was too “chummy” and therefore signalled US weakness. Almost seven in ten Republicans (69 percent) however, believe his behaviour toward these leaders has been too friendly.

Half of Americans (50 percent) think the president himself believes the US is engaged in a global war or terrorism, although just under four in ten Americans think he does not see such a conflict (37 percent) and another 13 percent remain unsure.

Again, there is partisan division on this issue, as a 52 percent majority of Republicans thinks Obama does not believe in a global war on terrorism.

Opinion Dynamics Corp. conducted the national telephone poll for FOX News among 900 registered voters from April 22 to April 23, 2009. The poll has a 3-point error margin.

There is also slim majority disapproval (52 percent) of the Obama Administration’s action to release White House memos detailing how the CIA interrogated top Al Qaeda members. Based on that release, slightly more Americans feel less safe (39 percent) than safer (34 percent).

With regard to the status of the Guantanamo Bay military prison (where allegations about harsher techniques are centered), a 53 percent majority opposes closing its doors, with one-third (33 percent) supporting a shutdown. (ANI)

Filed Under: International News Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

FOX Poll says Obama believes in bigger government

March 6, 2009 By Leave a Comment

Washington, Mar.6 (ANI): A majority of Americans think President Barack Obama is meeting, if not exceeding, expectations, and keeping his campaign promises.

In addition, despite Obama’s claim that he doesn’t believe in bigger government, a new poll shows there is widespread belief among Americans that he does.

Fifty Six percent of those polled thinks the federal government is too big today. And by a 20-percentage point margin – 55 percent to 35 percent – the poll finds Americans would rather pay lower taxes and have a smaller government rather than pay higher taxes for larger government.

President Obama’s job approval rating stands at 63 percent, with 26 percent saying they disapprove, according to the FOX News poll released Thursday.

Partisanship is clear in how people rate the president’s performance, as a whopping 92 percent of Democrats say they approve – more than three times as many as the 30 percent of Republicans who give Obama the thumbs up. Among independents, 61 percent approve.

Just over half of Americans – 52 percent – think so far Obama is meeting expectations and 14 percent say he is actually exceeding expectations. The number of people who think Obama is falling below expectations has doubled from 11 percent in January to 23 percent today.

A large 90 percent majority of Democrats think Obama is meeting or exceeding expectations, up from 82 percent (13-14 January 2009).

All in all, 58 percent think Obama is keeping the promises he made during the campaign – more than twice the number who say he is drifting off course (28 percent).

Opinion Dynamics Corp. conducted the national telephone poll of 900 registered voters for FOX News from March 3 to March 4. The poll has a 3-point error margin. (ANI)

Filed Under: International News Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Obama’s popularity soars to an all time high

March 5, 2009 By Leave a Comment

New York, Mar 5 (ANI): Despite the ongoing global economic crisis, Americans seem to have full faith in their newly elected President, Barack Obama.

Obama now has a 60 per cent approval rating by the people of US, who feel that things are looking up since he took office, according to a new Wall Street Journal/NBC News poll.

Most Americans still back Obama’s expansive economic stimulus program, the poll found.

It may be noted that the percentage of those who say the country is “headed in the right direction” has skyrocketed compared to the number who felt that way before Obama took office.

According to the Daily News, presently, 41 per cent of Americans have faith on Obama’s leadership, compared to 26 per cent who thought so just before his inauguration.

However, 44 percent of those polled still say the country is on “the wrong track” – but “given the economic conditions, pollsters expected it to be much higher,” the Journal said.

The survey also revealed that a whooping 70 per cent of people were very dissatisfied with the economy and about 28 per cent Americans said they feel “doubtful” about Obama’s plans.

Considering the Iran war issue, a solid 80 per cent approve of Obama’s plan to get most U.S. troops out of Iraq within 18 months. Just over half of those polled said the war has been a success, up from 43 per cent who thought so last July.

First Lady Michelle Obama also has a solid fan base. She scored 63 per cent positive ratings and just 8 per cent negative ratings.

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton too, has become much more popular than before when she and her husband Bill Clinton had vacated the White house.

Clinton had a record-breaking 59 per cent of Americans viewing her in a positive light, compared to 22 per cent who viewed her negatively.

In a startling revelation, it was the Republicans who took the real beating, by more than two to one margin, the journal said.

Americans trust Democrats over the Republican party to pull the country out of the recession.

The survey was conducted from February 26 to March 1 on around 1000 adults and has a margin of error of about 3 per cent. (ANI)

Filed Under: International News Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Obama’s popularity soars to an all time high

March 5, 2009 By Leave a Comment

New York, Mar 5 (ANI): Despite the ongoing global economic crisis, Americans seem to have full faith in their newly elected President, Barack Obama.

Obama now has a 60 per cent approval rating by the people of US, who feel that things are looking up since he took office, according to a new Wall Street Journal/NBC News poll.

Most Americans still back Obama’s expansive economic stimulus program, the poll found.

It may be noted that the percentage of those who say the country is “headed in the right direction” has skyrocketed compared to the number who felt that way before Obama took office.

According to the Daily News, presently, 41 per cent of Americans have faith on Obama’s leadership, compared to 26 per cent who thought so just before his inauguration.

However, 44 percent of those polled still say the country is on “the wrong track” – but “given the economic conditions, pollsters expected it to be much higher,” the Journal said.

The survey also revealed that a whooping 70 per cent of people were very dissatisfied with the economy and about 28 per cent Americans said they feel “doubtful” about Obama’s plans.

Considering the Iran war issue, a solid 80 per cent approve of Obama’s plan to get most U.S. troops out of Iraq within 18 months. Just over half of those polled said the war has been a success, up from 43 per cent who thought so last July.

First Lady Michelle Obama also has a solid fan base. She scored 63 per cent positive ratings and just 8 per cent negative ratings.

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton too, has become much more popular than before when she and her husband Bill Clinton had vacated the White house.

Clinton had a record-breaking 59 per cent of Americans viewing her in a positive light, compared to 22 per cent who viewed her negatively.

In a startling revelation, it was the Republicans who took the real beating, by more than two to one margin, the journal said.

Americans trust Democrats over the Republican party to pull the country out of the recession.

The survey was conducted from February 26 to March 1 on around 1000 adults and has a margin of error of about 3 per cent. (ANI)

Filed Under: International News Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Obama’s popularity on the decline: Fox News poll

February 20, 2009 By Leave a Comment

Washington, Feb.20 (ANI): The hype and frenzy around the US President Barack Obama seems to be lowering down as results of a Fox News opinion suggest.

According to the poll, one month after Obama’s taking over the charge, 60 percent of American’s approve of the job he is doing. It was 65 percent three weeks ago (27-28 January 2009).

Similarly, percentage of people disapproving from his work has also gone up from 16 percent to 26 percent.

The primary factor behind such trend can be ascribed to a decrease in approval and an increase in disapproval among Republicans, the Fox News said.

Percentage regarding views of Obama as a person also declined with 68 percent of Americans having a favorable opinion of him and 25 percent unfavorable.

“These poll results highlight just how quickly the glow of inauguration festivities fades as well as the fluid state of public opinion in this tumultuous time,” Opinion Dynamics Vice President, Chris Anderson said.

The poll also revealed that 64 percent of Americans believe in Obama’s ability to bring positive change, a decline of 11 percent from statistics if mid-January, which showed 75 percent of people saying Obama will be able to make significant positive change for the country.

When asked whether they would be watching Obama’s first presidential address to the nation, 54 percent of people replied in affirmative, while 28 percent of people said they were not sure about it. (ANI)

Filed Under: International News Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
« Older Posts