WASHINGTON -- For politicians of both parties, the hits keep coming. Two new polls this week provide more evidence that, heading into the 2012 election year, anti-incumbent sentiment is building. The surveys show net negative ratings for President Barack Obama and both Democrats and Republicans in Congress.
Last week a Democracy Corps poll had already found that, despite the president's unpopularity in 60 battleground congressional districts represented by Republicans, the more their constituents learned about them, the less they liked those Republican incumbents.
This week a CNN poll revealed that these anti-incumbent feelings extend to Democrats as well.
The poll found that 48 percent of those surveyed have an "unfavorable" view of the Democratic Party; only 44 percent gave the party a "favorable" rating. The Republican Party is also underwater -- with 54 percent choosing "unfavorable" and only 39 percent choosing "favorable."
Views on the Tea Party have hit a low since CNN first started asking the question in early 2010. Just 28 percent of voters have a favorable opinion of the Tea Party movement, while 53 percent have an unfavorable opinion.
Voters have no more confidence in congressional leaders of the two parties. Only 40 percent of voters believe the policies being proposed by Republican leaders in Congress would move the country in the right direction. For the Democratic leaders, that number is 43 percent.
The CNN survey also showed that 56 percent of voters believe congressional Republican policies would move the country in the wrong direction while 53 percent believe that of congressional Democratic policies.
The numbers do not improve for congressional leaders when voters are asked about specific policy proposals either.
A new Pew Research Center poll shows a decline in confidence in how Congress is handling the federal budget deficit. In that regard, congressional Republicans take the harder hit. Only 35 percent of respondents have a great deal or fair amount of confidence that congressional Republicans will do the right thing in dealing with the federal budget deficit.
Even Republican voters have lost faith in congressional Republicans on this issue, with a 12 point drop in their confidence since May.
Democratic leaders in Congress receive no better ratings, as only 43 percent of respondents have a great deal or fair amount of confidence in them to deal with the budget deficit.
Interestingly, trust in President Obama on the issue has barely changed since the last time Pew asked the question. In May, 55 percent of respondents had a great deal or fair amount of confidence in the president to do the right thing on the budget deficit. Today that number is 52 percent.
Additionally, the CNN poll has the president's approval rating up two points since early September, which could indicate that he's beginning to rebound from his summer dive in approval or could be statistical noise.
This fairly steady trust in Obama to deal with the budget deficit and the slight uptick in his approval rating come as the president is highlighting what has long been his greatest asset heading into the 2012 elections: He is more popular than Congress or the Republicans.
Earlier on HuffPost: