Congress Approval Rating Drops To All-Time Low, Lawmakers Joke At Own Expense

Congress' approval rating dropped to its lowest level ever this week, bottoming out at a dismal 9 percent, according to a new New York Times/CBS News poll.

Some lawmakers, apparently attempting to make the best of the horrid reviews, responded with a bit of self-deprecating humor.

"We're below sharks and contract killers," freshman Rep. Trey Gowdy (R-S.C.) quipped to Politico. And seemingly far below: Discovery's Shark Week opened to 3.3 million viewers in its first hour this summer, and movies about hit men and assassins frequently, ahem, kill it at the box office.

Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) appeared a little more pointedly embarrassed by the approval numbers, telling Politico, "It's so bad sometimes I tell people I'm a lawyer ... I don't want to be associated with a body that in the eyes of your fellow citizens seems to be dysfunctional. It matters to me."

Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) also got in on the self-mockery, tweeting:

@SenJohnMcCain
John McCain

“Congressional Approval at All-Time Low of 9%” - We're down to paid staffers and blood relatives http://t.co/GhJMBNHT

October 26, 2011 4:43 pm via web Reply Retweet Favorite

Good for a chuckle, perhaps, but as Dan Amira points out at New York Magazine, far from original.

In fact, McCain has recycled various versions of this joke more than 25 times over the past 5 years, a testament to how poorly Congress has fared on approval polls in the last half-decade.

For more on how Congress is reacting to the public's hatred of Congress, read Politico's story here.

Comments

[steveeyes]

05:50 PM on 11/02/2011

The reason they can mock their low ratings because they can get booted after only serving two years and still get full benefits and pay. What crooks.

[dztmseh70]

06:06 PM on 10/29/2011

I guess these guys are so confident of reelection they feel free to laugh at how much they are disliked. Hopefully the worm will turn and they will be voted out of office.

[Tater Salad]

05:31 PM on 10/29/2011

It's a shame the Jersey Shore has a higher approval rating than Congress.

[grovestand12]

07:51 AM on 10/29/2011

It's the republican party and the koch roaches who control them that americans are disgusted with.

[l78lancer]

01:51 AM on 10/29/2011

They really aren't concerned. The right doesn't take polls - or facts - seriously anyway. They tend to not believe that the public really doesn't mean what it says, and they will wake up in 2013 and it will be business as usal.

[pmoschetta]

02:42 PM on 10/29/2011

Of course they don't care, nor do they pay attention to either polls or even what Americans want. When 68% of Americans said during the debt ceiling debacle they wanted a combination of spending cuts AND new revenue and all they agreed to was spending cuts, that is evidence enough

[l78lancer]

01:45 AM on 10/29/2011

There are still not jobs. What's so funny?

[l78lancer]

01:40 AM on 10/29/2011

The difference is sharks and contract killers actually get something done.

[zelduh]

05:25 PM on 10/28/2011

The more that the Republican Party works to make Obama a "one-term president," the less they are liked.

They should be working on JOBS, as they promised during their campaigns; not on trying to make Obama a "one-term president."

[l78lancer]

01:42 AM on 10/29/2011

McConnell - Our number one goal is for Obama to fail at all costs.

[LazloTu]

03:04 PM on 10/28/2011

Clowns such as these are prone to laughing when they are fearful. However, we must rid Congress of the swine casting the stench coming out of Washington.

Too many people, I'm afraid will NOT cast their vote this time around; we MUST continue to be very vocal, with our state leaders AND with our fellow concerned citizens....!!

[StopMakingSense2]

01:08 PM on 10/28/2011

It can't be them the public just can't keep up! ROFL! The fact remains the congress has no clothes..

[OldGent]

12:59 PM on 10/28/2011

What say you Mitch McConnell? I need not hear it, you said it already. To Mitch McConnell, this has been a productive.......campaign season........but not a productive Congress. I think he lost sight of the fact that the GOP campaigned on the JOBS which not only didn't materialize but were purposely stalled until next election. He said it, he did it, along with the rest of the unified GOP. Congratulations Mitch. We remember everything you've done.

P.S. Nobody's laughing

[deebastet]

04:23 PM on 10/28/2011

Mitch is one of the Pale, Stale, Males that need to leave Congress and go home and get a job.

[l78lancer]

01:44 AM on 10/29/2011

Or just retire so the productive people in America can help it make a comeback. He's just taking up space.

[Cindy Stipes Schneider]

12:45 PM on 10/28/2011

A**wipes. Instead of making jokes about it they should realize why they're getting such low ratings. They were sent to DC to work for WE THE PEOPLE, not We the Corporations. As for Lindsey Graham, do us all a favor, quit and become a lawyer. You're already a scum-sucking bottom-feeder so you'll fit right in. I'm amazed that they all think failing their constituents is so freakin' funny. I'm looking forward to the next Congressional election.

[zelduh]

05:27 PM on 10/28/2011

I agree with you on everything, except that some of us lawyers are actually NICE people.

☺

[SantaMonican]

12:30 PM on 10/28/2011

... when they get voted out it will be hysterical....

[pmoschetta]

02:44 PM on 10/29/2011

They won't be voted out for another 13 months, or leave office for another 15. On top of that, the new congress/senate won't be in session and be able to pass a jobs bill for at least another 16-17 months. Some 15 million Americans can't afford to wait another year and a half

[kibibi]

12:24 PM on 10/28/2011

but yet and still, we're paying their salaries while they deny us jobs, and helping them with the race to the bottom, so who's the enablers here?

[grovestand12]

07:58 AM on 10/29/2011

And dont forget that we pay for their pensions, even though the right wanted to take every other hard working americans away from them. The republicans also continue to shorten their work week. They are essentially collecting welfare while Rome is burning.

[GoldwaterKid]

12:20 PM on 10/28/2011

It is great to see our Congress, hearing and believing the truth. They have been in denial for so many years, and now to make jokes, is a form of crying.

We have half of Congress that has been in office for at least the past 20 years, and many still alive that are retired and still part of the club. Hopefully, because they know they have not created rules, laws and regulations that were long term in their passing, and are now hurting the country they love, the next emotion will be honesty, and show Leadership for change.