"There have been a number of different surveys that have shown that Americans perceive that Obama is extending a hand of cooperation, a hand that the Republican leadership is not reciprocating." -- Mark Blumenthal, Pollster.com
"I don't think (Obama) lost anything in terms of job approval or favorability. That's just the perception inside the Beltway. . ." -- Andy Smith, University of New Hampshire pollster.
There's growing consensus that the Beltway media Villagers are totally out of tune with the real "who's up and who's down" aspect of the effort to get the stimulus bill passed. With Obama's approval rating up around 70 percent (and higher in some polls), the Villagers seem to be the last ones noticing that the Rethugs never had any intention of taking that extended hand.
(hat tip: Rising Hegemon)
