John Zogby's Obama Weekly Report Card is Featured in Paul Bedard's "Washington Secrets" Published weekly in The Washington Examiner
Grade for May 17 - May 24: C-
This would be a perfect week for your humble pollster from Utica, N.Y. to take a vacation, since my grade will clearly anger half of D.C. As I suggested last week, the president's polling numbers would take a small but significant hit. Dropping from 51 percent to 48 percent is more than cosmetic, it denies Mr. Obama's capacity to claim a mandate.
The three scandals are still in the headlines, but Americans seemed more focused on the tragedy in tornado-ravaged Moore, Oklahoma. At the same time, applications for jobless benefits are down dramatically, with economists suggesting that the overall unemployment rate may dip again in May. And the president has been widely praised for a major speech calling for reducing the most dangerous practices associated with the war on terror. Congress can surely investigate (as it must) but can it legislate (as it should)? Mr. Obama is only waist deep in doo-doo this week.