Approval Rating

The new Democratic majority might be working harder than the previous Congress, but it's difficult to praise it when the results are about the same. Thin. When House Democrats took control in January, Speaker Nancy Pelosi of California set an ambitious agenda with six priorities. Democrats even pledged to crack the whip and enforce a five-day work week - no more of the ol' three-day weeks under Republican rule. After more than four months, Democrats don't have much to show for it yet. Lobbying reform, one of the issues on which Democrats rode to victory last year, remains undone as lawmakers retreat on enforcement provisions.

JIM McGREEVEY disgraced his wife, his daughter, the state of New Jersey and the office of the governor. Now he's going for the jugular - he's really messin' with God. God loves James McGreevey, so much so that he sent his son to die in his place - so he could repent of his sins, accept Christ, and head for glory. Scripture says God is not mocked. God is not a chump. He knows a man's heart. He knows deception when he sees it. I personally think God's comment on McGreevey's latest move would be, "I smell a rat. " Scripture also says clearly that homosexuality is a sin. Not a popular stance, but the truth seldom is these days.

The 109th Congress, which returns to Washington after the Labor Day holiday, will be remembered as one of the least responsive to the needs of working people. The rising costs of energy, health care and college tuition are taking bigger bites out of middle-class paychecks. Congress has not addressed effectively these pocketbook concerns, devoting time instead to doomed sideshows on items such as flag desecration and same-sex marriage. When lawmakers return, they will have only about a dozen workdays before heading back home to campaign for reelection.

DEAR religious conservatives: I sincerely hope you're not foolish enough to fall for Bush's sad attempt at getting Congress to ban gay marriage - again. Do you believe a president with a 29 percent approval rating will follow through with this? And is it a coincidence that Ken Lay is being sentenced on the 5th anniversy of 9/11? Hmmm. The country won't be paying as much attention to that as they will the anniversary. He was a big Bush supporter, after all. Joseph Timlin, Philadelphia

Slumping in the polls and battered by Congress, President Bush shrugged off his critics yesterday and said he was unfazed by complaints about his leadership. "I know some would like me to change," he told a group of newspaper executives, "but you can't be a good decision-maker if you're trying to please people. I understand some of the things I've done are unpopular, but that's what comes with the territory. " Bush offered an impassioned response to his critics amid new questions about his effectiveness.

'EVERYONE SORT of likes the president," opined Chris Matthews on MSNBC's "Hardball" recently, "except for the real whack-jobs, maybe on the left. " It would certainly be news to most people - apparently a majority of Americans are lefty whack-jobs. By now everyone knows about President Bush's plummeting job-approval ratings. And of course, one can think Bush is doing a terrible job as president but still like him as a person. But the public hasn't just turned against Bush when it comes to his performance - they've turned against him personally.

Saying "I told you so" yields a certain satisfaction, but this time it's mighty thin. Being right isn't a good feeling when it means your country has become weaker, more divided and less secure. A year ago today, the Editorial Board that I lead launched a series of issues essays on the 2004 election called "21 Reasons to Elect John F. Kerry. " For each of 21 days, we offered an analysis on a key issue, from Iraq to deficits to stem-cell research, critiquing President Bush's performance and plans.

Taxicab fares in Philadelphia are about to rise come July 5. The board of the Philadelphia Parking Authority, which oversees taxis in the city, yesterday approved the first base-fare increase for cabdrivers in 14 years. The initial fare when the meter is first activated, known as the "flag drop," will remain $2.30. The fare for the average cab ride of about 2 1/2 miles will climb from $7.40 to $8.75, according to James Ney, director of the authority's taxi and limousine division.

Voter approval of Gov. McGreevey has slipped after criminal charges against two Democratic fund-raisers, according to a poll released yesterday. A spokesman for McGreevey countered that two other polls released in the last week showed improving numbers for the governor. But in the latest poll by Connecticut's Quinnipiac University, McGreevey's job-approval rating fell to 38 percent, down from 45 percent in June. The slide erased gains he had made in the spring after suffering from low poll numbers through most of his administration, which has been hit with a series of embarrassments.

Britain's economy is booming. Unemployment stands at a 29-year low, and property values have shot up so high that droves of middle-class retirees are cashing in equity to gobble up second homes in France and Spain. So why is British Prime Minister Tony Blair, arguably one of the architects of this prosperity, suffering the lowest popularity ratings of his seven years in office? "Iraq," said Peter Riddell, political analyst for the Times of London. "It overshadows everything.