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                            August 28, 2014Americans Looking Forward To Taking a Sales Tax Holiday
Most Americans like the idea of sales tax holidays and say they are more likely to buy things during such periods.
A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 58% of American Adults favor so-called sales tax holidays, periods at this time of year when a number of states suspend sales taxes to encourage back-to-school shopping. This level of support is in line with findings the past two years but down from 2010's high of 62%. Nineteen percent (19%) are opposed, while 22% are undecided. (To see survey question wording, click here.)
(Want a free daily e-mail update? If it's in the news, it's in our polls). Rasmussen Reports updates are also available on Twitter or Facebook.
The survey of 1,000 American Adults was conducted on August 21-22, 2014 by Rasmussen Reports. The margin of sampling error is +/- 3 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence. Field work for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC. See methodology.

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                            August 28, 2014Arkansas Governor: Ross (D) 46%, Hutchinson (R) 44%
Republican Asa Hutchinson has lost his lead and is now running slightly behind Democrat Mike Ross in Arkansas’ gubernatorial contest.
The latest statewide telephone survey of Likely Arkansas Voters finds Ross with 46% support to Hutchinson’s 44%. Three percent (3%) like another candidate in the race, and seven percent (7%) are undecided. (To see survey question wording, click here.)
(Want a free daily e-mail update? If it's in the news, it's in our polls). Rasmussen Reports updates are also available on Twitter or Facebook.
The survey of 750 Likely Voters in Arkansas was conducted on August 25-26, 2014 by Rasmussen Reports. The margin of sampling error is +/- 4 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence. Field work for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC. See methodology.
August 28, 2014Voters Think Justice Department Motivated Mostly by Politics
Most voters have an unfavorable opinion of the U.S. Department of Justice and think it is more interested in politics than in serving justice. Voters are also strongly opposed to more federal control over their local police.
A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 38% of Likely U.S. Voters have at least a somewhat favorable opinion of the Justice Department, while 53% view it unfavorably. This includes only nine percent (9%) with a Very Favorable view and 26% with a Very Unfavorable one. (To see survey question wording, click here.)
(Want a free daily e-mail update? If it's in the news, it's in our polls). Rasmussen Reports updates are also available on Twitter or Facebook.
The national telephone survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted by Rasmussen Reports on August 26-27, 2014. The margin of sampling error for the survey is +/- 2 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence. Fieldwork for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC. See methodology.

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                            August 28, 2014South Carolina Governor: Haley (R) 51%, Sheheen (D) 36%
Republican Governor Nikki Haley remains comfortably ahead of Democratic challenger Vincent Sheheen in her bid for reelection in South Carolina.
The latest Rasmussen Reports statewide telephone survey of Likely South Carolina Voters finds Haley with 51% support to Sheheen’s 36%. Six percent (6%) prefer some other candidate, while seven percent (7%) are undecided. (To see survey question wording, click here.)
(Want a free daily e-mail update? If it's in the news, it's in our polls). Rasmussen Reports updates are also available on Twitter or Facebook.
The survey of 750 Likely Voters in South Carolina was conducted on August 25-26, 2014 by Rasmussen Reports. The margin of sampling error is +/- 4 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence. Field work for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC. See methodology.
August 28, 2014The Smallness of Being in Economy Class by Froma Harrop
Americans are in the dumps about their future. What does that have to do with legroom in economy class? Everything.
The middle class sees its stature shrinking in the global pecking order and in a culture that favors money over well-being. There can be no better example for this than the indignities of flying economy.
Follow Froma Harrop on Twitter @FromaHarrop. She can be reached at fharrop@gmail.com. To find out more about Froma Harrop and read features by other Creators writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Web page at www.creators.com.
COPYRIGHT 2014 CREATORS.COM

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                            August 28, 2014Should School Start Before or After Labor Day?
Many students around the country are already returning to school, but Americans still prefer waiting until after Labor Day before sending them back.
A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 51% of American Adults think the school year should begin after Labor Day, but 38% think it should begin before that in August. Eleven percent (11%) are undecided. (To see survey question wording, click here.)
(Want a free daily e-mail update? If it's in the news, it's in our polls). Rasmussen Reports updates are also available on Twitter or Facebook.
The survey of 1,000 American Adults was conducted on August 21-22, 2014 by Rasmussen Reports. The margin of sampling error is +/- 3 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence. Field work for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC. See methodology.
August 28, 2014Off to the Races By Larry J. Sabato, Kyle Kondik and Geoffrey Skelley
The overall picture is this: A Republican Senate gain of four-to-eight seats, with a GOP Senate pickup of six-to-seven seats the likeliest outcome; a GOP gain of somewhere around a half-dozen seats in the House; and little net party change in the gubernatorial lineup even as a few incumbents lose. So what could shift these projections in a significant way, beyond candidate implosions that move individual races on and off the board?

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                            August 27, 201423% Say U.S. Heading in Right Direction
Twenty-three percent (23%) of Likely U.S. Voters think the country is heading in the right direction, according to a new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey for the week ending August 24.
This is down one point from the week before and marks the second time this month this finding has fallen to a level of confidence last seen during the temporary government shutdown in October. The number who say the country is heading in the right direction has been steadily falling since mid-June and has been less than 30% for most of this year.
(Want a free daily e-mail update? If it's in the news, it's in our polls). Rasmussen Reports updates are also available on Twitter or Facebook.
The national telephone survey of 3,500 Likely Voters was conducted by Rasmussen Reports on August 18-24, 2014. The margin of sampling error for the survey is +/- 2 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence. Fieldwork for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC. See methodology.

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                            August 27, 2014Americans Think Ice Bucket Challenge Has Raised Awareness, Funds for ALS
Over the past several weeks, countless people across the globe have taken the “ice bucket challenge” to raise awareness and funds for Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, also known as ALS or Lou Gehrig’s disease. But is it working? Americans think so.
The challenge consists of either donating $100 to ALS research or dumping a bucket of ice water on your head, though those who choose the water are encouraged to donate as well. A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 46% of American Adults have or know someone who has taken the ALS ice bucket challenge. Forty-five percent (45%) do not. (To see survey question wording, click here.)
(Want a free daily e-mail update? If it's in the news, it's in our polls).  Rasmussen Reports updates are also available on Twitter or Facebook.
The national survey of 1,000 Adults was conducted on August 24-25, 2014 by Rasmussen Reports. The margin of sampling error is +/- 3 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence. Field work for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC. See methodology.

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                            August 27, 2014Arkansas Senate: Pryor (D) 44%, Cotton (R) 43%
Support for Republican challenger Tom Cotton has slipped a bit, turning the Arkansas Senate race into a dead heat.
The latest Rasmussen Reports statewide telephone survey of Likely Arkansas Voters finds Democratic Senator Mark Pryor with 44% of the vote to Cotton’s 43%. Six percent (6%) like another candidate in the race, and another six percent (6%) are undecided. (To see survey question wording, click here.)
(Want a free daily e-mail update? If it's in the news, it's in our polls). Rasmussen Reports updates are also available on Twitter or Facebook.
The survey of 750 Likely Voters in Arkansas was conducted on August 25-26, 2014 by Rasmussen Reports. The margin of sampling error is +/- 4 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence. Field work for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC. See methodology.

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                            August 27, 2014Arkansas Senate: Pryor (D) 47%, Cotton (R) 43%
Republican challenger Tom Cotton still holds a narrow lead over incumbent Democrat Mark Pryor in Arkansas’ U.S. Senate race.
The latest Rasmussen Reports statewide survey of Likely Arkansas Voters finds Cotton, a U.S. congressman, with 47% support to Pryor’s 43%. Four percent (4%) like some other candidate in the race, while six percent (6%) remain undecided. (To see survey question wording, click here.)
(Want a free daily e-mail update? If it's in the news, it's in our polls). Rasmussen Reports updates are also available on Twitter or Facebook.
The survey of 750 Likely Voters in Arkansas was conducted on May 27-28, 2014 by Rasmussen Reports. The margin of sampling error is +/- 4 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence. Field work for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC. See methodology.

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                            August 27, 2014Boehner Is Congress’ Least Liked Leader Again This Month
House Speaker John Boehner remains Congress’ most unpopular leader, but both parties’ bosses in the Senate continue to operate below the radar for many voters.
A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that just 28% of Likely U.S. Voters have a favorable opinion of Boehner, including four percent (4%) with a Very Favorable one. But 60% view the Ohio Republican unfavorably, with 32% who hold a Very Unfavorable opinion. Boehner’s overall unfavorables match the findings in June and again put him just ahead of House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi who held the title for years. (To see survey question wording, click here.)
(Want a free daily e-mail update? If it's in the news, it's in our polls). Rasmussen Reports updates are also available on Twitter or Facebook.
The survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted on August 24-25, 2014 by Rasmussen Reports. The margin of sampling error is +/- 3 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence. Field work for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC. See methodology.
August 27, 2014Green Monster By John Stossel
Thanks, Environmental Protection Agency! You've required sewage treatment plants, catalytic converters on cars and other things that made the world cleaner than the world in which I grew up. Good work.  
Today, America's waterways are so much cleaner that I swim in New York City's once-filthy Hudson River -- right beside skyscrapers in which millions of people, uh, flush. The air we breathe is also cleaner than it's been for 60 years.    

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                            August 27, 201466% Think Most Christians Treated Unfairly in Muslim World
Religious tolerance is a one-way street when it comes to the Muslim world, most Americans say.
Sixty-six percent (66%) of Likely U.S. Voters believe most Christians living in the Islamic world are treated unfairly because of their religious faith, according to a new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey.
By comparison, just 20% think most Muslims are treated unfairly in the United States because of their religion, although that's up slightly from 17% in March 2011 when we first asked this question. (To see survey question wording, click here.)
(Want a free daily e-mail update? If it's in the news, it's in our polls). Rasmussen Reports updates are also available on Twitter or Facebook.
The survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted on August 24-25, 2014 by Rasmussen Reports. The margin of sampling error is +/- 3 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence. Field work for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC. See methodology.

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                            August 26, 201451% Expect Higher Interest Rates in a Year
While half of Americans expect higher interest rates in the future, fewer are now paying higher rates than they were a year ago.
A new Rasmussen reports national telephone survey finds that 18% of American Adults are currently paying higher interest rates than they were a year ago. That is down from 24% last month and is the lowest finding since November. Just 13% are paying lower rates than they were a year ago. Most Americans (61%) say their interest rates are about the same as last year, up four points from the previous survey. (To see survey questions wording, click here.)
(Want a free daily e-mail update? If it's in the news, it's in our polls). Rasmussen Reports updates are also available on Twitter or Facebook.
The survey of 1,000 American Adults was conducted on August 19-20, 2014 by Rasmussen Reports. The margin of sampling error is +/- 3 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence. Field work for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC. See methodology.

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                            August 26, 2014Alaska Governor: Parnell (R) 47%, Mallott (D) 36%
Incumbent Republican Sean Parnell holds a double-digit lead over Democratic challenger Byron Mallot in Rasmussen Reports’ first look at the governor’s race in Alaska.
A new statewide telephone survey of Likely Alaska Voters shows Parnell with 47% support to Mallott’s 36%. Eleven percent (11%) prefer another candidate in the race, and six percent (6%) are undecided. (To see survey question wording, click here.)
(Want a free daily e-mail update? If it's in the news, it's in our polls). Rasmussen Reports updates are also available on Twitter or Facebook.
The survey of 750 Likely Voters in Alaska was conducted on August 20-21, 2014 by Rasmussen Reports. The margin of sampling error is +/- 4 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence. Field work for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC. See methodology.

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                            August 26, 201444% Blame U.S. Policies for Worsening Relations with Islamic World
Voter perceptions of U.S.-Islamic relations continue to deteriorate since President Obama’s highly publicized speech in Cairo, Egypt five years ago reaching out to the Islamic world. Many blame recent U.S. policies for that.
A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that only nine percent (9%) of Likely U.S. Voters think U.S. relations with the Islamic world are better now than they were five years ago. That’s down nine points from September 2012, just after a U.S. ambassador and others were killed by Islamic extremists in Benghazi, Libya. Forty-six percent (46%) say America’s relations with that part of the world are worse than they were five years ago, little changed from two years ago. Thirty-nine percent (39%) say America’s relationship with the Islamic world is about the same. (To see survey question wording, click here.)
August 26, 2014A Decent Lawyer Should Tell Liberals They're Damned Fools and Ought to Stop By Michael Barone
"About half the practice of a decent lawyer consists in telling would-be clients that they are damned fools and should stop." So supposedly said Elihu Root, New York lawyer and secretary of war and of state, and U.S. senator from 1909 to 1915.
Today it seems that many liberal "would-be clients" are in desperate need of what Root called "a decent lawyer."
August 26, 2014What About That VA Hospital Scandal? by Froma Harrop
The unofficial end of summer, Labor Day, may serve as a bookend to a scandal that exploded around the unofficial start, Memorial Day. We speak of the very long wait times to see primary care providers at veterans hospitals and, more seriously, the doctoring of records by some hospital administrators to hide that reality.
Back in May, this writer erred in underestimating the wrongdoing at hospitals run by the Department of Veterans Affairs. She'd been swayed by friends who had nothing but praise for their VA hospital experiences -- and independent studies by the likes of RAND showing higher patient satisfaction in VA hospitals than in privately run ones.
Also, the blast of outrage bore all the signs of another right-wing attack against "evil" government and, with it, a call to privatize another of its services.
Follow Froma Harrop on Twitter @FromaHarrop. She can be reached at fharrop@gmail.com. To find out more about Froma Harrop and read features by other Creators writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Web page at www.creators.com.
COPYRIGHT 2014 CREATORS.COM

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                            August 26, 2014Voters Want Lots of Spending Cuts But Think They're Unlikely
Most Americans continue to support spending cuts in every program of the federal government but think it’s less likely than ever that government spending actually will be reduced anytime soon.
A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 57% of Likely U.S. Voters think thoughtful spending cuts should be considered in every federal program, generally in line with previous surveys. Twenty-seven percent (27%) disagree, but 16% are not sure. (To see survey question wording, click here.)
(Want a free daily e-mail update? If it's in the news, it's in our polls). Rasmussen Reports updates are also available on Twitter or Facebook.
The survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted on August 20-21, 2014 by Rasmussen Reports. The margin of sampling error is +/- 3 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence. Field work for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC. See methodology.