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                            March 6, 2014Only 26% Think U.S. Spends Too Much on Defense
While the Obama administration is proposing major cuts in the national defense budget, fewer voters feel the United States overspends on defense, but awareness that this country spends more in this area than any other country has fallen to a record low.
A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that just 26% of Likely U.S. Voters now think the United States spends too much on the military and national security. That's down three points from November and the lowest finding since October 2012. Thirty-four percent (34%) don’t think this country spends enough on defense, down slightly from the previous survey but several points higher than found in most regular surveys for the last three-and-a-half years. Just as many (32%) believe the level of spending now is about right. (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 March 2-3, 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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                            March 6, 20142016? Hillary Clinton 47%, Jeb Bush 33%
The latest round of speculation about the 2016 presidential race stars former Florida Governor Jeb Bush whose Republican nomination could potentially lead to a matchup between two powerhouse political families. Democratic frontrunner Hillary Clinton holds a double-digit lead over Bush in a hypothetical matchup, but half of voters are less likely to vote for Bush because of his family’s history in the White House.
The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that if the 2016 presidential election were held today, 47% of Likely U.S. Voters would choose Clinton, while 33% would opt for Bush. Fourteen percent (14%) prefer some other candidate, while 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 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted on March 4-5, 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.
March 6, 2014Who Belongs Downtown? By Froma Harrop
Many American cities now enjoy an amazing reversal of fortune. Once hollowed-out shells mainly for those too poor to move -- or those so rich they didn't have to deal with the poor -- cities are again filling up with educated and aspiring young people.

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                            March 6, 201455% in Texas Like Job Rick Perry Is Doing As Governor
Rick Perry is Texas’ longest-serving governor, and as far as most voters in the state are concerned, he’s still doing a pretty good job.
A new Rasmussen Reports statewide telephone survey finds that 55% of Likely Texas Voters at least somewhat approve of the job Perry is doing, with 21% who Strongly Approve. Forty-three percent (43%) disapprove of the Republican governor’s job performance, including 29% who Strongly Disapprove. (To see 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 500 Likely Voters in Texas was conducted on March 3-4, 2014 by Rasmussen Reports. The margin of sampling error is +/- 4.5 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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                            March 5, 201428% Say U.S. Heading in Right Direction
Twenty-eight percent (28%) 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 March 2.
That’s down four points from 32% the previous week and is the lowest level of optimism since mid-December. Prior to last week’s recent high, this finding had seesawed between 29% and 30% every week since mid-December. The latest number is identical to the level measured one year ago.
(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 February 24-March 2, 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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                            March 5, 2014What America Thinks: Is U.S. Getting Cold War Jitters?
With tensions between the United States and Russia escalating by the hour over Ukraine, Americans are increasingly worried about a return to a Cold War between the superpower rivals that lasted for nearly 50 years.

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                            March 5, 2014Texas Governor: Abbott (R) 53%, Davis (D) 41%
Republican Attorney General Greg Abbott leads Democratic State Senator Wendy Davis by 12 points in Rasmussen Reports’ first look at the 2014 Texas gubernatorial race.
The latest statewide survey of Likely Texas Voters shows Abbott with 53% support to 41% for Davis. At this early point in the campaign, there are surprisingly few voters who haven’t already made up their minds: One percent (1%) likes some other candidate in the race, and four percent (4%) 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 500 Likely Voters in Texas was conducted on March 3-4, 2014 by Rasmussen Reports. The margin of sampling error is +/- 4.5 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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                            March 5, 201422% Expect a Cure for Alzheimer’s in Next 10 Years
Actor Seth Rogen appeared at a Senate hearing last week to push for a greater government effort to fight Alzheimer's disease. Americans aren't hugely optimistic that a cure for Alzheimer's is coming anytime soon, but most think it will be a private company, not the government, that finds a cure for the disease.
A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 22% of American Adults think we will find a cure for Alzheimer’s disease within the next 10 years. Thirty-eight percent (38%) disagree, but a sizable 40% 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 national survey of 1,000 American Adults was conducted on March 1-2, 2013 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.
March 5, 2014Budget Baloney By John Stossel
This week, President Barack Obama proposed "a budget that will create new jobs in manufacturing and energy and innovation and infrastructure, and we'll pay for every dime of it by cutting unnecessary spending, closing wasteful tax loopholes!"
What? I must have fallen asleep and woken up in 2008. That could not be something he'd claim after five years in office -- years after making similar claims and not delivering on them.

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                            March 5, 2014Only 12% Rarely or Never Check Food Nutrition Labels
The Food and Drug Administration has proposed changes to existing food nutrition labels to make them more consumer-friendly. Most Americans already regularly check these labels but think the changes are likely to help people make even healthier food choices.
A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 59% of American Adults routinely check nutritional labels on the food they eat, with 38% who do it most of the time and 21% who do so always. Twenty-eight percent (28%) say they sometimes check the labels. Just 12% rarely or never check food nutrition labels. (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 Adults nationwide was conducted on February 27-28, 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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                            March 4, 201467% Consider Themselves Healthy Eaters
Most Americans say they eat healthy, but one-out-of-five admits to regularly overindulging.
A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 36% of American Adults say they are overweight. That’s little changed from last September and remains below the high of 42% in May 2012. Fifty-six percent (56%) say they are not overweight. (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 Adults nationwide was conducted on February 27-28, 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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                            March 4, 2014Rasmussen Employment Index Gains Two Points in February
The Rasmussen Employment Index which measures worker confidence rose two points in February, continuing the upward trend it began in November.
At 92.1, worker confidence is at its highest level since June but is still down two points from the all-time high of 94.4 in May of last year. The index hit a low for 2013 of 81.2 in October. It stood at 85.6 in February a year ago.
(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 9,237 working Americans was conducted in February 2014 by Rasmussen Reports. The margin of sampling error is +/- 1 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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                            March 4, 201416% Think Young Blacks Better Off Under Obama
Few voters think life for young black Americans has improved under President Obama, and hopes aren’t high that the president’s new My Brother’s Keeper initiative will make things any better.
Just 16% of Likely U.S. Voters think life for young black Americans has gotten better since Obama’s election in November 2008, while 22% believe it’s gotten worse. The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that half (49%) feel life for these Americans is about the same. Twelve percent (12%) 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 March 2-3, 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.
March 4, 2014Where Anyone Can Act by Froma Harrop
This year, two big dress-up events fall in the same week. But the Academy Awards and Mardi Gras couldn't be more different. At the Hollywood party, the common people are supposed to venerate the stars. In Mardi Gras, the commoners are the stars.
And that's what makes Mardi Gras feel so much more modern than the bouncer-dominated world of movie celebrity. Never mind that "Fat Tuesday" -- for many Christians the carnival preceding the somber period of Lent -- dates back to medieval times and the Oscars to 1929.
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
March 4, 2014Don't Write Those Tea Party Obituaries Just Yet By Michael Barone
February marked the fifth anniversary of the reemergence of the label "Tea Party" in American politics. It was in February 2009 that Rick Santelli delivered his famous rant on CNBC, and a few days later, a group calling itself the Tea Party Patriots was organized.

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                            March 4, 2014Just 23% Think Government Spending Cuts Likely Over Next Few Years
The Obama administration is proposing substantial cuts in the nation's defense budget, and most voters agree that across-the-board spending cuts are in order, as long as entitlement programs are not excluded. But few expect spending cuts of any kind in the near future.
A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 59% of Likely U.S. Voters think thoughtful spending cuts should be considered in every program of the federal government. One-in-four (24%) disagree. Eighteen percent (18%) 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 February 26-27, 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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                            March 3, 2014Generic Congressional Ballot: Democrats 39%, Republicans 36%
Democrats hold a three-point lead over Republicans on the latest Generic Congressional Ballot.
A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey for the week ending Sunday, March 2, finds that 39% of Likely U.S. Voters would vote for the Democrat in their district’s congressional race if the election were held today. Thirty-six percent (36%) would choose the Republican instead. This is the first time both parties have earned less than 40% support since mid-September, suggesting there is a high level of voter unhappiness with the two of them. 
(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 from February 24-March 2, 2014. The margin of sampling error for the survey is +/- 2 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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                            March 3, 2014Obama's Job Approval Is Up by One in February
When tracking President Obama’s job approval on a daily basis, people sometimes get so caught up in the day-to-day fluctuations that they miss the bigger picture.  To look at the longer-term trends, Rasmussen Reports compiles the numbers on a full-month basis, and the results can be seen in the graphics below.  
The president’s monthly job approval rating rose a point to 49% in February. That’s up from 45% in November, the president’s lowest monthly approval in two years, but still down seven points from December 2012’s recent high of 56%. The president's daily job approval ratings took a hard hit in November from the problems surrounding the rollout of the new national health care law. Through much of November and early December, Obama’s daily job approval ratings were at the lowest levels of his entire presidency. In recent weeks, however, his approval ratings have been running at levels seen for much of the last five years.
(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.
Daily tracking results are collected via telephone surveys of 500 likely voters per night. The monthly numbers in this article are based on approximately 15,000 interviews each month with likely voters. The margin of sampling error is less than +/- 1 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence.

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                            March 3, 201437% Favor Diplomatic Action Against Russia Over Ukraine
As tensions escalate over Ukraine, U.S. voters are increasingly critical of Russia but are evenly divided over whether the United States should try to punish the Russians diplomatically.
A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 37% of Likely U.S. Voters think the United States should take diplomatic action if Russia gets directly involved in the political situation in Ukraine. But just as many (36%) disagree and oppose U.S. diplomatic action against Russia. Twenty-seven percent (27%) 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 February 28 -March 1, 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.
March 3, 2014To Defeat GOP's Restrictive Voting Laws, Debunk 'Voter Fraud' By Joe Conason
Growing up in Jim Crow Arkansas, Bill Clinton saw how the state's dominant political and racial elite maintained power by suppressing the rights of minority voters who threatened its authority -- and as a young activist, worked to bring down that illegitimate power structure. So when Clinton says, "There is no greater assault on our core values than the rampant efforts to restrict the right to vote" -- as he does in a new video released by the Democratic National Committee -- the former president knows of what he speaks.