Unpopular Congress enduring tough times
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These are tough times for the Democratic-led U.S. Congress, where partisan battles have led to little progress on big issues and have made lawmakers collectively less popular than President George W. Bush.
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It's been a month since control of Congress was decided, but Republican Rep. Henry Bonilla and Democrat Ciro Rodriguez are still campaigning as if the balance hangs on the outcome of their runoff.
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For good or ill, Congress kept to its usual snail's pace on a number of controversial issues ranging from digital copyright to spyware; other government agencies, however, made up for some of the slack.
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It has not been a pretty sight on Capitol Hill in the waning hours of Republican control. Once-powerful lawmakers have been shown the door at their own offices, forced to crowd in a basement or other nooks to finish their work, if not their careers. The usual backslapping has given way to back pats as colleagues try to comfort losers who will soon be going home.
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In some cases, fights in Congress have slowed progress, or the U.S. government has focused on other priorities. In other cases, the cost of IT projects has been an issue.
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Division between President Bush and Congress over the Iraq war hardens.
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Congressional Republicans, already struggling against negative public perceptions of Congress, now face voters who say new scandals will significantly influence their vote in November.
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Though polls show many Americans are unhappy with the direction of the nation, they seem likely in the Nov. 2 elections to keep Republicans in control of the U.S. Congress.
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The Democratic odd couple leading the U.S. Congress has struggled to make its political marriage productive since rising to power in January.
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Patent overhaul legislation thatÂ passed the U.S. House of Representatives FridayÂ still faces significant opposition as it heads to the Senate, opponents said.
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Lies from the White House. Incompetence in treating wounded veterans. Irrelevance in Congress. Can't anybody do anything right? It's days like these that turn Americans sour on government, stoking a desire for leaders who actually lead.
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With the congressional election less  than two months away, an overwhelming majority of Americans  expressed a negative opinion of the Republican-led Congress in  a poll by The New York Times and CBS News released on  Wednesday.
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In the eyes of the public, Congress is doing even worse than the president.
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With elections and economic woes, congressional approval of foreign trade accords will be an uphill battle.
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The spate of Republican retirements will make it difficult for his party to take control of Congress in 2008, he said at a Monitor breakfast Thursday.
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A battle is raging for the Texas congressional seat that represents President Bush's adopted home of Crawford, and redistricting, religion and a cross-dressing scandal are weighing in the race.
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African Americans in Congress, many facing huge pressure from their constituents, are mulling whether to shift support from Clinton to Obama.