Rendell's Approval Rate Falls Over Tax Hike Plan

A new survey suggests Pennsylvanians are worried about the state budget crisis -- and many hold Governor Ed Rendell responsible for it.
Thirty percent of respondents to the latest Quinnipiac University poll say Rendell is to blame for the stalemate, while 17 percent blame Republican lawmakers.
Eleven percent hold Democrats responsible, while 28 percent say there's plenty of blame to go around.
Assistant Polling Director Peter Brown also notes the governor's approval rating has sagged to 39 percent -- an all-time low...

"Clearly, Governor Rendell, for better or worse, is viewed as someone who wants to raise taxes.

Along those lines, respondents -- by a nearly two-to-one margin -- were against Rendell's proposed income tax increase.
Meantime, only 27 percent approve of the job that lawmakers are doing. That's just one point higher than it was after the legislative bonus controversy of 2005.
The poll had a margin of error of plus or minus 2-point-9 percentage points.