CBS Skips How Own Poll Finds Many More Think Spending Cuts Too Small Over Too Big

Running through the findings of a new CBS News/New York Times poll, on Thursday’s CBS Evening News Chip Reid highlighted how, after weeks of media hostility the Tea Party has lost popularity, as he also located people to illustrate how more wanted, and still want, taxes raised over spending cuts alone.

Reid ignored, however, how far more – Republicans, independents, and even Democrats – believe the spending cuts “didn’t go far enough” over “went too far.”

Overall, 44 percent answered “not far enough” compared to only 15 percent for “too far,” with 29 percent answering “about right.” Amongst Republicans, the split was 62 percent unsatisfied with the level of cuts to just 4 percent who said they went too far; for independents 3.5 times as many thought the cuts fell short as were big enough, at 46 to 13 percent; and even Democrats answered not far enough over too far by 28 percent to 26 percent. (CBSNews.com's PDF of poll results)

Reid relayed: “The Tea Party fares poorly in the poll. Unfavorable views up 11 points to a new high of 40 percent. At Second Solutions, a small Richmond company that recycles electronic equipment, owner Mike Fibelman says he wanted more compromise in the debt deal, even if it meant higher taxes.”

Without finding anyone opposed to a tax hike, Reid found a second person in favor: “According to the new poll, 50 percent of Americans say higher taxes should have been part of the deal; 44 percent say no. At the Healthy Heart Wellness Center, Alice Freeman doesn't want higher taxes but suggests there may be no choice.” The woman contended: “No, I don't want to pay more taxes, but how are we going to fix this problem as a nation?”

From the Thursday, August 4 CBS Evening News, transcript corrected against the close-captioning by the MRC’s Brad Wilmouth:

SCOTT PELLEY: The economy caused another plunge in numbers, the numbers in our new CBS News/New York Times poll that has just been released tonight. Rating the economy, 86 percent of Americans believe that it's bad. And look at how people feel about that debt ceiling crisis that was resolved just on Monday: 82 percent said that it was all about the parties gaining political advantage. Only 14 percent said that it was about doing what's best for the country. We asked Chip Reid to talk to the Americans behind the numbers.

CHIP REID: Outside Richmond, Virginia, at the Resource Workforce Employment Center, there's deep frustration over the messy battle to raise the debt limit.

ANDRE BEST, UNEMPLOYED: I feel that we keep getting distracted from the main point of creating jobs.

REID: Most people here blame Congress more than the President. That's also true, according to the new CBS News/New York Times poll. The President's approval rating is holding steady at 48 percent, but Congress' has sunk to an abysmal 14 percent. Its disapproval soaring to 82 percent the highest in decades. Donna Martin, unemployed for two and a half years, says Congress isn't living in the real world. What is the real world like?

DONNA MARTIN, UNEMPLOYED: My goodness, it's tough, you know, trying to find a job.

REID: Robert Drake has been out of work for nine months after a 40-year career. When you think of Congress, what words come to mind?

ROBERT DRAKE, UNEMPLOYED: Politics. I mean, that's all it is. I mean, you've got, you've got three entities sitting up there trying to win. You've got the Democrats, the Republicans and the Tea Party Republicans. And I don't think any of them’s thinking about jobs.

REID: The Tea Party fares poorly in the poll. Unfavorable views up 11 points to a new high of 40 percent. At Second Solutions, a small Richmond company that recycles electronic equipment, owner Mike Fibelman says he wanted more compromise in the debt deal, even if it meant higher taxes.

MIKE FIBELMAN, SECOND SOLUTIONS: There’s a lot of corporations, maybe including ours, that could pay more taxes at least till we get out of the situation that we’re in.

REID: According to the new poll, 50 percent of Americans say higher taxes should have been part of the deal; 44 percent say no. At the Healthy Heart Wellness Center, Alice Freeman doesn't want higher taxes but suggests there may be no choice.

ALICE FREEMAN, HEALTHY HEART WELLNESS CENTER: No, I don't want to pay more taxes, but how are we going to fix this problem as a nation?

REID: And, Scott, according to our new poll, only 22 percent of Americans think the debt deal is going to make the economy any better.

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