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Well, at least Democrat support is higher as President Obama makes his case with his homeys.

Obama’s salesmanship appears to have been effective in recent days, helping to build public support for the economic stimulus package, and thus push Congress to pass a final version by his desired Presidents Day deadline. At the least, he has stemmed any erosion of support in the face of some spirited conservative opposition. While most of the increase in support is among Democrats, the plan retains solid support from independents and has not lost any ground recently among Republicans.

Although the stimulus plan is purportedly being passed to address the nation’s economic problems, Americans’ perceptions of the economy — and of their own personal financial situations — have little bearing on their support for it. Political orientation is the overriding factor.

Here is the graphic showing the increase in Democrat support:

Since an apparent deal is in the works to move this bill out of the House-Senate Conference Committee and for final approval in the Congress, American voters will see this partisan law become a reality -probably by Friday.

The Democrats in Congress and President Obama OWN the law. To the victors go the SPOILS and the REPERCUSSIONS.

Remember, American voter public opinion is fickle and performance related.

There has been a “Deal” in the Democrat/Obama Economic Stimulus bill in the House Senate-Conference Committee and the bill with ONLY three Republican Senators supporting it is scheduled to clear the Senate Thursday with the President signing it into law on Friday.

But, that is contrary to the latest polling that says Americans are more confident in their own ability to affect the economy.

When it comes to the nation’s economic issues, 67% of U.S. voters have more confidence in their own judgment than they do in the average member of Congress.

Nineteen percent (19%) trust members of Congress more, according to a new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey. Fourteen percent (14%) aren’t sure.

Republicans and unaffiliated voters by double digits have more confidence in themselves than Democrats do, but even a majority of the party that controls Congress trust themselves more than the average legislator.

Forty-four percent (44%) voters also think a group of people selected at random from the phone book would do a better job addressing the nation’s problems than the current Congress, but 37% disagree. Twenty percent (20%) are undecided.

The new Congress fares worse on this question that the previous Congress. Last October, just 33% said a randomly selected group of Americans would do a better job than the Congress then in session.

Although an $800-billion-plus economic rescue plan has now passed both the House and Senate, the overwhelming majority of voters are not confident that Congress knows what it’s doing with regards to the economy. Fifty-eight percent (58%) agree, too, that “no matter how bad things are, Congress can always find a way to make them worse.”

The American voting public does NOT heart the banking industry.

When asked the question: Do you favor or oppose additional government spending or guarantees being to help the troubled banking industry? The answer is a resounding NO.

While the Obama Administration is pledging up to $2.5 trillion in support for the troubled U.S. financial system, 56% of Americans oppose giving bankers any additional government money or any guarantees backed by the government.

Twenty percent (20%) support such assistance, and 24% are not sure in a new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey. The polling was done Monday and Tuesday nights. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner announced the bank bailout plan on Tuesday, but its contents were widely reported before that.

Among those more closely attuned to the workings of the financial industry, opposition is even higher. Fifty-nine percent (59%) of investors oppose the new bailout, compared to 53% of non-investors.

The stock market plunged 4.6% in reaction to Geithner’s plan, and consumer confidence as measured by the Rasmussen Consumer Index fell to an all-time low. The Rasmussen Investor Index remains just slightly above the all-time low it hit in December.

Americans want to see details from Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner and President Obama on how they deal with toxic bank assets.

Why not just let the banks fail and recapitalize new banks?

A plurality of Americans say the earlier bank bailout plan has either had no impact or made the economy worse. Moreover, most Americans don’t think their political leaders know what they’re doing anyway as they wrestle with the country’s economic problems.

As the bank CEO’s go up on Capitol Hill today, hat in hand, keep in mind the American public does NOT support any further government bailout.

Alaska Governor Sarah Palin turns 45 today.