CNN: Obama’s approval is high — but the stimulus isn’t as popular.

Plus, Stuart Rothenberg: This Can’t Be What Obama, Pelosi and Reid Expected. “Either Congressional Democrats went from undeniably brilliant to unbelievably inept in just a few weeks, or being in the majority in Congress isn’t nearly as easy as being the opposition. Those seem to be the two obvious alternatives that follow from the problems Democrats have had selling an economic stimulus package that began with considerable public support and the backing of a popular president. I’ll cast my vote for the second alternative. . . . Spending $198 million to compensate Filipino veterans who fought in World War II, or $2 million to train Native Americans to become plumbers and pipefitters, or $150 million for renovations to the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, or even $3.26 billion for the Western Area Power Administration won’t strike most voters as the kind of spending that will help rescue the economy from recession.”