More often than not news organizations use polls to manufacture stories, particularly when the polls seem to confirm the cognoscenti's predisposition. Two recent Rasmussen polls are running against the tide of elite media opinion on the issue of government spending. One poll confirms the concerns voiced months ago during the Tea Party protests against excessive government spending:

Most voters (53%) believe increases in government spending hurt the economy, according to a new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey.

...Voters are much more supportive of cuts in government spending as opposed to increases. Almost half of voters (46%) think decreases in government spending help the economy, while 27% say they hurt it.

Another poll narrows these concerns to the question of the efficacy (or lack of) of the Stimulus Legislation:

Forty-five percent (45%) of Americans say the rest of the new government spending authorized in the $787-billion economic stimulus plan should now be canceled. A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey found that just 36% disagree and 20% are not sure.

As Glenn Reynolds's noted, it's becoming a bit more than obvious that this issue is getting under the Democrat's skin because they have doubled down on the "It's Bush's fault" argument. That phenomenon was reflected in the comments to my post yesterday. Voters, well attuned to the concept of credit risk, are apparently paying attention to record government borrowing, government spending and rising interest rates. It's not rocket science, the Obama administration just wants us to think it is.

HughS