Poll: Voters blame GOP more for Washington’s political fighting

More Americans blame Republicans for the political fighting in Washington, a new Bloomberg National Poll finds.

Forty-five percent of those surveyed said they blame Republicans in Congress for "what's gone wrong in Washington." Twenty percent blamed President Obama and 19 percent blamed congressional Democrats in the poll released Thursday.

The poll's results come as Obama amps up pressure on lawmakers to pass his job-creation proposal, which he unveiled last week in an address to a joint session of Congress.

More voters have confidence in Obama's ability to jump-start the sluggish economy. Forty-three percent said Obama had "laid out a better vision for a successful economic future," versus 41 percent for Republicans.

However, results from the poll released Wednesday showed the president's proposed American Jobs Act also faces voter pessimism. Only 40 percent say the package will lower the unemployment rate, and 51 percent think it will not help to put a dent in the jobless rate.

Economic issues were paramount in voters' minds. Forty-six percent said unemployment was the "most important issue facing the country," with 18 percent pointing to government spending and 12 percent concerned with the deficit.

Forty-four percent say they are "worse off" since 2009, with only 27 percent doing better.

The poll, conducted Sept. 9-12, has a 3 percent margin of error.

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