When voters elected a Democratic Congress in 2006, they did so expecting a fundamental change of direction for the country. They didn’t get a new direction and are not likely to as long as President Bush remains in office.

While Democrats are partially to blame for little getting done, the president’s power to veto legislation stymies their initiatives. With narrow margins in both houses, Democrats can’t get enough Republican support to make legislation veto proof.

The president can take little comfort that his standing with voters is better than that of Congress. It’s like asking the question, “The president is better than what?”

His approval rating last week stood at 31 percent, while that of Congress was down to just 22 percent in the latest Associated Press-Ipsos poll.

Voters have a difficult time putting a face on an impersonal Congress. It should concern incumbents that voters rarely know more members than their district’s representative.

That might explain why the president rates higher.

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