Hatred of Congress Hits Historic New Level

"Throw the bums out" is a common refrain about Congress, but people usually apply an important qualifier in the voting booth: Except for my representative. Not this year, apparently. A new CNN poll shows that, for the first time, most Americans think their own member of Congress should get the boot. In the poll, only 41% say their representative deserves to be re-elected, the first time the percentage has gone below 50%.

Another 49% say their rep should lose in 2012, and 10% are not sure. "Anti-incumbent sentiment is so strong that most Americans are no longer willing to give their own representative the benefit of the doubt," says CNN's polling director. "If that holds up, it could be an early warning of an electorate that is angrier than any time in living memory." Republicans seem especially hard-hit, with an all-time high 59% viewing the party unfavorably. (More US Congress stories.)