OBAMA'S STANDING – AT 10:09 A.M. ET:  President Obama came out of New Year's with a slight bump upward in the polls, but is now sliding back to the depressing – from his viewpoint – numbers that plagued him before the holiday, as Rasmussen reports:

The Rasmussen Reports daily Presidential Tracking Poll for Saturday shows that 26% of the nation's voters Strongly Approve of the way that Barack Obama is performing his role as President. Forty-three percent (43%) Strongly Disapprove giving Obama a Presidential Approval Index rating of -17.....

...Overall, 46% of voters say they at least somewhat approve of the President's performance. Fifty-three percent (53%) disapprove.

Rasmussen polls among likely voters.  Other polls, those taken among "all adults" or "registered voters," tend to show the president somewhat stronger. 

Rasmussen's results reflect polling done as the administration went on a major offensive to show that it's serious about terrorism.  The public was apparently not impressed. 

The "at least somewhat approve" number, 46%, approximately parallels John McCain's standing in the last presidential election.

January 9,  2010