Trust in government falls among Americans

By Thomas Lifson

Nearly 80% of Americans say they don't trust Washington, according to a new survey by Pew Research. Almost one in three sees government as a major threat to their personal liberty, and wants to see government reined in. Moreover, although Republicans were less trustful of government than Democrats earlier this year, quite recently even Democrats have started trusting government less.

So how's that hope and change working out for you? Not very well, according to Pew Center director Andrew Kohut:

Pew asked people to say whether they were content, frustrated or angry with the federal government -- and 3 of every 4 people said they were either frustrated or angry.

The public's unalloyed hostility flows from what Pew Center Director Andrew Kohut characterizes as a perfect storm of conditions: a bad economy, backlash against Washington partisanship and "epic discontent" with elected officials that found fuel in this year's bitter health care debate.

"Health care reform contributed in the second half of last year to this growing concern about the power of government," Kohut tells NPR.

"The public," he says, "wants a less activist government."

If Washington doesn't get the message now, they will in November.

Ed Lasky adds:

Morning in America is coming in November. The corruption that led to the imposing of ObamaCare on our shoulders, the litany of broken promises by Barack Obama, Americans' every day experience of dealing with the government, the flurry of stories of our tax dollars going towards funding the sweetheart salaries and pensions of public health union members-all this and more are eroding support for Democrats. Obama and his minions preach that the people will find solutions to their problems with a leviathan government muscling its way into their lives-and wallets. Just trust us -- we are liberal elites and we know what is good for you. More clearly, they thought they knew what was good for them: rewarding their allies in the unions for example.

They just don't get it; Americans need to show them a lesson -- and will.