According to a new Gallup poll, the majority of Americans believe that President Obama and other Democratic leaders should postpone debate on the current healthcare reform bill and consider alternative legislation that would garner more GOP support.
The poll, conducted by USA Today, found that 55 percent of those surveyed feel that Congress should suspend work on the healthcare bill that was almost assured passage before Democrats lost a filibuster-proof majority in the Senate following the election of Massachusetts Republican Scott Brown on Tuesday.
Approximately 72 percent of respondents felt that the result in Massachusetts "reflects frustrations shared by many Americans, and the president and members of Congress should pay attention to it," according to the news source.
"We are more than happy to sit down and start over," said Arizona Senator John McCain on the Early Show regarding the healthcare bill. "Not scale back, but start over in a true negotiating process rather than the Democrats going back to try to pick off one or two Republicans."
Survey respondents also offered a mixed assessment of Obama’s first year in office, with 39 percent stating that they are pleased with his progress and 37 percent feeling that he is taking the country in the wrong direction. 