Obama gains ground with independents

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NEW YORK, Nov. 26 (UPI) -- U.S. President Obama's approval rating climbed 5 points among independents, but 70 percent of those participating in an Angus Reid poll disapprove of Congress.

It is the first time public support for Obama has increased since August; 75 percent of Democrats taking part in the poll approve of the president's performance while 86 percent of Republicans disapprove.

The poll found 13 percent of those asked strongly approve of the way Obama is running the country and 30 percent strongly disapprove.

Among independents, 56 percent disapprove of Obama's performance while 39 percent approve. That's a 5-percentage point increase from the last Angus Reid Public Opinion poll.

The approval rating for Congress is 19 percent, with 70 percent of respondents disapproving of its actions.

Just 4 percent of those polled voiced strong approval for Congress. Among Democrats, 35 percent approve of congressional action, but only 9 percent of independents and 6 percent of Republicans approve.

The online survey of 1,013 Americans was conducted Nov. 22-23, and it has a margin of error of 3.1 percentage points.