Two-out-of-three voters (67%) now support offshore oil drilling, up from 60% in the December survey. Most voters have consistently supported offshore drilling for several years now, but this is the highest level of support since the BP leak erupted in the Gulf last April. Twenty-two percent (22%) oppose such drilling, while 11% are not sure.
Voters strongly believe that government workers should wait until around age 65 to begin collecting full pension benefits. If someone joins the police force at age 20 and stays for 25 years, only 28% believe that person should receive a full pension for life at age 45. Sixty-one percent (61%) think they should find another job and wait until they retire at around age 65 to receive the full pension from their police work.
Forty percent (40%) view the congressional Republican agenda as extreme, while the same number (40%) sees it as mainstream. Another 20% are not sure. The number who see the Republican agenda as mainstream is down from 42% in January and 45% in August.