Gallup: Sequester fight sinks Obama’s approval rating

{mosads}Obama’s approval rating had been holding steadily above the 50-percent mark since last October. But over the weekend, following Friday’s sequester deadline, the president’s approval rating fell as low as 46 percent.

Obama averaged 49-percent approval for the week ending March 3, down from the previous week’s average of 51 percent, and down from 53 percent, where he started February. Obama’s highest weekly average in 2013 came shortly before his second inauguration in early January, when he averaged 54-percent approval.

Obama hit the road with campaign-style events ahead of the sequester, seeking to blame Republicans for cuts he said would hamper economic growth and constrain the military. Republicans accused the administration of scare tactics and of striking a “sky-is-falling” tone.

Both sides now see little hope of replacing the $85 billion in automatic spending cuts anytime soon, and have moved on to debating gun and immigration legislation.

Still, Gallup’s latest three-day rolling average shows the president maintaining a positive approval rating overall, with 49 percent of respondents saying they approve and 44 saying they disapprove.