Car salesmen or congressmen: Who's more honest?

Once a great deliberative body, the Senate is now known for deadlock, dysfunction and political games. Will Tuesday's election help?

Members of the House of Representatives can at least say they're perceived as more honest and ethical than car salesmen.

As lawmakers and President Obama continue sparring over the "fiscal cliff", according to a new Gallup Poll only 10 percent of Americans rate the honesty and ethical standards of members of Congress as high or very high, while more than half thought those standards were low. Car salespeople, in comparison, are in the cellar at 8 percent.

The findings for members of Congress are near historic lows, but the lawmakers' honesty standards have never been perceived to be very high. Since the poll began in 1976, they reached a peak in 2001 after the September 11 attacks, when 25 percent of Americans rated their honesty and ethical standards as high or very high, but their ratings went into a freefall until their ratings hit an all-time low of 7 percent last year.

Senators, meanwhile, received a slightly higher rating, but not by much. Fourteen percent of respondents say their honesty and ethical standards are high or very high while 45 percent rate them "very low."

The Gallup polled is based on 22 professions. Nurses, pharmacists and medical doctors topped the list of most honest and ethical professions; lawyers and state governors were below average as around one in five Americans thought their honesty and ethical standards were very high or high.

[ammo17]

no doubt in my mind a used car salesman!we do not have congressmen and women we have 435 prostitutes with lobbyist as their pimps.

[tsigili]

The Senate is actually worse then the House, in terms of those who do not truly represent the people.

[GOP-R--Con-Men]

Why not state examples and I don't see it. However, the house is definately over ran with wackos, clowns and loons. Bachmann, Gohmert, Steve King, Akin etc.

[GOP-R--Con-Men]

Republicans have more allegiance to Grover Norquist and his anti tax pledge than to America, their oath of office and our constitution. Any politician that places Grover Norquist's pledge above America, their oath of office and our constitution has no place in American government.

[vsmit]

The democrats have an oath to turn the US into Greece. Unrealistically low taxes for the 98% with huge government funded "benefits" for the same 98%. How's that going for the Greek people?

[GOP-R--Con-Men]

Nice try guys but the jig is up. Now quietly join your fellow republicans in history's trash heap for unwanted rubbish.

[canislupus16]

Car salesman has nothing to do with it. I cannot think of a "profession" I despise or hold such little regard for as a member of Congress. Well, members of my state legislature are a VERY close second (NY).

[sickofwhiners]

I can't believe we keep re-electing them. You can only be president for 8 years but you can be a congressman forever. Hmmmmm and we wonder why we have problems........

[sweetcakesmaria]

There definitely needs to be an integrity check among our Congress members because the majority of them no longer represent their Congressional Districts. There should be a law barring Congress Members from dealing with lobbyists because some of their dealings definitely gives the appearance of corruption.

[robert1129]

The only way I would have a Congressman over for dinner is if he were to act as a footstool.

[tsigili]

None of the above, and you can add the media to that longer list of bad actors, and liars. CNN, NBC, ABC especially........as total liars and deceivers, of the public.

[meanslayer]

Seriously? And Fox News is what? Fair and balanced? Is that why your version of the presidential polling was so accurately skewed? Because in Fox viewer's mind, if it is not heard or seen on Fox, it did not happen. Baloney.

[tiredofliberals]

Car Salesmen are more honest Look at Jesse Jackson Jr. and he is just the one that got caught

[Colt4542]

Term Limits! Term Limits! Term Limits! Term Limits! Is the ONLY answer.

[Ben37221]

Frankly, I think you insult car salesmen when you compare congress with them. It is obvious that these guys(congress) are all bought by big business. When congress insist on the military buying military equipment the military don't need, don't want, and sometimes ineffective just to support a defense contractor who happens to be a donor to their re-election, that is low.

By far, car Salesmen are Christ disciples when compared with congress- especially this congress that is setting the new bar for incompetence.

[GOP-R--Con-Men]

I agree, especially when you consider republicans passed a law to prevent MEDICARE from using it's vast buying power to negotiate lower prices from drug companies.

[vsmit]

I agree, especially when you consider Obama looted Billions of $$ from Medicare, which will lead to poorer health care for our older Americans.