With the White House and the Republican-controlled Congress wrangling over the budget which should have been passed two weeks ago, President Clinton's ratings continue to rise.
To avert a government shutdown, the failure to agree on the final budget package has required a third temporary funding Bill since the start of the new fiscal year on October 1st. The disagreement has also kept Congress in session, instead of rising last Friday so members could campaign for the November 3rd election.
President Clinton's increased support in the polls will strengthen his position in the negotiations with the Republican leaders on Capitol Hill, where the White House is pressing for more spending on education and approval for new funding for the International Monetary Fund.
Just a year ago the White House and the Republicans agreed on the first balanced budget for decades and caps on future spending. But now both sides are seeking ways of getting around these limits to win extra votes in the election.
Republicans are disappointed at the President's increased popularity, following their vote last week to begin an impeachment inquiry. In a Washington Post poll at the weekend, 62 per cent said they disapprove of the way Republicans in Congress are handling the impeachment issue. Some 67 per cent said they approve of the way Mr Clinton is doing his job as President, up from 63 per cent three weeks ago. But more dismaying for Republicans is the fall in their support in the upcoming elections and the rise for their Democratic opponents. The trend had been the other way in recent months, as attention focused on the President's affair with Ms Monica Lewinsky.
With both sides anxious to avoid a government shut-down and concentrate on the elections, an agreement on the budget is expected this week.
The current disagreements cover about $500 billion, or one third of federal government spending. Mr Clinton is pressing for an extra $4 billion for education, including funding for 100,000 new teachers over seven years. Republicans want funding to aid parents who want to switch their children from public to private schools.
Non-spending issues such as abortion, contraception and the census for the year 2000 are also complicating the final package. Conservatives are trying to attach amendments on these issues to spending Bills while the President threatens to veto them.
Both sides are mindful of the last government shut-down four years ago, for which the Republican majority led by Speaker Newt Gingrich was blamed by the Democrats. This resulted in a plunge in the poll ratings for the Republicans.