Sixty-eight percent of respondents to a new poll said it was very important for the US to crack down on illegal immigration by tracking people who have overstayed their visas. No. 2 was beefing up forces on the border.

Economy: As the White House proclaims its "recovery summer," Americans are suddenly feeling pretty bad about things. Maybe it's because their can-do spirit has come face-to-face with a "can't-do" government.

Debt: Democrats whose spending has pushed the economy out onto a ledge reportedly are thinking about easing up a bit. But who are they trying to kid? They're quite comfortable on that ledge, as our poll data show.

Retail sales unexpectedly fell in May for the first time in eight months, the Commerce Department said Friday, adding to signs that the U.S. recovery is slowing.

Ben Bernanke, the Federal Reserve chairman, cautioned on Wednesday that "the federal budget appears to be on an unsustainable path." The country's growing investor class shares Bernanke's sentiment. In addition, the investor class is unhappy with Obama's managing of the federal budget.

Consumer confidence fell sharply over the last month on continued job worries and fears about the future, according to the IBD/TIPP Economic Optimism Index out Tuesday.

LOS ANGELES (June 8, 2010) — The IBD/TIPP Economic Optimism Index decreased 2.5 points, or 5.1%, in June posting 46.2 vs. 48.7 in May. This month's reading puts the index 1.9 points below its 12-month average of 48.1 and 1.8 points above its reading of 44.4 in December 2007 when the economy entered into the recession, and 4.7 points below its all-time average of 50.9.

As tar balls wash up on the Gulf Coast, President Obama is finding they are turning up on the White House lawn as well. A majority of Americans — 52% — give him poor grades for his handling of the BP oil spill.

Despite stock market fluctuations, one in two Americans (50%) belong to the growing "investor class," according to an IBD/TIPP analysis of more than 4,500 respondents to recent polls. Republicans have the biggest share of the investor class at 58%, followed by 52% of independents and 48% of Democrats.

Supreme Court: It's no mystery why the White House wants nominee Elena Kagan to remain a mystery. The more we know of her views, the more we know she'd be a justice of the left.