Debt Ceiling: Memo to the White House and Congress — a new IBD/TIPP Poll says the vast majority of Americans want you to be fiscally responsible. The depth of feeling is so great, in fact, that your jobs may depend on it.

LOS ANGELES (February 8, 2011) — The IBD/TIPP Economic Optimism Index declined 1.0 point, or 1.9%, in February posting 50.9 vs. 51.9 in January. The index is 3.9 points above its 12-month average of 47.0 and 6.5 points above its reading of 44.4 in December 2007 when the economy entered into the recession, and 0.2 points above its all-time average of 50.7.

President Obama continued his efforts to mend fences with big business, giving a highly touted speech Monday to the Chamber of Commerce. He proposed reducing the corporate tax rate, loosening regulations and promoting trade, among other shared goals.

Public Opinion: The latest IBD/TIPP poll finds that Americans want decisive action taken to solve some of our biggest problems. But they also recognize the difference between real problems and the fake ones that politicians dwell on.

Across the board, Americans say high gasoline prices are hurting them financially. 

Consumer confidence rose to an eight-month high in January, but home prices weakened toward the end of last year, according to separate reports Tuesday, bolstering views that the Federal Reserve will maintain its aggressive monetary stimulus policies.

Al-Qaeda and its affiliates tops a list of 15 entities for threat in the TIPP Poll. North Korea and Iran took the second and third spot respectively. Generally speaking more Republicans perceive threat than others -- a contributing factor for their hawkish positions on national security matters.

With political wins hard to come by at home, the president could look abroad for accomplishments to tout during the 2012 race.

Contrary to a view recently advanced by a Washington Post columnist, Americans of all political stripes not only disagree that the U.S. Constitution is obsolete but also support the idea that bills passed by Congress must cite relevant constitutional authority.

Opinion: "Raw feelings over health care law have eased, poll suggests," shouts an Associated Press headline that ran last weekend, just days before Congress was set to vote. Really? Our poll suggests just the opposite.