"Obama honeymoon coming to an end": NBC

POLITICO (Washington) - An NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll out Wednesday night showed the highest level of optimism about the economy in four years but new skepticism about the policies of President Barack Obama.

Chuck Todd, NBC News chief White House correspondent and political director, told Brian Williams at the top of "NBC Nightly News":

"The honeymoon is coming to an end for President Obama, but it's not personal. It's professional, as now the public appears to be judging the president on some of his actions. And right now there's a growing concern about the budget deficit, and some of this government interaction into the economy on things like GM."

Among the findings reported by NBC:

• A solid majority - 56 percent - approve of the job that the president's doing.

• Obama lost the most ground among self-described political independents.

• 69 percent are concerned about the increased government intervention into the economy.

• 53 percent of respondents disapprove of the government's decision to bail out Chrysler and GM.

• 58 percent say the government should focus more on controlling the budget deficit than on boosting the economy.

• 60 percent of those polled believe his focus should be on a whole range of issues at once.

• 46 percent think the economy will get better in the next year - the highest level of optimism in four years.

• The image of the Republican Party hit another all-time low.

• People generally like Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor.

(c) Capitol News Company, LLC 2009