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President Obama has small lead over the GOP when it comes to public opinion, a new poll shows. Though Obama's approval rating sits at just 46%, only 35% of respondents have a favorable opinion of the Republican Party. A majority also believe the president is making the greater effort at bipartisanship, according to the New York Times/CBS News poll: 62% say he's trying to working with congressional Republicans, while 62% say those Republicans aren't trying to work with him.

But favorable views of the Democratic Party have sunk to 42%. And a slim 15% say they approve of the way Congress is doing its job, with less than 10% saying members of Congress deserve re-election, reports the New York Times. And while 60% of respondents say Obama does understand their needs and issues, only 42% felt than way about congressional Democrats, and only 35% about congressional Republicans.
(Read more Barack Obama stories.)