For most U.S. voters, the only thing worse than calling a candidate a conservative is calling him a liberal.

Forty-five percent (45%) of Republican voters are Very Confident that a candidate from their party will be the next president after Barack Obama, contrary to reports that suggest the GOP may be demoralized from the Democrat’s big win last Tuesday.

Senator Tom Coburn is unknown to most Americans, but the strange workings of the Senate Select Committee on Ethics could end up making the Oklahoma Republican far more popular than he is today.

Nearly half of Americans (47%) believe the government should require all radio and television stations to offer equal amounts of conservative and liberal political commentary, but they draw the line at imposing that same requirement on the Internet. Thirty-nine percent (39%) say leave radio and TV alone, too.

Six out of 10 Americans (61%) say Congress should return to Washington immediately to vote on lifting the ban on offshore oil drilling, according to a new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey. But voters overwhelmingly expect Congress to adjourn this year without taking action.

Forty-one percent (41%) of Americans say George W. Bush will go down in history as the worst U.S. President ever, according to a new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey.

With taxes front and center this week in the U.S. presidential campaign, 50% of Americans still see tax increases as bad for the economy and an identical percentage favor a tax policy focused on economic growth rather than fairness.

Over half of Americans (56%) express a favorable view of the National Rifle Association, although only 17% of voters say they are more likely to vote for John McCain if he is endorsed by the pro-gun lobbying group.

A proposal to conserve energy by reducing the nationwide speed limit to 55 miles-per-hour is strongly opposed by the nation’s voters. Voters continue to prefer solutions that lead to finding more energy rather than relying upon conservation efforts. Majorities support both drilling for oil in both offshore wells and in the Alaskan National Wildlife Refuge.

Even as both presidential candidates urge Americans to undertake more public service, over half of U.S. voters reject the idea that such duty is better than working in the private sector, according to a new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey. Only one out of six voters view work for the government as a higher calling.