Few, if any, winners emerge from debt debate

After weeks of ugly partisan sniping, Congress approved, and President Obama has signed, legislation that will raise the nation's debt ceiling. The debt deal, which comes on the heels of a dramatic month and a half of confrontation in Washington, will help United States avoid a financial default that could have further sent the country into economic crisis.

Today's action on the agreement was a rare sign of compromise in Washington. For many observers, the debt-ceiling showdown marked a new low in the capital's divisive political warfare.

But in the wake of the tumult over the debt ceiling, it appears there are few winners; hardly any prominent lawmaker emerged from the ordeal unscathed. Indeed, with a deal finally on the table, the public appears to think even less of Washington politicians--scorning lawmakers from both parties, even as (or perhaps because) they professed to be acting in the country's best interests. The latest dismal poll numbers for Congress represent a fall from the institution's already historically low approval numbers in opinion surveys.

A new CNN/ORC poll released Tuesday found a whopping 77 percent of those polled believe the elected officials involved in the debate acted like "spoiled children," while just 17 percent believe they acted like "responsible adults." Those are damning numbers for any Washington lawmaker, but it's sure to prompt nervousness for President Obama and members of Congress who face tough prospects for re-election in 2012.

Here's a quick look at how the major players in the debt debate fared--and at how the fallout from the battle might affect the 2012 campaign:

President Obama: For the president, the debt deal is both a victory and a defeat. On one hand, he can argue to the American people that he fought for and won a long-term debt compromise that will ease fears of default and cut spending at least through the 2012 campaign. But the debate only further accentuated the nation's anger and distress over the struggling economy--the single issue most likely to determine whether he wins a second term.

Obama won a major concession in postponing another debt ceiling increase until after 2012. But his image took a major hit in the process. A Gallup poll released Friday found Obama's approval rating at just 40 percent--the lowest number recorded during his presidency. A Washington Post/ABC News poll found that he especially has taken a hit with his own political base, with just 31 percent of "liberal" Democrats supporting his economic policies. That number is certain to go down, as most on the left came out in opposition to the final debt compromise, in part, because the agreement didn't roll back tax cuts for the wealthy.

House Speaker John Boehner: Political observers have taken varying appraisals of the Ohio Republican's clout has over the past month, as Obama and even some Republicans questioned his ability to control his own caucus. Indeed, Boehner faced an embarrassing setback last week, when he and his lieutenants were forced to delay a vote on his debt bill once vote counts within in the tea party wing of the GOP caucus came up short.

But on Monday, Boehner convinced a majority of the House GOP to support the debt compromise brokered with Obama and the Democrats, in spite of public reservations. In an interview with CBS News, Boehner said he was "pretty happy" because he had gotten "98 percent of what he wanted" in the legislation. But still, it came at a price: Not unlike Obama, the congressional GOP faces dismal poll numbers of its own. Just 30 percent approve of how the congressional GOP handled debt negotiations, according to the CNN/ORC poll.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi: While the GOP's image took a major hit in the polls, Democrats in Congress didn't exactly emerge unscathed. Approval ratings for House and Senate Democrats hit new lows, while the CNN/ORC poll found just 35 percent of those surveyed approve of how the Dems handled the debt debate. House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi took a back seat during much of the debate, prompting some to question her political clout. In the Senate, meanwhile, Majority Leader Harry Reid tried to broker a last-minute deal, only to see it go down in flames. On Tuesday, Reid acknowledged again that the deal reached largely between the White House and Boehner was not perfect, but was preferable to seeing the nation head into default.

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell: McConnell took heat early on in the debate, thanks to his warning several weeks back that a stalemate leading to default would create major political problems for the GOP. McConnell also fielded a good deal of derision from congressional conservatives and tea party activists for his efforts to broker a last-minute deal permitting Obama to raise the debt ceiling without the approval of Congress. But he was still able to hold his caucus together to help broker a final debt compromise--proving that he remains one of the most influential Republicans in Washington.

Tea party Republicans: Many tea party lawmakers voted against the debt compromise, suggesting that it didn't go far enough to cut federal spending. But movement leaders are still taking credit for the deal, pointing to the debate as proof that tea party lawmakers are changing the "culture" of Washington. However, with a majority of Americans even more disgusted with Congress's political dysfunction, it's not clear that this is an optimal moment for claiming any sort of influence in Washington. A Washington Post/Pew Research Center poll released Monday found 37 percent of those polled had a "worse impression" of tea party lawmakers after the debt debate, while 45 percent were unchanged.

Congress at large: All told, lawmakers on both sides of the aisle facing re-election in 2012 could pay a price for the tumultuous debt debate. In recent weeks, the number of Americans who say they are looking to replace their congressional representative has hit historic highs. Sixty-three percent of those surveyed in a recent Washington Post/ABC News poll said they are inclined to "look around" for other candidates next year.