Try as they might...

Although Democrats in Congress and President Obama continue to stress the supposed need for and importance of a second stimulus, it seems the public remains unconvinced:

[A] new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that just 22% of Americans favor providing federal bailout funds to states with serious financial problems. Fifty-eight percent (58%) oppose giving bailout money to financially troubled states.

On top of that, 56% of Americans oppose the passage of another economic stimulus package this year. While House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and other congressional Democrats are hoping to spend more to combat unemployment, just 33% favor another stimulus plan.

Thirty-six percent (36%) of voters believe the first stimulus plan passed in February has helped the U.S. economy, but 34% say it has hurt the economy.

Most Americans (53%) believe the U.S. economy will be helped more by decisions made by business leaders to help their own businesses grow rather than by decisions made by government officials. Just 29% say decisions made by government officials to help the economy grow will do more.

By a 59% to 24% margin, voters believe that an increase in government spending will hurt the economy.