Congress’ approval problem in one chart

It’s no secret that people don’t like — ok, loathe — Congress.

The latest Gallup monthly survey pegged Congressional approval at just 13 percent, the second straight month it has hit that all-time low.

“The 2011 average is on track to be the lowest annual rating of Congress in Gallup’s history,” wrote Gallup’s Frank Newport in a memo on the results.

Colorado Democratic Sen. Michael Bennet, who has taken on the unpopularity of Congress as something of a pet cause, said on MSNBC’s “Daily Rundown” that “for the last year or so this town has effectively come the land of flickering lights, where the standard for success is somehow you kept the lights on for the month where the rest of the world isn’t waiting for us to figure out how we’re going to meaningfully participate in the 21st century economy.”

Bennet has also taken to the Senate floor to make his case — and he brought charts! This one chart that tells you everything you need to know about the depths of congressional unpopularity.

Notice that Hugo Chavez has the same approval rating as Congress. The US becoming Communist has 2% MORE support than Congress. And the IRS is 4X as popular as Congress.