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House Majority Leader John Boehner calls it a "rough year"

WASHINGTON (AP) — House Majority Leader John Boehner calls it a "rough year" for the GOP. Just not rough enough to turn off most voters.

"I believe that when Americans see the stark differences between the two parties, that our members will do well in the November elections," Boehner said Sunday.

On the Ohio Republican's short list of party woes are Iraq, the response to Hurricane Katrina and the shadow cast "on all our work" by the troubles of his predecessor, Rep. Tom DeLay of Texas.

"Listen, we've had a rough year," Boehner said in an interview on "Fox News Sunday." "We've had a tough time. I'm not going to deny it."

Yet, he said, Republicans have an agenda to offer.

"I think House Republicans are committed to making sure that we keep America prosperous, that people have access to health insurance, that we spend their taxpayer funds wisely, and to make sure that we increase our border security and our national security," he said.

Republican lawmakers may have a harder climb ahead of them than Boehner acknowledged as they prepare for the 2006 elections. An AP-Ipsos poll found last week that fewer than one out of three people approve of the job performance of the GOP-led Congress.

When asked which party should control Congress, the public favored Democrats over Republicans by a 49-33 margin, the largest advantage the Democrats have enjoyed in AP-Ipsos polling.

Rep. Rahm Emanuel, D-Ill., and the chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, said the Republicans were merely putting "new rhetoric on their old agenda."

"This Republican Congress has done nothing but rubber-stamp Bush's priorities giving us a wage-less recovery and an endless occupation. This November, the GOP is only offering more of the same while Democrats are fighting to bring change to Washington with new priorities," Emanuel said in a statement.

House Majority Leader John Boehner calls it a "rough year" (http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060409/ap_on_el_pr/kerry_campaign;_ylt=Am6hP1KTRccwFc9vTSoOvJ6tOrgF;_ylu=X3oDMTA3OXIzMDMzBHNlYwM3MDM-)

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