President Obama has bounced back from last month's all-time personal low in approval ratings polls:

Aided by comparison to the vastly unpopular Congress, Barack Obama has advanced to a 49 percent job approval rating in the latest ABC News/Washington Post poll - his best showing since spring, and one that, if it holds, that may put his re-election prospects back within reach.

The result continues an improving trend for the president amid some signs of economic gains. And it contrasts with both parties in Congress, embroiled in their latest game of political chicken. A mere 27 percent of Americans now approve of the Democrats in Congress, and just 20 percent approve of the Republicans – both new lows in ABC/Post polling back to 1994.

As ever with polls, I'd urge you to remember that this is basically meaningless as far as elections go. I expect Barack Obama's approval ratings to bounce up and down 4 or 5 times between now and next November. And you should curb your desire to crow over those Republican Congressional polling numbers, too. They're basically meaningless because they have to do with feelings about a big, faceless group of nameless politicians, and that's not how we vote. I bet you couldn't find a single congressperson whose numbers in his or her home district were that low, and that's all that matters on election day.