Add jewelers to those dissatisfied with President George W. Bush’s job performance.

A new JCK national survey of hundreds of jewelers finds 53 percent disapprove of the job he is doing on domestic and foreign issues, and 42 percent aren’t happy with how he’s supported legislation affecting small business.

In addition, only a third approved of the job the Republican-controlled 109th Congress did on legislation affecting small businesses—even though a sizable majority said Republicans are more sympathetic to small business. However, over 80 percent have little or no confidence that a Democratic-controlled Congress can do any better.

What makes these results striking is that just over half (51 percent) of those polled in the JCK November Retail Panel identified themselves as Republicans. More important, they take their birthright as citizens seriously: an amazing 98 percent said they voted in the 2006 midterm elections, continuing a long-term pattern of consistent voting.

As for what small-business issues jewelers want Congress to tackle: No. 1 was tax issues (cited by 36 percent of respondents), including permanent repeal of the estate tax (14 percent) and ending the Internet sales tax exemption (12 percent). Surprisingly, only a few cited the problem that vexes most U.S. small businesses—the soaring costs of health insurance for employees.