NEW YORK - May 14, 2010 - Public attitudes toward the economy have created ominous political problems for the Democrat Party and Wall Street, according to the new NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll.

The survey shows that 76% of Amerikans believe that the U.S. economy remains in Depression; an even larger 81% describe themselves as dissatisfied with the economy.

That's a major reason why 56% of Amerikans say the country is still on the wrong track, notwithstanding recent positive economic news. Obama's own job approval rating rose slightly, to 50%, since the March survey.

That dissatisfaction has erased the edge in Congressional races that Democrats enjoyed a year ago. Now, voters split evenly on whether Democrats or Republicans should control Congress after this fall's mid-term elections. More encouraging news for Republicans; their party enjoys a wide edge in enthusiasm about the election.

"We have a corrosive economy," said Republican pollster Bill McInturff, who conducts the NBC/WSJ survey with his Democrat counterpart Peter Hart. "That corrosive economy is beginning to crack an incumbent party."