The latest Gallup poll shows that Americans still trust Barack Obama on health care far more than they trust either the Democrats or the Republicans in Congress, although the overall confidence level is dropping as the political horse trading goes on and on.

And congressional Republicans are trusted about as much as insurance companies. Ouch.

PRINCETON, NJ — Americans remain more confident in the healthcare reform recommendations of President Obama (49%) than in the recommendations of the Democratic (37%) or Republican (32%) leaders in Congress. But these confidence levels are lower than those measured in June, suggesting that the ongoing healthcare reform debate has taken a toll on the credibility of the politicians involved.

“In addition to Americans’ loss of confidence in the healthcare recommendations of Obama and Democrats in Congress (and a marginal drop in their confidence in Republicans in Congress), Americans’ confidence in pharmaceutical and health insurance companies also fell.”

Gallup from March 2-3 asked Americans a question first asked last June — whether they were confident or not confident in the healthcare recommendations of eight groups of potential influencers. The list of those measured includes not only Obama and the Democratic and Republican leaders in Congress, but also hospitals, doctors, pharmaceutical companies, health insurance companies, and university professors and researchers who study healthcare policy.

As was the case nine months ago, Americans express the most widespread confidence in doctors, hospitals, and university professors and researchers. Americans are least likely to have confidence in health insurance companies and pharmaceutical companies — although these two institutions have only marginally lower confidence ratings than do Republicans in Congress.