The Republicans may have expanded majorities in both houses of Congress and four more years in the White House, but that does not mean that the American people will stand for all of their cynical and baldly partisan moves. ABC News' Gary Langer has the results of a new poll that might surprise even the most ardent supporter of the right to die movement.

Americans broadly and strongly disapprove of federal intervention in the Terri Schiavo case, with sizable majorities saying Congress is overstepping its bounds for political gain.

The public, by 63 percent-28 percent, supports the removal of Schiavo's feeding tube, and by a 25-point margin opposes a law mandating federal review of her case. Congress passed such legislation and President Bush signed it early today.

That legislative action is distinctly unpopular: Not only do 60 percent oppose it, more — 70 percent — call it inappropriate for Congress to get involved in this way. And by a lopsided 67 percent-19 percent, most think the elected officials trying to keep Schiavo alive are doing so more for political advantage than out of concern for her or for the principles involved.

This ABC News poll also finds that the Schiavo case has prompted an enormous level of personal discussion: Half of Americans say that as a direct result of hearing about this case, they've spoken with friends or family members about what they'd want done if they were in a similar condition. Nearly eight in 10 would not want to be kept alive.

This poll evidences the fact that the American people are not as stupid as Bush and the Republicans think. It's not difficult to read between the lines on this GOP move, and it's even easier given the fact that their memo on the subject got leaked to Mike Allen and Manuel Roig-Franzia of The Washington Post.

In a memo distributed only to Republican senators, the Schiavo case was characterized as "a great political issue" that could pay dividends with Christian conservatives, whose support is essential in midterm elections such as those coming up in 2006.

This move by the Republicans raises serious questions about their ability to run government in Washington. Not only are they ramming through policies that are widely unpopular among the American people, they are doing it in the name of extreme partisanship rather than conviction. The American people will remember this come November, 2006.