All the polls are showing the same phenomenon. This one's from NBC and the Wall Street Journal, and considering the WSJ's role as official propaganda organ of the Republican Party, there's no room to claim bias. Bush's support really is eroding.

Given the twin drops in support for his handling of the economy and for his insistence on attacking Iraq alone if the UN doesn't rubber stamp the war, Bush might be in one hell of a bind. Trying to distract attention from the economy with a war is going to be difficult if the war is also unpopular.

This is a dangerous situation, Bowser. While cold political logic might dissuade him from a wag-the-dog tactic, Bush has gone way out on a limb pushing for war. He's laid his credibility on the line, essentially saying to the world, "yer either for me, or yer agin' me". It's become personal.

If you'll excuse a sexual metaphor, he's been engaging in foreplay for months, and if he doesn't consummate the act, he may well explode from frustration. Emotion has become a significant part of the equation.

I don't feel like gloating over Bush's political bind, to tell ya the truth, because the stakes are too high. That bad case of blue bombs could lead him into a disastrous miscalculation with horrific consequences for America for years to come. The situation grows more volatile by the day.

--Robert