BUSH NUMBERS ARE CRASHING

As they well should. Received from Ken.

The only place he's doing above 50% is the 51% who believe he is doing a good job on the war on terrorism. As long as he stays above 50%, the terrorists have agreed to not strike the unprotected harbors, train lines, subways and chemical plants.

The Bush gang is running a confidence game called 'rainmaking.' A front man shows up in a community that is desperate for rain and claims that for a certain, high fee he can make it rain. If the rain actually comes, he's a hero. If it doesn't come he demands more money and says the community is screwing up his technique. With Bush the order is reversed: the fact that there has been no overt terrorism on our soil in a few years is proof that, as his followers will tell you with a wise, ironic and pitying look in your eyes, 'he must be doing something right.' The second phase comes with the next terrorist attack. Within an hour the locksteppers will be blaming - the Democrats! Promise. (9/11 was particularly scary because it was a coordinated attack on a bunch of targets, like the recent London bombings. Such attacks are far more effective - more terrifying - than single target attacks. It takes a great deal of planning to carry these things out. Hence, the long wait for the next shoe to drop, not Bush's preposterous 'resolve'.) -K

The Associated Press-Ipsos poll on public attitudes about President Bush, the nation's direction and terrorism fears is based on telephone interviews with 1,000 adults from all states except Alaska and Hawaii. The interviews were conducted July 11-13 by Ipsos.

Results were weighted to represent the population by demographic factors such as age, sex, region, race and income.

1. Generally speaking, would you say things in this country are heading in the right direction, or are they off on the wrong track?

-Right direction, 36 percent (35)

-Wrong track, 59 percent (59)

-Not sure, 5 percent (6)

2. Overall, do you approve, disapprove or have mixed feelings about the way George W. Bush is handling his job as president?

-Approve, 42 percent (43)

-Disapprove, 56 percent (55)

-Mixed feelings, 1 percent (1)

-Not sure, 2 percent (1)

3. And when it comes to handling the economy, do you approve or disapprove or have mixed feelings about the way George W. Bush is handling that issue?

-Approve, 42 percent (43)

-Disapprove, 56 percent (54)

-Mixed feelings, 2 percent (2)

-Not sure, percent (2)

4. And when it comes to domestic issues like health care, education and the environment, do you approve or disapprove or have mixed feelings about the way George W. Bush is handling that issue?

-Approve, 42 percent (40)

-Disapprove, 56 percent (57)

-Mixed feelings, 1 percent (2)

-Not sure, 1 percent (1)

5. When it comes to handling foreign policy issues and the war on terrorism, do you approve or disapprove or have mixed feelings about the way George W. Bush is handling that issue?

-Approve, 51 percent (45)

-Disapprove, 48 percent (52)

-Mixed feelings, 2 percent (1)

-Not sure, percent (2)

6. When it comes to handling the situation in Iraq, do you approve or disapprove or have mixed feelings about the way George W. Bush is handling that issue?

-Approve, 40 percent (41)

-Disapprove, 59 percent (56)

-Mixed feelings, 1 percent (2)

-Not sure, percent (1)

7. When it comes to Social Security, do you approve, disapprove or have mixed feelings about the way George W. Bush is handling that issue?

-Approve, 35 percent (37)

-Disapprove, 61 percent (59)

-Mixed feelings, 2 percent (2)

-Not sure, 1 percent (2)