The latest poll is gloomy news for Republicans but there's one interesting number the GOP should pay attention to.
One bright spot for the GOP is that Republicans hold an advantage over Democrats on issues such as foreign policy and fighting terrorism _ 43 percent to 33 percent _ and a smaller edge on handling Iraq _ 36 percent to 32 percent. The AP-Ipsos poll was conducted after the divisive Democratic debate in the Senate over setting a timetable for withdrawing U.S. forces from Iraq. Potential voters were paying attention to the GOP complaint that Democrats want to "cut and run." "It seems like the Democrats want to pull out or start to pull out, and I don't think that's the correct thing to do," said Eric Bean, 24, a college minister in Fort Worth, Texas. "I'd much rather see a Congress that would support our president. I think George Bush is doing the best he can. I think Republicans will support him."
If Democrats were hitting Republicans from the right on national security issues, the GOP would be in far deeper trouble. But naturally they're not, which gives Republicans an opening to schedule as many security-related votes as possible before November 7. During the August recess, the GOP leadership staff should devise a floor strategy that will make life difficult for Democratic election strategists post-Labor Day.