posted June 15, 2005 11:35 AM              

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President Bush's poll ratings are among the worst of his tenure.

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WASHINGTON (June 15) - Fearing that President Bush's political problems may become their own, Republicans in Congress and elsewhere are beginning to yearn for the good old days of seven months ago, when he had somebody to run against.

Voters were worried in November about the economy and the war in Iraq, but they didn't take it out on the incumbent on Election Day. They are now.

Bush's poll ratings are among the worst since he took office, declining in virtually every category since his win over Democratic Sen. John Kerry. From his handling of the economy, foreign policy and the war in Iraq to his job approval rating and voters' assessment of the country's direction, the president's political scores are in serious decline.

One reason is that voters are no longer judging him in comparison to Kerry. Bush, like other second-term presidents, is facing the prospect of lame-duck status. He's up against his own record, in a sense, and that's never an easy task.

"In a vacuum, all the dissatisfaction is put on the White House," said GOP consultant Charles Black, who argued that Bush should draw more attention to upbeat economic numbers.

The Bush campaign succeeded in its 2004 strategy - to make the election a referendum on Kerry and not the incumbent. Now, every day is a referendum on Bush.

"When you're in a campaign, people have to make a choice. It's either A or B. Easy enough," said Ken Khachigian, who served as a strategist for President Reagan. "It gets more complicated after the campaign."

Khachigian said Bush could seize the initiative by delivering a speech to Congress on Iraq.

On Election Day, a majority of voters were concerned about the war in Iraq but also said it was part of the war on terrorism. They had to make a choice between Bush and Kerry while weighing the question of who would keep them safer.

Now, with the death toll in Iraq pushed above 1,700, more than double the number of a year ago, it's no longer a choice between Bush and Kerry.

It's Bush's war. Period.

"There's just a general angst right now," said Rep. Tom Cole, R-Okla. "He's paying for his Iraq policy more now than he was before the election. People know we have to win, but they're not very happy about it. So he has a lot of problems and, frankly, nobody to blame them on.

"And the Democrats are in the unique position of not having to propose anything," Cole said.

Beyond Iraq, the economy has risen to the No. 1 concern of voters, according to at least one poll, and every survey shows a majority of voters disapproving of Bush's performance on that issue. His plans to overhaul Social Security have gotten no traction in Congress or with the general public.

The president proudly considers himself a politician who forges ahead, despite the obstacles, but some Republicans are worried that Bush's resolve could cost them control of Congress in 2006 or 2008.

They fear his advisers are ignoring the signs of voter discontent, moving too slowly to adjust their strategies to new realities. Some top Republicans also blame GOP congressional leaders for focusing on legislation that seems to help a select few while making no progress on issues that matter to many.

These Republicans include lawmakers and consultants who are allies of the White House. Most spoke on condition of anonymity, fearing reprisal from the administration.

"They might not realize what a challenge we face here," said Joe Gaylord, a Republican consultant close to former House Speaker Newt Gingrich. "The challenge is they're in campaign mode. Americans can be patient for a while, but when they see nothing going on, they get to wondering, 'What's going on here?"'

Gaylord cited the political fallout from the decision to intervene in the case of a brain-damaged Florida woman, Terri Schiavo. Cole mentioned tort reform. Another top GOP lawmaker singled out bankruptcy legislation that made it harder for debt-ridden Americans to wipe out their obligations.

Those may be good policies, the Republicans said, but those issues benefit a limited number of voters. Republicans are urging Congress and the White House to push harder for voter-friendly legislation such as the jobs-laden highway bill or energy reform, a political prescription to angst over skyrocketing gasoline prices.

Khachigian said Bush is being worn down by stiff Democratic opposition and by his bullish agenda. "In a campaign, you're less likely to put up provocative ideas, you use much more global messaging and fewer specifics," he said. "What he's paying the price for now is being specific and provocative, especially on Social Security."

Cole compared Bush to President Truman, who never shied from a tough issue and often paid a political price.

"He was pretty farseeing. What you liked about Truman is what in the short term makes it politically challenging, and I'd say the same thing about Bush," Cole said. "He likes to make tough decisions."

Cole's analogy may not be comforting to Republicans. For all his tough stands and history's opinion, Truman left office with low poll ratings after the 1952 elections. And his Democrats lost control of Congress.

EDITOR'S NOTE - Ron Fournier has covered national politics for The Associated Press since 1992.

06/15/05 03:10 EDT

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