A new new new low

I wrote on April 29 that "George Bush soon will look back fondly at the heady days when his approval rating was a robust 32 percent."

Well, soon is now.

President Bush's approval rating has slumped to 31% in a new USA TODAY/Gallup Poll, the lowest of his presidency and a warning sign for Republicans in the November elections.

The survey of 1,013 adults, taken Friday through Sunday, shows Bush's standing down by 3 percentage points in a single week. His disapproval rating also reached a record: 65%. The margin of error is +/- 3 percentage points.

Bush's fall is being fueled by erosion among support from conservatives and Republicans. In the poll, 52% of conservatives and 68% of Republicans approved of the job he is doing. Both are record lows among those groups.

Moderates gave him an approval rating of 28%, liberals of 7%.

Let's go back to the presidential approval-rating scoreboard (drumroll, please):

Bush: 31 percent
Nixon: 27 percent (November 1973)

I really think it would be a nice gesture for the Nixon family to send W. a thank-you card. Someone's sure to read it to him.