34%

George W Bush has an approval rating of just 34% according to a CBS poll published yesterday.

A sad indictment of the dying days of the Bush administration. I have struggled to like Bush, what seemed to be straight talking was often foot-in-mouth ignorance, and apparently sound right-wing ideals were fatally flawed - irresponsible tax cuts mixed with high spending, steel tariffs, big government and a boorishness unbecoming of his office.

Ronald Reagan had a similar allergic reaction for some people, and at times he slipped, but can anyone honestly tell me The Gipper's eloquent defence of western democracy against communism has been even half matched by the hickish ramblings of 'Dubaya'.

NO.

When Reagan suffered a mid-term slump started by the Iran-Contra affair, he told it straight and said 'No excuses, I was wrong'. A principled decision that the voters appreciated. Is Dubaya capable of such era-defining clarity? - probably not.

It can't get much worse and he will bounce back, but hopefully the next Republican nominee for US president will identify once again with principles and vision, otherwise, as the current cowboy-in-chief gallops into the sunset he will drag his party's fortunes with him.

P.S - in a hilarious footnote Dick 'Duck!' Cheney scrapes in with a measly 18%