Bush Country

The once-mighty "Bush majority" has eroded down to just three barren Western states that still approve of the doomed presidency, according to dismal new statistics released Monday.

Idaho, Utah and Wyoming -- with just 4 million people or about 1.5% of the American population -- are the last three U.S. states where a very slim majority approves of the shamed president's wretched administration.

Those lonesome states are currently reporting 52%, 51% and 50% job-approval ratings for Bush.

Just 16 months ago, the Bush campaign claimed 30 of the 50 U.S. states and 51% of the nationwide vote.

The arid Western trio of lightly populated states all have a slight natural loyalty to a "Republican" administration.

Idaho is a rugged land known for its extremist white supremacists and bland Boise suburbs, Utah is the official state of the ultra-conservative Mormons, and Wyoming and its miniscule statewide population of 498,000 is the dubious home turf of Dick Cheney.

But there's another factor just barely keeping these last three states in the Bush column: mysteriously low gasoline prices.

Cheney's Wyoming actually has the lowest gasoline prices in the entire United States -- despite being a barely-populated backwater as far away as possible from U.S. ports.

The most populous states have been clobbered by $3.50-per-gallon gasoline ... except for Bush's adopted state of Texas. He may no longer be appreciated in the Lone Star state, but gas is still available in the semi-reasonable $2.85 range.