The Colbert Effect

It seemed unlikely that even more people could be disgusted with the presidency of George W. Bush, but a shameful new poll reveals that 73% of Americans say this country is going down the toilet.

Overwhelmingly, citizens see Bush as the flusher.

Just when Associated Press pollsters thought it was impossible to find yet another "new low" in Bush's approval ratings, this week Americans delivered that new low: 33% approve of the president's performance, down from 36% only a month ago.

Knowing their days are numbered, those who run the White House made an effort to present Bush as a harmless and friendly idiot last weekend, when he did a clumsy "comedy" routine with a Bush impersonator from the Jay Leno show.

But those few minutes of moronic self-congratulatory slapstick between the Washington media and those in power were quickly forgotten when comic Stephen Colbert attacked the Bush as a criminal failure during a 20-minute routine that left the gathered press absolutely dumbfounded.

It only got worse on Monday, when millions and millions of Americans watched the entire savage operation on their computers. The last thing the scandal-ridden White House needed was having half the country laugh at Bush's impotent rage as a television personality tore him to shreds for the disastrous war in Iraq, the 9/11 attacks, the Katrina outrage, Cheney's drunken shotgun antics, the awful sex-torture ordered by the sick administration, $3 gasoline and the constant violation of America's constitution.

But come next week, 33% may seem pretty good, as today saw another batch of White House horrors exposed to the harsh daylight.

The worst news for the White House and Congress -- which is even more unpopular than Bush -- is that self-described conservatives are finally jumping off the Republicans' ship of sleaze.

With 45% of conservatives disapproving of the Bush White House and six of ten conservatives agreeing that "America is moving in the wrong direction," the administration and its puppet Congress are now losing their last loyalists.

While the Washington crooks continue feasting on whores, war and outrageous government spending, regular Republican voters are outraged about illegal immigration, gas prices, baffling White House schemes like handing U.S. port security over to China and Dubai, and the gut-wrenching experience of watching America lose yet another war.

Such is the disgust with the GOP that a slim majority of all those polled -- 51% -- say they would even prefer the Democrats be in charge.