Speed Gibson

Hugh Hewitt took The Boston Globe's Jeff Jacoby to task for his dour outlook on this fall's elections. He thinks many Conservatives like him will sit this one out rather than continuing to affirm non-Conservative behavior.

How disgruntled is the party's base? In recent polls, fewer than 70 percent of registered Republicans said they approve of the way President Bush is handling his job, a sharp drop from the 90 percent support on which he once could count. Among self-identified conservatives, Bush's standing is even lower: Just 51 percent rate his performance favorably, according to the latest New York Times/CBS poll. At a time when the president's support among Democrats has shrunk to single digits, and when only 1 independent in 4 gives him a positive job rating, the last thing he can afford to lose is the goodwill of his core supporters. But he is losing it.

And Congress is doing even worse. According to the most recent CBS News poll, while 59 percent of the public disapproves of the way the House and Senate are functioning, the figure among Republicans is 62 percent. Read that again: Republicans dislike the Republican-controlled Congress even more than Democrats and independents do.

Hewitt sparred with Jacoby on his show tonight about that. But you don't want Leahy or Conyers running committees do you? What about tax cuts? Supreme Court appointments?

Well, what about them? That was Jacoby's reply, stating that while a "lesser of evils" is often the right call, re-electing those who repeatedly stray from core GOP principles is too much to ask. Jacoby made a pretty good case, and I hope Radioblogger will publish a transcript soon.

All I kept hearing from Hewitt was whining about what the Democrats would do if they retake some or all of Congress. Could be a good thing argued Jacoby; Bush might finally find his veto pen. I'd add: how's Arlen Spector working out for you? John McCain? Norm Coleman? Hewitt lost this argument handily I thought.

Tell me again who has no positive agenda, Hugh.