underzealous

Interesting little tidbit in this MSNBC article -- an implicit Bush vs. Santorum battle:

One indicator many Republicans are watching to gauge whether Bush is becoming a liability for the party is in Pennsylvania, where Rick Santorum, the No. 3 Republican in the Senate, is trailing state treasurer Bob Casey Jr. by double digits.

"My caucus would do anything for Senator Santorum," Sen. Lincoln D. Chafee (R-R.I.) said of his colleague. Chafee, who himself faces a tough reelection battle next year, predicted Republicans will increasingly be faced with the choice of propping up Bush or protecting their own. "I think they're going to collide," Chafee said of the two options.

The other interesting points: opinion says lowering Iraq spending is better than rising taxes or reduced government programs, GOP moderates are actually considering raising taxes, and people don't trust the federal government to spend funds on New Orleans properly.

People have a short memory though; the GOP need not worry about 2006 just yet.