Too many GOP incumbents are trying to run from their own records.

The public barometer:

On issues, Bush’s approval rating declined from 39 percent to 36 percent for his handling of domestic affairs and from 47 percent to 43 percent on foreign policy and terrorism. His approval ratings for dealing with the economy and Iraq held steady, but still hovered around 40 percent.

Personally, far fewer Americans consider Bush likable, honest, strong and dependable than they did just after his re-election campaign.

By comparison, Presidents Clinton and Reagan had public approval in the mid 60s at this stage of their second terms in office, while Eisenhower was close to 60 percent, according to Gallup polls. Nixon, who was increasingly tangled up in the Watergate scandal, was in the high 20s in early 1974.

The AP-Ipsos poll, which has a margin of error of 3 percentage points, gives Republicans reason to worry that they may inherit Bush’s political woes. Two-thirds of the public disapproves of how the GOP-led Congress is handling its job and a surprising 53 percent of Republicans give Congress poor marks.

By a 47-36 margin, people favor Democrats over Republicans when they are asked who should control Congress.

While the gap worries Republicans, it does not automatically translate into GOP defeats in November, when voters will face a choice between local candidates rather than considering Congress as a whole.

My analysis: Attacking Bush at his perceived strength (anti-terrorism) is the only way to go. But we can’t overlook the fact that Bush is not the candidate.

Breaking the law and the Bill of Rights to spy on Quakers and environmentalists, he’s deflected impeachment by claiming war made him do it. Yet he’s never given any rationale to support that claim beyond “I hate the paperwork.” The majority of Americans aren’t buying it, but enough do that the only way to erode his support further is through FOIA filings that demonstrate he’s going well beyond terrorists to target political opponents.

It’s equally critical to document the exact words and votes of GOP Congressional incumbents and to remind voters that the guys they liked have added to the damage we’ve experienced as a country.

Ask them:

Is democracy about torture?

Is freedom about supporting the rights of rapists?

Can your family afford the cost of re-electing a rubberstamp Congress and the Robber Baron Fatcat Index?

Do we really want a party that gave us $3-per-gallon gasoline, tried to damage Social Security, and left the bodies of thousands of seniors and disabled floating in New Orleans to run the country downhill like they have the past two years?

Our government needs balance to stay afloat. Though they may like their GOP incumbent, sometimes there’s a greater good necessary for the country to thrive. When nice (incumbent) guys keep making choices to support a flawed President, they become mere bimbos who love their sugar daddy too much.

We need people who can make the best choices for our American family, not a bunch of pleasant floozies who have forgotten who they were elected to serve. And that point needs to be driven home repeatedly, especially while those pump prices and interest rates are rising. Keep them on the defensive, worried about defeat.

And it can’t hurt for Democrats to promote themselves as the Progress, Integrity, Competence, and Kindness party (P.I.C.K.), the only PICK that a free and prosperous society can depend on to thrive.