OBAMA SINKING IN RASMUSSEN POLL – AT 9:37 A.M. ET:  Mr. Obama enjoyed a brief bump in the polls recently, but now he's dropping back to the levels he was at through most of 2010.  From Rasmussen: 

The Rasmussen Reports daily Presidential Tracking Poll for Monday shows that 23% of the nation's voters Strongly Approve of the way that Barack Obama is performing his role as president. Forty-one percent (41%) Strongly Disapprove, giving Obama a Presidential Approval Index rating of -18 (see trends).

Yesterday and today mark the president’s lowest ratings since mid-December. It remains to be seen whether this is merely the result of statistical noise or a change in perceptions of President Obama. For most of 2010, more than 40% of voters voiced Strong Disapproval of the president. However, following his December agreement with Senate Republicans to extend the Bush tax cuts, the level of Strong Disapproval had declined.

And...

Overall, 44% of voters say they at least somewhat approve of the president's performance. Fifty-five percent (55%) disapprove.

COMMENT:  I'm not so sure that Obama's unhelpful entry into the Wisconsin dispute will do much for him in the polls.  Observers noted that he denounced the governor of Wisconsin faster than he denounced Hosni Mubarak.  And his rigid pro-union position – a position that will net him union political contributions – cannot be popular at a time when public-service unions are seen as part of the problem, not part of the solution.

But, as we've noted before, there are no guarantees here.  The GOP still has to choose a candidate to run against Obama, one of the best campaigners in memory.  No obvious candidate, no bookmaker's favorite, has emerged.

February 21, 2011