The Bush Flameout

Posted about 10 days ago - RollingStone.com has a 16-page chronology of Bush's approval-rating freefall, noting the highs and lows of "the longest sustained period of public disapproval" in the history of the American presidency.. the whole list is numbing but worthwhile to read through, but here's a Cliff's Notes version:

August 6, 2001
Presidential Daily Brief: "Bin Laden Determined to Strike in U.S."
Approval Rating: 57%

September 11, 2001
"The Pet Goat"
86% (Sept 14-15)

September 10, 2002
Cheney: "There is no doubt that Saddam Hussein now has weapons of mass destruction."
70%

February 5, 2003
Colin Powell bullshits U.N.
61%

May 1, 2003
"Mission Accomplished"
69%

July 2, 2003
Bush to insurgents: "Bring 'em on!"
62%

December 21, 2003
Saddam captured
60%

April 28, 2004
First photos of Abu Ghraib surface.
49% (May 2-4)

November 2, 2004
Bush re-elected
53%

August 29, 2005
Katrina hits; Bush flies to Phoenix for John McCain's birthday.
46%

December 2005
U.S. deaths in Iraq reach 2,000.
43%

March 29, 2006
Republican lobbyist Jack Abramoff convicted.
37%

November 6-7, 2006
Democrats regain control of House and Senate.
Rumsfeld resigns
33%

December 2006
U.S. deaths in Iraq reach 3,000.
37%

June 11, 2007
Sen. Larry Craig arrested
29%

August 13, 2007
Karl Rove resigns.
33%

February 28, 2008
Bush: "Wait, what did you just say? You're predicting $4 a gallon gasoline? That's interesting. I hadn't heard that."
32%

March 2008
U.S. deaths in Iraq reach 4,000.
28%

August 2008
Bush White House projects it will leave America with a record defict of $482 billion.
29%

and I'll add one:

September 15, 2008
Lehman Brothers declares chapter 11 bankruptcy with $613 billion in listed debt, days after public investors Bear Stearns, Fannie May, and Freddie Mac received federal bailouts, Merrill Lynch was bailed out by Bank of America for roughly $50 billion, and the Dow lost 500 points and 4% of its worth.
29% (USA Today/Gallup)