ANOTHER SLIDE DOWN THE POLL (PUN INTENDED) - AT 10:07 P.M. ET:  Results of an NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll cannot bring joy to a White House trying to find it anywhere:

WASHINGTON - Despite his public-relations blitz over the past two weeks to promote his plans to reform the nation's health-care system — including holding two town halls on Wednesday — President Barack Obama has lost ground on this issue with the American public, according to the latest NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll.

Pluralities now say that the president’s health care plan is a bad idea, and that it will result in the quality of their care getting worse. What’s more, just four in 10 approve of his handling on the issue.

The poll also finds that Obama's overall job-approval rating has dropped to 53 percent. And it shows a public that has grown increasingly concerned about the federal government's spending as the administration defends its $787 billion economic stimulus and supports a $1 trillion-plus health-care bill.

COMMENT:  Some members of the anointed pundit class sneered with disbelief as Rasmussen was reporting a decline in the president's approval rating.  But NBC/Wall Street Journal now has Obama's approval in Rasmussen territory.

No one - except maybe Chris Matthews - can continue to pretend that all is well with president and public.  It isn't, and autumn promises to bring even more problems - especially with Iran, North Korea, and possible final action on health care "reform."

July 29, 2009