Friday Poll Dancing

A recent CNN/USA Today/Gallup Poll, conducted December 16-18, shows that Americans didn't really buy George W. Bush's repetitive series of stay-the-course speeches on Iraq in December. Bush's approval rating -- which is the basic measurement of how well the public believes a president is doing his job -- stands at 41 percent, while more than half, or 56 percent, disapprove of how Bush is handling the presidency.

Other poll numbers:

• 53 percent have an unfavorable opinion of Bush personally

• 61 percent disapprove of the president's handling of Iraq

• 52 percent of Americans say it was a mistake sending troops to Iraq

Which leaves Karl Rove saying "OK, what the hell do we say now?" as Team Bush heads into 2006.