But even if the memo doesn't detonate, there are suddenly several other potential scandals sputtering away in the press today to cause the White House worry.

· The New York Times is reporting that a White House official with ties to the oil industry repeatedly edited government climate reports to play down global warming issues.

· The Guardian reports on new State Department documents suggesting that Bush's decision not to sign the Kyoto global warming treaty was partly a result of pressure from ExxonMobil.

· The Texas Observer and the Associated Press are reporting that two Indian tribes working with Jack Abramoff, the lobbyist now under criminal and congressional investigation, paid $25,000 each to a conservative tax-exempt group to underwrite an event that got tribal leaders a private meeting with President Bush.

· And The Washington Post reports that senators are asking for more information about the involvement of White House officials in pushing for a $30 billion air-tanker deal now considered the most significant military contracting abuses in several decades.

All this comes as a new Washington Post/ABC News poll shows a slew of sinking numbers for Bush, including a dramatic loss of support on his ace-in-the-hole issue, the war on terror. And the public has apparently concluded that the war in Iraq was not worth it and has not made the United States safer.

Tyler
1844 Democrat replaced Whig, Whigs lose congress
A Johnson
1868 Republicans replaced Unionist Democrat, Republicans hold Congress
Cleveland
1896 Republican replaced Democrat, Republicans hold Congress
Hoover
1932 Democrat Replaced Republican, Democrats hold House, and take Senate
Nixon
1976 Democrat replaced Republican, Democrats hold Congress
Reagan
1988 Republicans hold (the only one!), Democrats hold Congress
GHW Bush
1992 Democrats replace Republican, Democrats hold Congress
Clinton
2000 Republicans replace Democrat, Republicans hold Congress

That is of the 9 times charges have been filed, 8 times the party in power has fallen from power. And in 9 of the 8, the party pushing impeachment has held congress. That means that 7 of 9 the legislative party won a total victory, and in 1 out of 9 got a partial victory. Only Tyler was a complete wash out - because it was a party civil war.