when the poll numbers are down, even when they're high, he's very steady about what his job is, and what the important things are, and i don't think anybody in the white house is panicking right now about these numbers. >> and i got to admire bill for coming out and saying, look, they hate everybody in washington because he's right about that. but nonetheless, this is a president who's been popular, and who seems to personally like being popular. >> oh, well, erin, we all like being popular. and he has been very popular. but you know, i think, look, the question of whether washington is liked or not, that's nothing new. washington has been disliked for at least a decade now. what is new are these numbers, as i think -- i never thought i would hear the numbers being lower for president obama than for president bush. and even though i think the face merge makes a pretty good-looking man it's got to be worrying to folks in the white house and what you're seeing here is a wearing down of...

one for each day of the month. pick your scandal du jour basically, and i think you're going to -- you're seeing also that it is particularly affecting president obama's base right now. we are a very polarized country. there is, you know, a number of people who will disapprove of president obama practically unless he comes up with a cure for cancer. but there's also a group who will approve of him almost under any circumstances, and it is that group that feels more -- most affected by this nsa scandal, and that that's where his fall is coming from. >> so let me ask you, bill, about that group, his base. because the issue here, at least you know, when i look at it, you say, look, president bush had this point of view and it fit with what you expected his point of view to be, right? president obama, though, well, frankly, he said the exact opposite of what he's doing right now. here he is in the 2008 campaign. >> it's no coincidence that one of the most secretive administrations in our...