Clear the passageways: Rat are running off the Good Ship Dubya

Maybe it's his deodorant; from the Mercury News:

For almost five years, Republican lawmakers have seamlessly marched together to deliver President Bush's legislative agenda. At times, they have made the normally messy business of writing laws look easy.

Now, for the first time in Bush's presidency, party discipline among Republicans has broken down to the point that he faces insurrections on a variety of fronts, from Harriet Miers' Supreme Court nomination to the nation's policy on the treatment of prisoners.

Republicans in the House, in the Senate and in key conservative groups have begun criticizing the president and his policies in a way not seen since he took office.

"With fiscal conservatives, we've been disappointed," said Rep. Jeff Flake, R-Ariz., a leader in the fight to push the White House to restrain federal spending.

Plummeting ratings for Bush and many of his policies, from Social Security to the war in Iraq, have clearly played a part, freeing people to speak their minds, Flake acknowledged: "When you're taking on water, it's easier to complain."

Bush's problem with his own party coincides with his low popularity ratings around the nation. According to a recent CBS News poll, Bush has hit an all-time low with just 37 percent approval. A new Associated Press-Ipsos poll shows that 28 percent of the electorate says the country is headed in the right direction, while 66 percent say it's on the wrong track.

Now conservatives who have been crucial to Bush's electoral and legislative successes are speaking out against the president.

Jessica Echard, executive director of the Eagle Forum, a grass-roots organization founded by Phyllis Schlafly, describes the mood among her 80,000 members as "disillusionment."

"The Harriet Miers nomination has brought to the surface a lot of concerns and disappointments that have been smoldering beneath the surface," Echard said. "We've been concerned and frustrated by the president's stances on immigration, border security, spending and the fact that he hasn't used his veto power in five years in office."

In recent days, Bush has faced legislative setbacks in the House and Senate and public complaints about his actions and policies. And, for a change, none of the president's trouble has come from the Democrats:

Rejecting White House pleas, the Republican-led Senate voted 90-9 to ban cruel, inhumane or degrading treatment or punishment against anyone in U.S. government custody.

In the House, a band of fiscal conservatives has been badgering the White House and Republican leaders to pay for billions of dollars in relief for Hurricane Katrina by cutting other federal spending. GOP leaders eventually relented, promising across-the-board spending cuts by the end of the month.

Bush's nomination of Miers has provoked consternation outside the Capitol, as conservative special interest groups have complained bitterly that Miers does not have a proven track record of supporting their socially conservative agenda.

Bush's push to overhaul Social Security with private investment accounts is widely considered to be dead, having failed to attract enough Republican support.