And three makes the trend. First it was AP, and then Gallup. Now, the latest Washington Post/ABC poll shows Obama's job approval rating moving back up, marking his first gains since April. We'll see if that topic finally starts showing up among the chattering class.

The real news though, as George Stephanopoulos spells out on his blog, is the crushing poll numbers for the GOP. Despite the beloved Beltway narrative about how it's gearing up to bash vulnerable Dems in 2010, the GOP appears to be a political party in free fall. When will the press start emphasizing that storyline?

From Stephanopoulos [emphasis added]:

Only 20% of Americans call themselves Republicans -- the lowest in 26 years. Only 19% trust Republicans in Congress to make the right decisions for the country's future -- compared to 49% trust in Obama. In addition, President Obama outpaces his fellow Democrats on the Hill -- by 15 points -- in this measure, providing some ammunition to the perpetual White House argument to Democratic members that their political success is inextricably linked to the president's. And unlike other recent polls, ABC-Post give Democrats a 51-39 edge in the generic Congressional ballot