RASMUSSEN - AT 2:51 P.M. ET:  After some days of small gains, President Obama is slipping again in the Rasmussen daily tracker.  For the first time in five days, Mr. Obama is back in negative territory in terms of overall approval.  Some 51% disapprove of his performance, while 49% approve.

Obama stands at minus 8 in Ras's presidential approval index, the gap between those who strongly approve and those who strongly disapprove.  Strongly disapprove is at 39%, strongly approve at 31%.  The president's worst numbers were on July 30th, when the gap was minus 12.

Today's report does not take into account the release by North Korea of those two American journalists.  That might have a slight impact, but I doubt if it would last more than a day or so.

August 5, 2009