RASMUSSEN STEADY - AT 10:34 A.M. ET:  We've been following the presidential polls closely, as they've become a major story.  Well, the actual story is the president's decline.  Today's Rasmussen tracker shows no change from yesterday, not good news for a president who's abroad.  Often, a foreign trip gives a president a boost, but those days appear to be over.  Mr. Obama's overall approval remains steady at 51-48 approve.  Ras's presidential approval index - the gap between those who strongly approve and those who strongly disapprove, is at -7, with more in the disapproval column.

This rapid decline began at the end of last month and shows no sign of reversing.  Other polls have the president stronger, but there's been an overall decline in some of them as well.  There have also been dramatic declines in state polls, especially in key states like Ohio and Virginia.

July 11, 2009