BUSH 42%, DEMOCRAT 42%

That's the real lead, though the polling outfit Rasmussen Reports buries it in paragraph #7:

Against a generic Democrat, the President is now tied, 42% to 42%.

Bush still beats Kerry and Dean handily, but that's because most people aren't political-minded and barely know who they are.

Against The Most Hated Woman In America, Hillary Clinton, Bush leads by a not-exactly overwhelming 48%-41%.

I checked Polling Report. An August Zogby poll shows Bush losing to "time for someone new," but this appears to be the first time Bush has failed to win when his theoretical opponent was defined as a Democrat.

Gosh and it seems like only last weekend that Adam Nagourney was penning his 9000th consecutive "the Democrats are doomed" story for The New York Times.