In case you missed it, former Democratic staffer and Asia note-taker Chris Nelson, author of the eponymous Nelson Report, last week issued yet another missive that might as well have been written by the DNC press shop or an unhinged commenter at the Daily Kos. Blaming Washington "insiders" -- read Republicans -- for Obama's free-fall in the public opinion polls, Nelson went on to state that "so for all of the concern about Obama's lack of experience now showing up, no 'insider' seriously thinks the country would be better-off with McCain and Palin, respectively an emotional time-bomb and, in policy terms, a functional illiterate."

Credit to Nelson who has figured out a way to monetize this kind of thing, or that he's found an audience clueless enough to think that you can't get the same quality "insights" for free at any of two or three dozen left-wing blogs. But Nelson's supposed to be an "insider" himself, and even he is struggling to find someone -- anyone -- to blame for a foreign policy that has demonstrated not one result in nearly a year. Obama's Asia trip, where his gladhanding brought no deals, no strengthening of critical alliances, no reaffirmation of American values of democracy and human rights, coincided with the collapse in support for the centerpiece of his domestic policy -- healthcare reform now gets the nod from just 38 percent of the American people, a superminority. In fact, the LA Times reports that Palin's approval numbers are surging and on their current trajectory will soon surpass Obama's.

Said one Republican foreign policy expert Nelson seeks to consult regularly, "next time he calls, he'll enjoy the click of a receiver."