The much-deserved indignities continue for President Bush. Just a day after a host of new opinion polls put the President's approval rating as low as 33%, Bush suffered a devastating blow from one of his core constituencies. George W. Bush is losing the cracker vote.
On Thursday, pop star Jessica Simpson snubbed the President, choosing to skip an appearance at a Republican fundraiser featuring Bush. Simpson, who portrayed the Southern belle Daisy Duke in last year's film version of "The Dukes of Hazzard," apparently wanted to avoid the appearance of partisanship in her work for the children's charity, Operation Smile.
Just prior to being stiffed by Simpson, Bush was slammed by country stars and celebrity couple Faith Hill and Tim McGraw. Hill, a Mississippi native, and McGraw, formerly of Dehli, Louisiana, blasted the President for his handling of the hurricane Katrina response. Hill called it "embarrassing" and "humiliating." McGraw minced no words for the man from Midland:

"There's no reason why someone can't go down there -- who's supposed to be the leader of the free world -- and say, 'I'm giving you a job to do and I'm not leaving here until it's done. And you're held accountable.' You know what I can say. Vote."

These defections from the ranks of the Bush faithful would have been unthinkable only months ago. Almost three years ago today, the Dixie Chicks incited a firestorm of criticism for lead singer Natalie Maines' on stage comment in Europe, "Just so you know, we're ashamed the president of the United States is from Texas." Facing a boycott by outraged fans and indignant radio stations, Maines issued an apology to President Bush.
The news from south of the Mason-Dixon line only gets worse for the President. Outside of Alabama and Mississippi, every southern state now disapproves of Bush's job performance, including rejection in his home state of Texas by a whopping 14% (55% to 41%).
The old times there, apparently, are forgotten.