Two new polls are out tonight from Washington Post/ABC and the Cook Political Report.


* Dems Hold Largest Head-to-Head Margin in Two Decades. The ABC/WP survey gives Democrats a 54%-41% lead over Republicans, the highest level of Dem preference in this survey this close to Election Day since 1984. Dems also lead among independents (59%-31%) and men (54%-42). The Cook Political Report survey gives Dems a 57%-35% lead among most likely voters.



* By a 20-Point Margin, Dems are Much More Enthusiastic About Midterms. 69% of Dems call the 2006 midterms more important than other congressional elections in their lifetime, versus just 49% of Republicans. (ABC/WP)



* Dems' Early Voter Contact Effort Is Paying Off. As many registered voters say, they've been contacted on behalf of a Democratic candidate as often as on behalf of a Republican candidate (about two in 10 in both cases). And the Democratic calls seems better targeted: People who've been solicited on behalf of a Democratic candidate favor the Democrat in their district by a 45-point margin; people who've been contacted on behalf of a Republican prefer the Republican by a narrower 19 points. (ABC/WP)



* Dems Lead On Every Issue. The ABC/Post poll has Dems leading on every issue, including terror (+1), Iraq (+8), North Korea (+7), ethics (+13) and the economy (+9). Almost two-thirds of independents disapprove of Iraq, including a quarter of Republicans. Of the nearly 60% of registered voters who oppose the war in Iraq, more than three quarters say they favor Democrats for Congress. (ABC/WP)



* Bush's Numbers Sink Again. Bush approval ratings fell another five points this month to 37%, his second-lowest approval rating ever in the ABC/Post poll. Even worse: Nearly twice as many registered voters say they'll cast their ballot as a way to show opposition to the president (31 percent) as to support him (17 percent). (ABC/WP)



Full Cook Political Report/RT Strategies Results