Democratic candidates have an lead on Republicans one month before elections to decide control of Congress, a number of new polls said last night.
Ratings for President Bush and Congress dropped mainly as a result of the Capitol Hill sex scandal.
A USA Today/Galluppoll gave Democrats a 23-point edge on Republicans in the battle for Congress, while a CNNpoll gave Democrats a 21-point lead.
An ABC News/Washington Postpoll found Democrats held a 54-41 per cent lead in the congressional race among registered and likely voters, which ABC said was the biggest Democratic lead this close to election day in more than 20 years.
And a new CBS News/New York Timespoll showed 79 per cent of respondents thought Republican leaders were more concerned with politics than the well-being of the teenage congressional assistants who received lewd messages from former Republican Representative Mark Foley of Florida.
Republicans, already battered by public doubts about the Iraq war and Mr Bush's leadership, have been scrambling to contain the fallout from the unfolding sex scandal and keep it from sinking their chances on November 7th.
Democrats must pick up 15 House seats and six Senate seats to reclaim control of Congress.
The CNNpoll found 52 per cent believed Republican House of Representatives Speaker Dennis Hastert should resign, while the CBSpoll found 46 per cent favoured his resignation.
The CBSpoll found 21 per cent of voters said the sex scandal would make them more likely to vote Democratic.
But the ABCpoll said the Foley scandal was a more distant concern than Iraq for voters, who doubted whether Democrats would have handled the scandal any better.