Washington in brief

Political parties both sink in poll

What's the difference between party politics and reality television? Arguably not much, but here's one: In politics, even if the voters don't like the party contestants, they're stuck with them.

Both the Republican and Democratic parties are getting lackluster reviews from the public this summer, according to a Washington Post poll that tested their favorability ratings. Neither party was able to break 50 percent on the measure: 48 percent said they had a favorable view of the Republicans, and 46 percent had a favorable view of the Democrats.

In both cases this is 8 to 10 percentage points lower than the last measurement eight months ago.

The news is particularly bad for the Democrats, who haven't scored this low in at least a half-dozen years. (Republicans are a little more accustomed to minority support, having seen their ratings move into net negative territory as recently as 1999.)

Add to this the fact that Democrats seem to have disappointed their own following: In the poll, Democrats rated their party 13 percentage points lower than they did last December (72 percent, compared with 85 percent). The party also dropped among Republicans and independents, but by a somewhat smaller margin.

A recent poll by the Pew Research Center suggests that the Democrats' intraparty discontent may come from its more liberal quarters. The center asked Democrats to rate the way their party was doing in "standing up for its traditional positions on such things as protecting the interests of minorities, helping the poor and needy, and representing working people."

Over the past two years dissatisfaction is up by 13 points, most of this stemming from liberal Democrats. Only 3 in 10 Democratic liberals say their party is doing well on this measure, compared with 5 in 10 conservative Democrats.

If it's any consolation to Democrats, Republicans have their own vulnerability in the Post poll: Their drop came largely from those valuable independents, 56 percent of whom viewed them favorably eight months ago, compared with 41 percent now.

GOVERNORS UNITED ON DRUG BILL: The nation's governors are setting aside partisan rifts over other Medicaid reforms to unite behind a congressional plan to provide prescription drug benefits to low-income seniors.

Democratic and Republican governors still disagree over a broader overhaul of Medicaid, but for now want to focus on getting the federal government to take on the states' $7-billion burden of paying for prescription drugs for the 6.2-million Americans who receive both Medicare and Medicaid.

House and Senate negotiators are trying to reconcile their versions of a new prescription drug benefit under Medicare, the federal health program for older and disabled Americans.

All 50 governors back the House bill, which would phase out over 15 years the states' obligations to pay drug costs. The Senate version would deny a Medicare drug benefit to people - dubbed dual eligibles - who also are enrolled in Medicaid.

The governors are facing large budget deficits and would save billions of dollars under the House version of the bill.

MOTORCYCLIST DIES IN COLLISION INVOLVING CONGRESSMAN: Rep. Bill Janklow was driving a car that collided with a motorcycle at a rural intersection, killing its 53-year-old rider, officials said Sunday.

Janklow, 63, a former four-term governor in his first congressional term, suffered minor injuries in Saturday's crash but didn't require medical attention, said Col. Dan Mosteller, the head of the state Highway Patrol.

Prosecutor Bill Ellingson said he was awaiting accident reports before deciding whether to file charges. There was no indication that alcohol or drugs played a role in the crash.

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