A former House GOP leader is calling this year's political atmosphere "the worst since Watergate and is far more toxic than the fall of 2006," citing "deep seeded (sic) antipathy toward the president."

We are hearing a lot today from Republicans and their concern about their "brand," and Davis takes it to another level in his memo; "a congressional GOP brand tied to George Bush is struggling"; "...deep seeded antipathy toward the president, the war, gas prices, the economy, foreclosures and, in some areas, the underlying cultural differences that continue to brand our party."

And the kicker, "the Republican brand is in the trash can...if we were dog food, they would take us off the shelf."

And just in case anyone is laboring under the illusion that the party can remake itself in the image of John McCain, Davis asserts, "McCain has his own branding and it is not consistent with congressional Republican branding."