A few days ago Daily KOS pointed to the monthly SurveyUSA Senate approval numbers, which among other things showed a slight downward trend for Kay Bailey Hutchison.

The campaign for Barbara Radnofsky jumped on those numbers, pointing out that Hutchison has recently flipflopped on several issues that Radnofsky has been highlighting, and that Hutchison has done more for the people of Alaska on transportation funding than she has for the people of Texas. Stina and John have the communication from Radnofsky's campaign.

I wouldn't go so far as to say that Radnofsky's campaign and Hutchison's recent adoption of some of Radnofsky's platform is responsible for the polling dip, however - I think John's analysis, which points to the attacks KBH came under from Rick Perry prior to her announcement that she wasn't running for Governor, is spot on. I say that not because I think BAR's campaigning has been without effect - it's not a coincidence that KBH has suddenly changed her tune on these items - but because the fact of KBH's abrupt embrace of her opponent's positions isn't getting reported. Hutchison may be a KayBee-come-lately on the issue of VA hospitals, for example, but she still gets full credit for it when she comes around. Which is a shame, but that's life.

There are some positive signs. Blogs, of course, pick up on this sort of thing - it is what we do, after all. There's starting to be some coverage of BAR in the regular press, at least when she visits places like El Paso and Lubbock. Not quite as compelling, perhaps, as this breathless tale of KBH's selfless sacrifice of her daily fitness regimen, but they'll do for now.