A new Reason-Rupe poll finds President Obama’s standing on foreign policy “has taken such a hit” that 64% of Americans — including 68% of independents and 41% of Democrats — believe his handling of foreign policy is worse than, or the same as, former President George W. Bush’s handling of foreign policy.

Just 32% of Americans say President Obama is handling foreign policy better than Bush did.

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) “announced his opposition to authorizing strikes on Syria at the same time that it was becoming clearer that the Senate may not proceed with an outright authorization resolution,” Roll Call reports.

“McConnell, who is up for re-election in 2014 and facing a conservative challenger, is the only one of the “big four” congressional leaders to oppose striking Syria in response to intelligence suggesting that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad used chemical weapons against his own people.”

If you were a U.S. Senator, how would you vote on the resolution to authorize military strikes against Syria? Roll Call has a reader poll.

A new Wall Street Journal/NBC News poll finds President Obama’s push for Congress to authorize military action in Syria “faces headwinds from an American public that increasingly is wary of overseas entanglements and doubtful that an attack would benefit the U.S.”

Key findings: “Just 33% of those polled said Congress should approve Mr. Obama’s request to attack Syria, while less than a quarter thinks military action is in the national interest.”

President Obama’s campaign for an attack on Syria “took an unexpected turn as his administration inadvertently gave the Assad regime a potential way out that spawned second thoughts on Capitol Hill and enthusiasm among international opponents of a military strike,” the Wall Street Journal reports.

“After Secretary of State John Kerry suggested in off-the-cuff comments that President Bashar al-Assad could avert an attack by promptly handing his chemical weapons to the international community, Russia declared its support and quickly got Damascus on board.”

The New York Times reports Obama’s statements “about the haphazardly constructed plan appeared to offer him an exit strategy for a military strike he had been reluctant to order, and it came as support on Capitol Hill for a resolution authorizing force was slipping.”

Politico: “Obama’s unsteady handling of the Syria crisis has been an avert-your-gaze moment in the history of the modern presidency — highlighting his unsettled views and unattractive options in a way that has caused his enemies to cackle and supporters to cringe.”

When President Obama addresses the nation Tuesday night about Syria, a new McClatchy-Marist poll finds “he will confront the most unfriendly political landscape of his presidency, one where opposition knows no boundaries and Democrats, Republicans, whites, blacks, Hispanics, old, young, men and women all are deeply skeptical of the mission.”

“A solid majority of voters opposes airstrikes and wants Congress to reject Obama’s request for approval… A majority thinks he does not have a clear idea of what he’s doing with Syria. The ranks of Americans who approve of the way he’s handling foreign policy has dropped to the lowest level since he assumed office. And an overwhelming majority insists he stand down should Congress vote no.”