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On Thursday, the president will travel to Holland, Mich., to tout investments created by the Recovery Act. Several other administration officials, including the vice president, will hit the road, too. These periodic jaunts are part of "Recovery Summer," a months-long enterprise that, like the summer trips everyone else takes, will be punctuated by a single question: "Are we there yet?"

Economists may say, yes, the economy is recovering, but the country says no. Only 25 percent say the economy is improving, according to a recent CBS survey. That's just one of the dark findings for the administration in a slew of recent polls that suggest that the administration's summer tour will do little to improve the president's political fortunes and those of his party.