The Christian Science Monitor breakfast on Thursday featured Brian Nienaber, VP of the Republican polling firm the Tarrance Group, and Celinda Lake, President of the Democratic polling firm Lake Research Partners, reporting on the results of the latest Battleground Poll. Even though the survey was completed before the outbreak of Foleygate, both pollsters agreed that Republicans are in serious trouble and could lose both the House and the Senate.

Nienaber wins the quote of the day award for putting the pre-scandal Battleground numbers into the following post-scandal context:

"The three issues on which Republicans polled a clear advantage are terrorism, safeguarding America from terrorism, keeping taxes low, and protecting moral values. I think moral values is not going to be part of our tool kit anymore," Nienaber said wryly.

Taxes and terrorism are all that's left in the GOP tookit. Those are still two pretty powerful tools - but they aren't much help if the conversation remains all about sex.