In an Aug. 3 CBS poll taken after Kerry spotlighted his combat record at the Democratic convention, the top Democrat actually led Bush among veterans, 48 percent to 47 percent.

The new numbers represent the worst showing by Kerry since CBS began sampling veterans in late May. Back then, Kerry trailed Bush by 13 points with vets. In July, just prior to the convention, Bush had closed that gap to just 6 points.

Kerry's plummeting support from his "band of brothers" was likely reflected in internal polls by the campaign, prompting the top Democrat to complain publicly for the first time on Thursday about the Swiftvets, whose new book, "Unfit for Command," became an instant best seller when it was released this week.

But Kerry's decision to confront the issue personally may have backfired: While the mainstream media had previously all but ignored the Swiftvets, their claims received extensive coverage in Thursday and Friday news cycles, including a front-page above-the-fold report in the New York Times.

The poll also shows that white Catholics, who once supported Kerry (Catholic) over Bush (Protestant) by double digits, now split their vote evenly between the two.

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