The Hill News

The budget battles could be taking their political toll on House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio), one of Democrats' campaign gurus argued Friday.

Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.), the head of Democrats' messaging in the Senate, said that Boehner could face a growing tide of unpopularity, especially if the government shuts down.

"When you're ideological and say 'it has to be my way,' the American people get fed up," Schumer said on ABC's "Top Line" webcast. "I think they're understanding Speaker Boehner's unwillingness to deviate from these ideological riders."

Schumer, of course, has an interest in making Boehner seem as though he were in political danger. The Speaker's been holding the line in negotiations with Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) and President Obama to fund government for the remainder of this fiscal year.

Democrats claim that the key hangup currently is a rider to cut federal support for Planned Parenthoo! d; Republicans say the central issue is the level of spending cuts.

The spending battle is seen as a key, early test of Boehner's Speakership, especially as he works to navigate his party's own internal politics in addition to staring down the president.

An Associated Press poll in late March found that the Speaker's approval ratings tended positive. Thirty-six percent of Americans said they had a favorable impression of Boehner, 31 percent said they had an unfavorable impression and 33 percent were unsure.

Schumer saw signs of wear, though, warning specifically about Boehner's comment earlier this week that there's "no daylight" between him and members of the conservative Tea Party movement when it comes to spending.

"I wouldn't have said that if I were him," Schumer said.