Carly Fiorina

Fiorina: 'I've Never Met Sarah Palin. Next Question'

Eric Kleefeld | October 9, 2009, 6:24PM

Former Hewlett Packard CEO Carly Fiorina (R-CA)

Carly Fiorina, the former CEO of Hewlett Packard, former surrogate for the McCain campaign, and current exploratory candidate for Senate in 2010, declined to answer a question about Sarah Palin. Blogger Bill Black reports that Fiorina spoke to a business meeting in San Francisco Thursday night:

But most interestingly, she was asked whether Sarah Palin displayed leadership qualities. The question was asked in apparent sincerity, but her physical reaction seemed to suggest that she considered it a hostile question.

Here's her response, word for word, in its entirety:

"I've never met Sarah Palin. Next question."

Read more »

Nobel Peace Prize

Van Hollen Condemns Limbaugh, Steele For Agreeing 'With The Taliban And Iran' On Obama's Nobel Prize

Eric Kleefeld | October 9, 2009, 5:41PM

Rep. Chris Van Hollen (D-MD)

DCCC Chairman Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) released this statement, making it clear that Democrats will use Republican condemnation of President Obama's Nobel Peace Prize as an issue of the GOP's basic patriotism:

"The outrageous reaction by Rush Limbaugh, RNC Chairman Michael Steele, and others to President Obama winning the Nobel Peace Prize is the latest sad example of Republicans putting politics before country by rooting for America to fail. House Republicans should immediately condemn these outrageous statements asserting that they are 'on the same side as the Taliban.'

"Rush Limbaugh and his Republican allies may, as Rush Limbaugh said, 'all agree with the Taliban and Iran,' but millions of Americans see the President's winning of the Nobel Peace Prize as an affirmation of our nation's values and it should be celebrated.

"Democrats and Republicans should join President Obama in seeing this award as a call to action against the common economic and security challenges we all share."

LA-SEN

Melancon Endorses Anti-Rape Law, After Vitter Opposed It

Eric Kleefeld | October 9, 2009, 5:07PM

Sen. David Vitter (R-LA) and Rep. Charles Melancon (D-LA)

In the wake of Sen. David Vitter's (R-LA) vote against the Franken Amendment -- which seeks to guarantee access to the court system, rather than private arbitration, for military contractor employees who are sexually assaulted -- Vitter's Democratic opponent, Rep. Charlie Melancon, has released a statement strongly endorsing it.

Melancon has released a letter through his Congressional office, urging that the Franken Amendment be kept in the final conference report for the Defense Appropriations bill. He does not directly address Vitter's opposition, as this was released through his Congressional office and not his campaign. However, he does have some strong language against those who oppose it.

Let this be a clear signal: Democrats fully intend to hang this vote around Vitter's neck, as well as any other Republicans who opposed a measure designed to protect rape victims. Check out the key quote from Melancon's letter, after the jump.

Read more »

NJ-GOV

Christie's Running Mate: 'The Key Issue Is Not Mammograms, It's Taxes, Taxes, Taxes'

Eric Kleefeld | October 9, 2009, 4:13PM

Gov. Jon Corzine (D-NJ) and Former US Attorney Chris Christie (R)

In yet another sign that the Christie campaign is having trouble handling the issue of insurance company coverage of mammograms, Christie's running mate had a somewhat awkward response to the issue: This election isn't about mammograms, it's about taxes.

The candidates for Lt. Governor of New Jersey -- Republican Kim Guadagno, Democrat Loretta Weinberg and independent Frank Esposito -- met for a debate last night. Guadagno, as Christie's running mate, responded to the issue by saying: "The key issue is not mammograms, it's taxes, taxes, taxes."

The problem here is that trying to de-emphasize the issue of mammograms doesn't fully answer the central problem -- that Corzine has been attacking Christie's support of cheaper, mandate-free insurance policies that would not be required by state law to cover certain procedures. Corzine has gained a lot of ground among women voters by arguing that this would leave them vulnerable to having mammogram coverage taken away by insurance companies.

Read more »

FL-20

GOP Candidate Shoots At Target With Wasserman Schultz's Initials

Eric Kleefeld | October 9, 2009, 2:09PM

FL-20 Candidate Robert Lowry (R)

Here's a sign that some conservative activism really has gotten out of hand: A Republican candidate for Congress went campaigning by shooting a gun at a target with the incumbent Dem Congresswoman's initials written next to it.

Robert Lowry, a businessman running against Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL), stopped by a local Republican event that was held at a shooting range. Lowry stepped up to show his marksmanship, and fired at a human silhouette target -- with the letters "DWS" written next to the head.

Lowry later told the Sun-Sentinel that he did not know who wrote the letters next to the target, but that he did know they were there when he started shooting. After further questioning, he admitted it "was a mistake" to shoot at the target.

Florida's 20th District is a safe Democratic seat, which voted for Barack Obama by a margin of 63%-36%, and re-elected Wasserman Schultz by 76%-23% in 2008.

Late Update: It should also be noted that human-style targets were common at this event: "Though most of the targets of gunfire were standard gun-range fare -- large silhouettes of a human figure -- a few shooters used large color posters instead. They depicted a menacing figure, adorned in a kaffiyeh, the kind of headdress worn by the late Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat. The person in the picture was holding a rocket-propelled grenade."

(Via Political Wire.)

Nobel Peace Prize

Right Wingers Pitch Fits Over Nobel Peace Prize

Eric Kleefeld | October 9, 2009, 12:44PM

Weekly Standard Editor Bill Kristol

In the immediate wake of President Obama being awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, a lot of right-wingers have simply gone nuts over it.

To be very clear, we're not talking about any old criticism or disagreement. Reasonable people can believe this award was not deserved and that Obama has not at this time demonstrated the true accomplishments required. (Unreasonable people can do it, too -- Glenn Beck's got a pretty good joke about it.) We're talking about real over the top invective.

Bill Kristol likens Obama receiving the prize to Mikhail Gorbachev, the former leader of the Soviet Union -- except that Kristol thinks the Communist leader was more impressive:

Mikhail Gorbachev won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1990. A year later, he was out of power and the Soviet Union had dissolved.

I don't mean to compare Barack Obama to Gorbachev, who was, whatever his faults, a truly historic and courageous figure. But let's hope the parallel extends this far: that a year from now the Democrats suffer a major electoral repudiation, and that the New Liberalism goes the way of Reform Communism. And that, beginning in 2013, Obama will have lots of free time to spend hobnobbing with Gorbachev on the international celebrity circuit.

Read more »

Nobel Peace Prize

Limbaugh On Obama's Nobel Prize: 'They Love A Weakened, Neutered U.S.'

Eric Kleefeld | October 9, 2009, 10:09AM

Talk show radio host Rush Limbaugh

Rush Limbaugh has already responded strongly to President Obama being awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, declaring that this amounted to international praise of Obama's "intentions to emasculate the United States":

"This fully exposes the illusion that is Barack Obama," Limbaugh told POLITICO in an e-mail. "And with this 'award' the elites of the world are urging Obama, THE MAN OF PEACE, to not do the surge in Afghanistan, not take action against Iran and its nuclear program and to basically continue his intentions to emasculate the United States."

Limbaugh continued: "They love a weakened, neutered U.S and this is their way of promoting that concept. I think God has a great sense of humor, too."

NY-23

A Conservative House GOP Revolt On NY-23?

Eric Kleefeld | October 8, 2009, 5:28PM

NY-23 candidates Dede Scozzafava (R) and Bill Owens (D)

The American Spectator reports that the House GOP could be seeing a minor revolt among its members over the NY-23 special election, in which the local Republican Party nominated a candidate who is pro-choice and pro-gay marriage.

State Rep. Dede Scozzafava, the Republican candidate, is in a three-way race with Democratic attorney Bill Owens and Conservative Party candidate Doug Hoffman. The third-party candidate Hoffman has received the endorsements of the Club For Growth, Gary Bauer and former Sen. Fred Thompson. And it appears that some House GOPers would rather be helping him than the socially liberal Scozzafava:

[NRCC Chair Pete] Sessions was called out by conservative members of the caucus, and challenged when asked why NRCC resources -- cash and personnel -- were being used for Scozzafava. "We have a conservative running in this race, and the Republican Party is not with him," says a conservative House member who attended the meeting. "There are a number of us who are profoundly embarrassed by this race, and while we don't blame Pete, we do blame the NRCC staff for apparently not doing its job."

VA-GOV

Poll: McDonnell Expands His Lead -- Deeds Now Seen As Negative

Eric Kleefeld | October 8, 2009, 4:40PM

VA-GOV Candidates Creigh Deeds (D) and Bob McDonnell (R)

The new Washington Post poll of the Virginia gubernatorial race finds Republican Bob McDonnell expanding his lead over Democrat Creigh Deeds, suggesting that attacks over McDonnell's right-wing grad school thesis may have worn off or even backfired on Deeds.

The numbers: McDonnell 53%, Deeds 44%, with a ±3% margin of error. Two and a half weeks ago, when McDonnell was more intensely battling the thesis controversy, he had much narrower lead of only 51%-47%.

The poll also finds that Deeds has suffered from launching too many attacks: "Deeds, a state senator from western Virginia, is widely seen by voters as running a negative campaign, a finding that might indicate his aggressive efforts to exploit McDonnell's 20-year-old graduate thesis are turning voters away."

David Vitter

Louisiana Young Dems: 'We Can Only Guess' Why Vitter Is Opposed To Anti-Rape Law

Eric Kleefeld | October 8, 2009, 4:06PM

Sen. David Vitter (R-LA)

The Young Democrats of Louisiana have sent out a new e-mail against Sen. David Vitter (R-LA) -- the staunch social conservative who was implicated in a prostitution scandal -- declaring that we can only guess at his motivations for opposing legislation to crack down on rape.

The letter blasts Vitter for voting against the amendment to the Defense Appropriations bill by Sen. Al Franken (D-MN), which will guarantee employees of military contractors access to the court system if they are sexually assaulted:

On Tuesday, the U.S. Senate passed an Amendment to make sure taxpayer-funded government contractors cannot deny rape victims a day in court. For reasons only he knows, David Vitter voted against ensuring women have the right to seek justice.

Since David Vitter has not publicly stated why he is opposed to making sure women who are raped or sexually assaulted can pursue their attackers, we can only guess his motivations.

However, it is clear that Vitter regularly votes against the best interests of women.

The full e-mail is available after the jump.

Read more »

NJ-GOV

Corzine Massively Out-Advertising Christie

Eric Kleefeld | October 8, 2009, 3:52PM

Gov. Jon Corzine (D-NJ) and Former US Attorney Chris Christie (R)

A new study from the Nielsen Company helps explain how Gov. Jon Corzine (D-NJ) has been catching up with his Republican opponent Chris Christie, and also how Bob McDonnell and Mike Bloomberg have been maintaining leads in the Virginia and New York City races: Seriously outspending their opponents on advertising.

Between June 3 and September 20, Corzine ran a whopping 4,806 TV ads, compared to only 1,393 from Christie, a ratio of 3.45 to 1. Interestingly, Corzine massively out-advertised Christie in July by a margin of about 17 to 1, with Christie closing the gap to 2.26 to 1 in the period since then. It was in that earlier period when Corzine had some of his worst numbers, and yet he's been catching up in the polls in the later period:

The reason for the discrepancy could be that voters in New Jersey don't pay very close attention until the final several weeks of the election -- thus Corzine was unable to really break through with his attacks. On the other hand, he probably would have been doing even worse if not for the ads.

Read more »

NJ-GOV

Poll: Christie Ahead By Three Points

Eric Kleefeld | October 8, 2009, 2:35PM

Gov. Jon Corzine (D-NJ) and Former US Attorney Chris Christie (R)

The new SurveyUSA poll of the New Jersey gubernatorial race gives Republican nominee Chris Christie a narrow lead over Democratic Gov. Jon Corzine, confirming the trend of polls that have shown this race becoming very tight.

The numbers: Christie 43%, Corzine 40%, and independent Chris Daggett with 14%, with a ±4% margin of error. There is no prior SurveyUSA poll of this race for direct comparison.

The poll finds a sharp gender gap, with men going for Christie by 48%-35%, plus 16% for Daggett, and women for Corzine by 46%-37%, with 13% for Daggett. Keep in mind that Corzine has been attacking Christie among women voters on the issue of insurance company coverage of mammograms.

NJ-GOV

Poll: Corzine Up By Three In New Jersey

Eric Kleefeld | October 8, 2009, 1:28PM

Gov. Jon Corzine (D-NJ) and Former US Attorney Chris Christie (R)

The new Democracy Corps (D) poll of New Jersey gives Democratic Gov. Jon Corzine a narrow lead over his Republican opponent, former U.S. Attorney Chris Christie.

The numbers: Corzine 41%, Christie 38%, and independent Chris Daggett 14%, with a ±4% margin of error. Two weeks ago, Christie led with 40%, Corzine at 39%, and Daggett with 11%. The result is within the margin of error, but this also means that there have been two separate polls this week showing Corzine with some kind of lead, following a Fairleigh Dickinson poll from two days ago.

The pollster's analysis suggests that Corzine's attacks against Christie over mammogram coverage are working among women voters: "He [Christie] now posts a net favorability rating of -19 with women, down from -7 two weeks ago. Among independent women, the drop is even more pronounced: from -7 two weeks ago to -34 today, with half of independent women giving him an unfavorable rating. This has clearly benefited Corzine in the vote as the governor now leads among women by 14 points (up from 6 points two weeks ago)."

NJ-GOV

Corzine Camp Slams Christie For Calling Pre-K "Babysitting," Denying It Was Pejorative

Eric Kleefeld | October 8, 2009, 12:45PM

Gov. Jon Corzine (D-NJ) and Former US Attorney Chris Christie (R)

The Corzine campaign is going after Chris Christie for trying to back away from some very strong language he used when he was tacking right during the Republican primary -- attacking Corzine's pre-school programs as "baby-sitting."

Corzine jumped on that in one of his ads, which slammed Christie on education. In an interview Tuesday night with New Jersey political pundit Steve Adubato, Christie said that the attack was "out of context." When Adubato asked whether Christie did in fact use the term "babysitting," Christie responded: "I used it in an answer, but I did not use it pejoratively, as they're trying to make it sound in the ad."

Check out the new Web video from the Corzine campaign, where you can see Christie attacking Corzine's pre-K funding, "because he decided that the government should babysit for children. It's simply wrong."

FL-SEN

Crist Raises $2.4 Million In Third Quarter For Florida Senate Race

Eric Kleefeld | October 8, 2009, 11:41AM

Gov. Charlie Crist (R-FL) and former state House Speaker Marco Rubio (R)

Gov. Charlie Crist (R-FL), the frontrunner for the 2010 Senate race in his state, raised $2.4 million in the third quarter, and has $6.2 million on hand.

It is not immediately known how much of the money can be used in the Republican primary, where Crist faces a challenge from the more conservative former state House Speaker Marco Rubio. Rubio has raised much less money, taking in only about $1 million in this past quarter and $350,00 in the quarter before that. His campaign has said that nearly all the money is for the primary, but it's probably still much lower than Crist's primary funds.

Rubio campaign spokesman Alex Burgos responded to the numbers in a statement to TPM: "Money can't wipe away Charlie Crist's record of support for wasteful stimulus spending, historic tax increases and cap-and-trade. We're going to make sure he spends every last cent trying."

(Additional reporting by Evan McMorris-Santoro.)

PA-SEN

Biden To Raise Money For Specter

Eric Kleefeld | October 8, 2009, 11:20AM

Vice President Joe Biden and Sen. Arlen Specter (D-PA)

Vice President Joe Biden will be headed to Pennsylvania later this month, to raise money for Sen. Arlen Specter.

Specter announced the event, set for October 19, in an e-mail to his supporter list. He also quotes Biden:

Earlier this year, Vice President Biden welcomed me to the Democratic Party, saying:

"[Arlen's] independence, integrity, and piercing intellect will continue to be a tremendous asset to the people of Pennsylvania, and now, to the Democratic caucus in the Senate."

(Emphasis in the original.)

Specter faces a primary challenge from Rep. Joe Sestak, who is attacking Specter for his prior history as a Republican, and is arguing that Specter is not a genuine Democrat. Look for Biden to say a lot of great things about how much Specter has contributed to the Democratic cause over the last six months.

NC-SEN

Poll: Burr's Ratings Still Lackluster -- But He's Ahead For Re-Election

Eric Kleefeld | October 8, 2009, 11:10AM

Sen. Richard Burr (R-NC)

A new survey by Public Policy Polling (D) finds that Sen. Richard Burr (R-NC) continues to have lackluster approval ratings -- but that his prospects for re-election are simultaneously pretty good, a sign that the political climate is not good for Democrats in this 2010 race.

Burr's approval rating is only 36%, with 35% disapproval and a whopping 29% undecided -- as we've noted before, it's not that Burr is unpopular, but that he hasn't actually made a real impression with the voters during his term. In a way, this makes him a good barometer of the overall political climate in his state.

At the same time, Burr leads a generic Democrat by 45%-34%, and holds double-digit leads over six different named Democrats.

Read more »

Michele Bachmann

Bachmann: Successful Conservative Women Bother The Left

Eric Kleefeld | October 8, 2009, 9:57AM

Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-MN)

Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-MN) appeared on the O'Reilly Factor last night, where she and O'Reilly discussed, among other things, how successful conservative women bother the left.

"See, I'm not getting -- to me, you're a conservative Republican from a Midwestern -- upper Midwestern state," said O'Reilly, "who speaks her mind articulately, does her job. Why are they coming after you? I don't get it."

"It may bother them that conservative women are happy and don't need government in order to be successful in life," Bachmann replied. "I have a great husband, great kids. I had a great career as a federal tax attorney. And I don't need government to be successful. And it seems like they have a stereotype for women and I don't fit in their stereotype."

It's interesting to see Republicans complaining that a strong and successful woman bothers the left -- considering that this is the same party that has called for Gen. McChrystal to put Speaker Nancy Pelosi "in her place."

NJ-GOV

How Christie Has Been Hurt In New Jersey: Mammograms

Eric Kleefeld | October 7, 2009, 6:23PM

Gov. Jon Corzine (D-NJ) and Former US Attorney Chris Christie (R)

So how exactly is it that Jon Corzine has been catching up with Chris Christie in the New Jersey gubernatorial race? A lot of it has had to with women voters -- and mammograms.

Over the last several weeks, Corzine has been relentlessly hammering Christie over his advocacy of legalizing mandate-free insurance policies -- that is, not subject to state requirements that they cover certain procedures, which under New Jersey law include mammograms, autism screenings and other preventive care.

James Wolcott notes that this ad in particular has been given heavy rotation, warning women voters, "But if Chris Christie was governor insurance companies could drop mammogram coverage."

Read more »

NY-23

New York Conservative Party Officially Nominates Hoffman For NY-23, Blasts GOPer Scozzafava

Eric Kleefeld | October 7, 2009, 5:40PM

NY-23 Candidate Doug Hoffman (Conservative)

The New York Conservative Party officially nominated Doug Hoffman as their candidate in the November 3 special election in NY-23 -- and made it very clear that they'll be attacking Republican nominee Dede Scozzafava.

In the press release, Conservative chairman Mike Long did not hold back.

"Doug Hoffman is the only conservative in this race. It's a fact; both of his opponents are died-in-the-wool liberals," said Long. "Dede Scozzafava is a career Albany politician who has voted for increased spending and higher taxes. She supports Gay Marriage and Abortion. Last November she ran as a candidate on the ACORN backed Working Families Party line and shared that line with Barak (sic) Obama and Joe Biden. She has been endorsed by the far-left DAILY KOS. Dede Scozzafava is a liberal."

The seat became open when President Obama appointed GOP Rep. John McHugh as Secretary of the Army, and is now a three-way race between the moderate Republican Scozzafava, Democratic businessman Bill Owens, and Hoffman as the third-party Conservative.

NRCC

NRCC Shifting From Defense To Offense -- What's Left To Defend?

Eric Kleefeld | October 7, 2009, 5:29PM

Rep. Pete Sessions (R-TX)

In a sign that the House Republicans have nowhere to go but up, Roll Call reports that the NRCC is limiting its next "Patriot Day" program -- a fundraising event to benefit selected incumbents -- to only five House GOPers, down from a previously-planned ten.

The five members are: Mary Bono Mack (CA), Charlie Dent (PA), Patrick Tiberi (OH), Lee Terry (NE) and Tom Rooney (FL). "The political environment has shifted, and there just aren't five more vulnerable Members who are really in need of assistance or facing a credible challenge," an NRCC aide told the paper. "That money would be better spent by directly transferring money to the committee and on assisting the large number of challenger candidates looking to oust a Democrat incumbent."

Late Update: An earlier version of this post incorrectly listed Rep. Mike Rogers (R-MI). It has been corrected.

Read more »

VA-GOV

Obama Campaign Organization Sends Out E-Mail To Virginia List, On Gubernatorial Race

Eric Kleefeld | October 7, 2009, 3:50PM

Organizing For America has sent out an e-mail to its Virginia list -- which contains a very large number of Obama supporters in the state -- seeking to mobilize support for Creigh Deeds in the gubernatorial race.

The e-mail attacks Republican nominee Bob McDonnell's right-wing grad school thesis, which denounced working women:

In his masters thesis, written when he was 34, McDonnell clearly spelled out his regressive vision for life in Virginia -- including his view that women working outside the home are "detrimental" to the family, that couples should not have access to contraception and that the government should "restrain, punish, and deter" homosexuality.

...

In the 2008 election we faced a choice between fear and division, or coming together to build a stronger future. We chose that path forward last year, and if you're able to help now, it will make a huge difference in making sure Virginia says no to Bob McDonnell's destructive vision for the Commonwealth.

The full e-mail is available after the jump.

Read more »

Alan Grayson

Report: 28-Year Old Businessman To Run Against Grayson

Eric Kleefeld | October 7, 2009, 3:23PM

Rep. Alan Grayson (D-FL)

Rep. Alan Grayson (D-FL) will have at least one Republican opponent soon, the Orlando Sentinel reports.

Armando Gutierrez Jr., a 28-year old South Florida real-estate developer, is expected to announce soon that he's running against the freshman Democrat. Gutierrez's father has had a major presence in the Cuban-American political scene, though that has more to do with Miami than Grayson's district Orlando.

Gutierrez could bring money to the table, to compete with Grayson's own deep pockets, but he would also face the accusation of being a carpetbagger -- he only registered to vote in the district last month.

Other possible GOP candidates could also be on the horizon.

Late Update: It should be noted that the St. Petersburg Times reported yesterday that former state Sen. Dan Webster, one of the GOP's top prospects for the race, has registered a Web address at danielwebsterforcongress.com, but has not officially become a candidate at this time.

NY-23

Obama To Raise Money For Owens In NY-23

Eric Kleefeld | October 7, 2009, 2:55PM

NY-23 candidates Dede Scozzafava (R) and Bill Owens (D)

President Obama will be raising money for businessman Bill Owens, the Democratic candidate in the NY-23 special election, the Watertown Daily Times reports.

Obama will meet with about 50 people during an upcoming fundraiser in New York City, and will discuss the race and promote Owens.

The upstate seat became open when Obama appointed GOP Rep. John McHugh as Secretary of the Army. Owens is in a three-way race with moderate Republican Dede Scozzafava, and Conservative Party candidate Doug Hoffman. The special election will be held on November 3.

Fox News

Poll Finds Strong Association Between Watching Fox News And Not Liking Obama

Eric Kleefeld | October 7, 2009, 2:15PM

A new survey of North Carolina by Public Policy Polling (D) illustrates just how polarized people have become in terms of their politics -- and where they get their news.

President Obama's overall approval rating in North Carolina, state that he won narrowly, currently stands at 45% approval to 49% disapproval, according to this survey. The poll also asked: "When you watch cable news do you prefer CNN, Fox News, or MSNBC?" The answer was Fox 49%, CNN 31%, and MSNBC 13%, plus 7% who don't watch cable news.

Note that Obama's disapproval matches the percentage or respondents who watch Fox. Another way to look at it, from PPP: "Obama's NC approval with Fox News watchers: 18%. Approval with everyone else: 72%."

Now which came first: The chicken, or the egg?

David Vitter

Poll: Louisiana Likes David Vitter

Eric Kleefeld | October 7, 2009, 1:49PM

Sen. David Vitter (R-LA)

A new Rasmussen poll of Louisiana finds a result that might surprise some people: Despite the fact that he was implicated in a prostitution scandal in 2007, Republican Sen. David Vitter is actually popular in his home state.

Vitter leads Democratic challenger Charlie Melancon by a 46%-36% margin. Another potential Republican nominee, Secretary of State Jay Dardenne, leads Melancon by 46%-33% -- implying that the GOP doesn't have anything to gain from a new candidate.

Vitter also has a 56% favorable rating, to only 34% unfavorable, compared to a 43%-39% rating for the lesser-known Melancon.

Late Update: Rasmussen originally posted wrong numbers on the favorable sand unfavorables. They have been corrected, while our original point still stands.

NJ-GOV

Biden Campaigns For Corzine

Eric Kleefeld | October 7, 2009, 1:29PM

Vice President Joe Biden and Gov. Jon Corzine (D-NJ)

Gov. Jon Corzine (D-NJ) called in a big Democratic gun today, with Vice President Joe Biden campaigning for him at the state AFL-CIO legislative conference.

"This is not only one of the most important states in the union, this is one of the most consequential governors serving in any state in the union, and it's critical he be re-elected," Biden said. "You are the key to getting this man elected, so go out and get those votes."

Corzine has been working to tie his own reputation to that of the Obama administration, which is much more popular in New Jersey than he himself is. At the very least, having Biden stump for him couldn't hurt.

NJ-GOV

Christie: Out of 45 Polls, I've Been Ahead In 44 of Them

Eric Kleefeld | October 7, 2009, 12:35PM

Gov. Jon Corzine (D-NJ) and Former US Attorney Chris Christie (R)

Speaking to reporters yesterday, Republican former U.S. Attorney Chris Christie brushed off the new Fairleigh Dickinson poll that showed Democratic Gov. Jon Corzine taking a one-point lead, after having trailed Christie during the whole general election season.

"Did anybody think I was going to win this by 10? Raise your hand if you thought it was going to happen," said Christie. Nobody raised their hands.

"We're in a dog fight in the last four weeks in New Jersey as the Republican candidate for governor. Who would have predicted that?" Christie said sarcastically. "All I can tell you is this: 45 polls, 44 of them we've been ahead. We're still ahead in every other public poll except the FDU poll."

It should be noted that when Christie referred to 45 polls, he meant all the polls this whole year (and maybe even going back further). But as a general rule in politics -- and especially in New Jersey -- it doesn't matter where you are in January, but where you are in October and November.

VA-GOV

Deeds Campaign Raising Money Off Of McDonnell Supporter's Stutter Insult

Eric Kleefeld | October 7, 2009, 12:12PM

VA-GOV Candidates Creigh Deeds (D) and Bob McDonnell (R)

The Creigh Deeds campaign is now raising money off of the attack by McDonnell supporter Sheila Johnson, who made fun of Deeds for stuttering.

"Before introducing Bob at a campaign event, a top McDonnell surrogate resorted to mocking Creigh's speaking style -- insulting people who truly suffer from speech impediments," the e-mail from Deeds senior adviser Mo Elleithee says.

"Creigh is the first to tell you he's not the smoothest talker. But when he says something, you know it's honest," Elleithee later adds. "Bob McDonnell has not been honest in this campaign. Not about his transportation and energy plans, and certainly not about his record."

The McDonnell campaign initially did not apologize, but released a statement saying that Deeds "never had a problem voicing his false attacks," but "had difficulty expressing" a positive vision. After some more media coverage, Johnson apologized.

The full e-mail is available after the jump.

Read more »

Chris Christie

Will New Jersey Have A Last-Minute Surge For Corzine? It's Happened For Dems Before

Eric Kleefeld | October 7, 2009, 11:55AM

Gov. Jon Corzine (D-NJ) and Former US Attorney Chris Christie (R)

With new polls showing Gov. Jon Corzine (D-NJ) catching up with his Republican opponent Chris Christie, after having trailed Christie by solid margins all of the past general election season, it's worth examining a New Jersey trend that has been talked about a lot this year: That Republicans can often run strong for most of the campaign, only to see a Democratic surge in the home stretch.

"A lot of people have had trouble believing that Christie was gonna win, even when he was up in the polls significantly," said John Weingart, the associate director of the Eagleton Institute of Politics at Rutgers University, "just because of the presumed power of incumbents, the Democratic nature of New Jersey, and the amount of money Corzine was gonna put in the race. Really, nobody is confident of what the outcome will be at this point."

New Jersey Republicans have frequently come up dry in Senate races. Despite high hopes in many cycles, the last time they actually won a Senate campaign was 1972. Things haven't been nearly as bad on gubernatorial races, with the GOP winning four out of the last nine races -- but three of those have only been by margins of about one point. So why is it that these patterns exist?

Read more »

MO-SEN

Poll Gives Democrat Narrow Lead In Missouri Senate Race

Eric Kleefeld | October 7, 2009, 9:38AM

Missouri Sec. of State Robin Carnahan (D) and Rep. Roy Blunt (R-MO)

A new poll in the top-tier 2010 Missouri Senate race, where four-term GOP Sen. Kit Bond is retiring, gives Democratic candidate Robin Carnahan a narrow lead over Republican candidate Roy Blunt.

The new numbers from Momentum Analysis (D): Carnahan 48%, Blunt 45%, with a ±3.5% margin of error.

The poll also gives Carnahan higher favorables and lower unfavorables than Blunt. She is at 51%-28%, while Blunt is at 44%-33%.

VA-GOV

McDonnell: My Thesis Was About Importance Of Family -- A Premise Agreed On By Obama

Eric Kleefeld | October 6, 2009, 7:58PM

Candidate For Governor Bob McDonnell (R-VA)

During tonight's Politico/ABC candidate forum in Virginia, Leon Harris asked Republican nominee Bob McDonnell about an interesting angle surrounding his thesis -- a right-wing manifesto that denounced working women as being detrimental to the family.

Harris pointed out that McDonnell's own ads have boasted that he was raised by a working mother. So how could the same man, at age 34, write a thesis denouncing working women?

"The thesis was about a 20, 30 year look at government policies and its impact on the family," said McDonnell. "It started with the premise that's been true from Kennedy to Reagan, and from Obama to McDonnell -- that family is the bedrock of society, and government should not do things that are detrimental to the family."

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Creigh Deeds

Deeds Gets Grilled About His Chances In The Race

Eric Kleefeld | October 6, 2009, 7:40PM

At the Politico/ABC candidate forum in Virginia, Creigh Deeds was asked a lot about the fact that he's trailing in the polls.

"Well, if this election is about who's the smoothest candidate, who can be the slickest communicator, I'm not gonna win," he said -- echoing some of the talk from his campaign in the wake of a Bob McDonnell supporter making fun of him for stuttering.

Deeds also added that a lot of people didn't expect him to win his Democratic primary, and when he did he's spent a lot of money and had to spend a lot of time replenishing his funds. During that time, McDonnell was able to spend a lot of money on TV advertising, getting an lead on him that Deeds has been working to overcome.

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Meg Whitman

Meg Whitman: I Clearly Remember Voting In 1984

Eric Kleefeld | October 6, 2009, 5:19PM

Former eBay CEO Meg Whitman (R-CA)

Meg Whitman, the former eBay CEO and current Republican candidate for Governor of California, appeared on the Neil Cavuto show to discuss her campaign -- and strongly disputed the Sacramento Bee report that she didn't register to vote until she was in her 40's. "I voted in the 1984 election in California," said Whitman. "I remember it very clearly."

When asked who was the last president she voted for, she said "George Bush." It was not immediately clear whether she meant the older or younger Bush. "And then John McCain, obviously," she added.

Whitman was asked about the attacks from her opponents, that someone who has voted as little as she does lacks credibility to jump into the political arena.

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NJ-GOV

Poll: Christie's Lead In New Jersey Shrinks To Three Points

Eric Kleefeld | October 6, 2009, 4:55PM

Gov. Jon Corzine (D-NJ) and Former US Attorney Chris Christie (R)

The new Rasmussen poll confirms that Gov. Jon Corzine (D-NJ) has been catching up with his Republican opponent Chris Christie -- though in this poll, Christie still maintains a narrow but shrinking lead.

The numbers: Christie 47%, Corzine 44%, independent Chris Daggett 6%, with a ±4% margin of error. Two weeks ago, Christie led by 48%-41%. This comes on the heels of a Fairleigh Dickinson poll that had Corzine up by one point, the first survey to show him ahead during the whole general election season.

The Rasmussen poll also shows that this race is in flux, with a third of the electorate either undecided or indicating they could change their mind.

From the pollster's analysis: "Overall, these results suggest that the campaign is following a New Jersey tradition with the Democratic candidate gaining ground over the final months of the campaign. No Republican has won a statewide race in New Jersey since 1997. This year, Corzine is expected to heavily outspend Christie during the final weeks which could be a game-changing factor."

Alan Grayson

Grayson: Republicans Don't Want You To 'Die Quickly' -- They Don't Care

Eric Kleefeld | October 6, 2009, 4:01PM

Rep. Alan Grayson (D-FL)

In an interview on the local radio show Doc & Grace in the Morning, Rep. Alan Grayson (D-FL) explained that his comments about Republicans have been twisted into meaning that they somehow want Americans to die -- when the real truth is that they don't care.

"You know, this is being transmogrified into something else," Grayson complained. "Honestly, the people I deal with, the people I actually am across the aisle with every day, I don't think they care about ordinary people. I don't think that the Republicans in Congress actually have a heart. I'll be honest with you."

"But that's not the same as saying that they want you -- I mean, let's get straight what I said," he explained. "I said their health care plan is 'don't get sick,' and if you do get sick, then die quickly. And what did I mean by that? Because if you get sick and those bills are mounting, and you're in the hospital and you're feeling weaker and weaker, and you've got no way to pay for this, then what are they gonna do for you? Nothing. They're gonna do nothing."

Alan Grayson

Anti-Grayson Fundraising Going Slow For GOP?

Eric Kleefeld | October 6, 2009, 2:48PM

Rep. Alan Grayson (D-FL)

Let this be an object lesson that if you want to mobilize against somebody, having a real opponent for them to face is a good thing.

In the wake of Rep. Alan Grayson's (D-FL) attacks against the Republicans, money began flowing in from liberals who appreciated his no-holds-barred tirades against the opposition. The Republicans, however, didn't have a candidate yet, but instead set up a special fund to benefit the eventual nominee.

As of Friday, Grayson's campaign Grayson's campaign had amassed over $125,000. The campaign has not returned our further requests for latest numbers, but as of right now his ActBlue page alone is at over $132,000.

By comparison, when we asked NRCC spokesman John Randall for comment about their special anti-Grayson fund, which will benefit the eventual nominee, we got a rather low-key response: "Money is not going to determine the outcome of this race. There is a reason that even without a clear opponent Grayson's seat was moved to toss-up after his outrageous and distasteful outburst." That said, things should probably get better for them once they have a real challenger.

DE-SEN

Castle's Senate Run Creates House Dem Pickup Opportunity

Eric Kleefeld | October 6, 2009, 12:28PM

Rep. Mike Castle (R-DE)

The news that Rep. Mike Castle (R-DE) will be running for Vice President Joe Biden's former Senate seat in 2010 not only represents a decent pickup opportunity for Senate Republicans -- it has also created a very good shot for the Democrats to pick up the open House seat.

Castle himself was always secure in the House seat for as long as he wanted it, and he won re-election with 61% of the vote in 2008, at the same time as the Obama-Biden ticket carried the state with 65%.

But in terms of Delaware politics overall, this has become a very Democratic state, having voted Dem for president in every election since 1992, and also for Democratic governors in all the elections since then, as well. Democrats already have a candidate in the race, former Lt. Governor John Carney, who narrowly lost the primary for governor last year.

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VA-GOV

Sheila Johnson Apologizes For Making Fun of Deeds' Stutter

Eric Kleefeld | October 6, 2009, 11:17AM

Sheila Johnson, BET Co-Founder

Sheila Johnson, a supporter of Republican candidate Bob McDonnell in the Virginia Senate race, has apologized for making fun of Democratic candidate Creigh Deeds for stuttering.

"Two weeks ago I made reference to Creigh Deeds's inability to clearly communicate effective solutions to the serious problems facing Virginia," Johnson said yesterday evening in a statement sent to the Politico. "I shouldn't have done it in the manner in which I did and for that I apologize for any offense he, or others, may have taken."

Initially, the McDonnell campaign did not apologize, but had released a statement saying in part: "Creigh Deeds has never had a problem voicing his false attacks about Bob McDonnell. What he has had difficulty expressing is any positive vision for Virginia's future. Democratic businesswoman Sheila Johnson was noting that fact."

DE-SEN

GOPer Mike Castle To Run For Joe Biden's Senate Seat

Eric Kleefeld | October 6, 2009, 11:02AM

Rep. Mike Castle (R-DE)

In a very positive development for national Republicans, Rep. Mike Castle (R-DE) will be running for Senate in 2010, in the November special election for Vice President Joe Biden's former Senate seat, and he will make his announcement at noon.

A GOP source has confirmed the news to TPM.

Castle has never lost a race during his political career of more than 40 years, serving in the state legislature, as Lt. governor, governor, and as the state's lone member of the House. A recent Rasmussen poll had him leading a likely appointment, state Attorney General Beau Biden (son of Joe Biden), by 47%-42%.

It's way too early to make any firm predictions about this race, as both candidates have their pluses and minuses. But this should definitely be a competitive race, and a potential pick-up for the GOP as they seek to bring the Democrats below 60 seats again.

FL-SEN

Rubio Raises Nearly $1 Million In Third Quarter

Eric Kleefeld | October 6, 2009, 10:04AM

Gov. Charlie Crist (R-FL) and former state House Speaker Marco Rubio (R)

Former Florida state House Speaker Marco Rubio, the insurgent conservative candidate in the Republican primary for Senate, has had a decent third fundraising quarter -- though he is still decidedly an underdog.

Rubio's campaign has announced raising nearly $1 million, a marked improvement from their mere $340,000 last quarter.

The frontrunner in the race, moderate Gov. Charlie Crist, has not yet announced his haul. The Tampa Bay Tribune says that his supporters are speculating about a figure of $2 million -- but also notes that the Crist camp seriously lowballed their estimates last quarter, when he raised over $4 million.

NJ-GOV

Poll: Corzine Takes One-Point Lead, After Months Of Trailing

Eric Kleefeld | October 6, 2009, 8:50AM

Gov. Jon Corzine (D-NJ) and Former US Attorney Chris Christie (R)

A new Fairleigh Dickinson poll has Gov. Jon Corzine (D-NJ) with a one-point edge over his Republican opponent, former U.S. Attorney Chris Christie -- the first poll that has had Corzine ahead during the entire general election season.

The numbers: Corzine 44%, Christie 43%, and independent Chris Daggett 4% (Daggett was not listed as a choice, but was a voluntary answer -- more on that later). This is within the ±4% margin of error, but again this is the first poll that has had Corzine ahead in a long time. A month ago, Christie led by 47%-42% over Corzine.

Interestingly, Corzine's approval rating remains in the negative zone: Approve 38%, Disapprove 50%. However, he appears to be getting enough respondents to pick him right now, if only reluctantly, due to disenchantment with Christie -- a common pattern in New Jersey elections, where Republicans often run strong right up until declining in October and November.

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Meg Whitman

Meg Whitman Fundraiser For Bob McDonnell Is Cancelled

Eric Kleefeld | October 5, 2009, 10:01PM

Former eBay CEO Meg Whitman (R-CA)

A fundraiser for Bob McDonnell, which was supposed to include California Republican gubernatorial candidate Meg Whitman, has been cancelled.

The McDonnell campaign said the event had to be rescheduled, due to the host's wife giving birth. Due to scheduling conflicts, Whitman cannot be at the rescheduled event.

The DNC, however, is accusing Whitman of backing out as a result of the shame of it becoming public -- in other words, that Whitman would end up being associated with McDonnell's hard-right grad school thesis, which denounced working women and government policies that help them.

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CA-GOV

In CA-GOV Race, Republicans Struggle to Explain Their Past Donations To Dems

Eric Kleefeld | October 5, 2009, 5:46PM

Republican CA gubernatorial candidates Meg Whitman and State Insurance Commissioner Steve Poizner

I just spoke to Jarrod Agen, the communications director for California state Insurance Commissioner and current Republican gubernatorial candidate Steve Poizner, and he sharply criticized rival Meg Whitman for having donated to liberal Democratic Senator Barbara Boxer in 2003.

"Well, the issue is that Meg Whitman did not vote for 28 years, and then her initial foray into politics was to support Barbara Boxer," said Agen. "And it is hypocritical of her to campaign as a 'darned good Republican' throughout California with a record that would suggest something very much the opposite."

However, Poizner may have his own problem that Whitman could attack, if this fight keeps up: In 2000, he wrote checks to Al Gore. The explanation here was that the donations came from a joint checking account, and that Poizner's wife is a Democrat.

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Creigh Deeds

Stuttering Awareness Groups Condemn McDonnell Campaign For Mocking A Disability

Eric Kleefeld | October 5, 2009, 5:22PM

VA-GOV Candidates Creigh Deeds (D) and Bob McDonnell (R)

In the wake of Bob McDonnell supporter Sheila Johnson insulting Democratic candidate Creigh Deeds for stuttering, condemnations have come in from national stuttering-awareness groups, weighing in on the latest development in the Virginia gubernatorial race:

NATIONAL STUTTERING ORGANIZATION RESPONDS TO POLITICAL RIDICULE

The National Stuttering Association has a question for Sheila Johnson, who ridiculed Virginia gubernatorial candidate Creigh Deeds' stuttering:

Do you also make fun of people in wheelchairs, or do you believe that stuttering is the only disability it's okay to ridicule?

The fact is that stuttering is a brain-function disorder that's mostly physiological rather than psychological, and is often genetic in origin. It has nothing to do with intelligence, temperament or leadership ability. Stuttering affects 1 percent of the population, including 77,000 residents of Virginia.

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Bob McDonnell

Deeds Campaign Blasts McDonnell For Not Condemning Supporter's Stutter Insults

Eric Kleefeld | October 5, 2009, 4:13PM

VA-GOV Candidates Creigh Deeds (D) and Bob McDonnell (R)

On a conference call with reporters just now, the Creigh Deeds campaign blasted Republican candidate Bob McDonnell for not repudiating his supporter Sheila Johnson, who mocked Deeds at a McDonnell campaign rally for stuttering.

"I think they were offensive to a lot of Virginians, a lot of Virginians who truly do suffer from speech impediments," said Deeds senior advisor Mo Elleithee. "And the fact that they would be so cavalier about it is disappointing, and I think outrageous to a lot of people." He also added that the campaign has received calls from disability activists around the state, who are outraged at the attack on Deeds.

A reporter asked if Deeds, who admittedly trips over his words, does indeed have a speech impediment. Elleithee did not answer either yes or no. "Here's what I'm saying. They are openly mocking those who stutter. They are mocking Creigh Deeds, they are also mocking stutterers," said Elleithee. "And I think there are a lot of Virginians out there who stutter. I've had a lot of people ask me about Creigh's situation. It's something he's dealt with his whole life, and he's never sought treatment for it."

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NJ-GOV

Corzine Camp Attacks Christie For Editing Web Site's Position On Health Insurance Policy Mandates

Eric Kleefeld | October 5, 2009, 2:54PM

Gov. Jon Corzine (D-NJ) and Former US Attorney Chris Christie (R)

The campaign of Gov. Jon Corzine (D-NJ) is calling shenanigans on his Republican opponent, former U.S. Attorney Chris Christie, over changes to the Christie Web site that rephrase Christie's position on mandated coverage in health insurance policies.

Corzine has been hammering quite effectively at Christie on this, arguing that allowing policies not subject to state mandates would result in insurance companies denying coverage of mammograms, autism screenings and other important procedures.

In a campaign e-mail, the Corzine team includes a link to an old Google cached version of Christie's Web page on this issue, comparing to the new one -- which does not use the phrase "mandate-free," but instead presents mandate-free plans as an option that consumers can pick instead of the mandate-subjected ones.

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KY-SEN

Poll: A Close Senate Race In Kentucky For 2010

Eric Kleefeld | October 5, 2009, 2:21PM

Senate candidate Rand Paul (R-KY)

A new Rasmussen poll in the open Senate race in Kentucky, where incumbent GOP Sen. Jim Bunning is retiring, shows a potentially close race in this red state, with high undecideds all around.

There are currently two Republican candidates, Secretary of State Trey Grayson and Rand Paul, an ophthalmologist and son of Ron Paul. Competing for the Democratic nomination are Lt. Gov. Dan Mongiardo, who narrowly lost as the Senate nominee against Bunning in 2004, and state Attorney General Jack Conway.

Grayson leads Mongiardo by 44%-37%, and Paul leads Mongiardo by 43%-38%. Conway ties with Grayson at 40%-40%, and Conway narrowly leads Paul by 42%-38%. The margin of error is ±4.5%.

Charlie Crist

Karl Rove Supports Marco Rubio In Florida Senate Race

Eric Kleefeld | October 5, 2009, 2:06PM

Karl Rove, former Senior Advisor and Deputy Chief of Staff to President George W. Bush

Marco Rubio, the former Florida state House Speaker and current insurgent conservative candidate in the 2010 Republican primary for Senate, has just picked up a big-name supporter: Karl Rove, who has donated $1,000 to the campaign.

Rubio is facing an uphill battle against the big favorite in the race, moderate Republican Gov. Charlie Crist. Rubio has hoped to mobilize conservative resentments against Crist, especially over Crist's backing of President Obama's stimulus bill. And as of right now, it appears he has a big ally in his battle against the national GOP establishment.

(Via Political Wire)

MN-GOV

Norm Coleman Keeps Door Open To Run For Governor Of Minnesota

Eric Kleefeld | October 5, 2009, 1:05PM

Fmr. Sen. Norm Coleman (R-MN)

Former Sen. Norm Coleman (R-MN), who lost to Democrat Al Franken in the heavily-disputed 2008 Minnesota Senate race, is still keeping the door open on a possible run for Governor of Minnesota in 2010.

Coleman told Minnesota Public Radio: "I'm doing what I want to do right now but sometime early next year I will reflect on [a gubernatorial run] and if it makes sense for Minnesota, if it makes sense for me and my family then I can move in that direction. But I have deliberately not put a lot of thought into it."

If Coleman is going to run, though, time could be running out. The state Republican Party convention this past weekend held a straw poll, a key sign of activist support in a state where the party conventions have a serious role in picking nominees. The straw poll was won by state Rep. Marty Seifert -- and Coleman's name was not on the ballot, though he did receive a few write-in votes.

CA-GOV

GOP Candidate Meg Whitman Donated To Liberal Dem Barbara Boxer

Eric Kleefeld | October 5, 2009, 12:15PM

Former eBay CEO Meg Whitman (R-CA)

Meg Whitman, the former eBay CEO and current candidate for the Republican nomination for Governor of California, could have yet another problem on her hands that is potentially even worse than her history of non-voting: She previously donated to California's liberal Democratic Senator Barbara Boxer.

The San Francisco Chronicle reports that Whitman donated $4,000 to Boxer in 2003, and endorsed Boxer's re-election as part of a group called "Technology Leaders for Boxer." A Boxer aide said this resulted from the Senator's work with the tech sector on issues that are important to them, and that the campaign approached various tech leaders to participate, including Whitman.

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CT-SEN

Senate Candidate Peter Schiff Compares Campaign To Going Off To Fight Nazis In World War II

Eric Kleefeld | October 5, 2009, 9:59AM

Peter Schiff

Peter Schiff, a financial commentator and one of the many Republican Senate candidates seeking to oppose Sen. Chris Dodd (D-CT) in 2010, has an interesting analogy for his new pursuit of politics -- comparing it to a soldier going off to fight the Nazis in World War II.

In an interview with the Washington Post, Schiff explained how he was leaving his true career in the private sector to go into politics.

"I'm interrupting my career. It's not like I want my new career in politics," said Schiff. "But I'm willing to interrupt it the same way that somebody interrupted their career and joined World War II and went off to fight the Nazis. I don't think that I'm that heroic, and I don't think I'm risking as much as a soldier. But it's the same principle."

Michael Steele

GOP Leaders To Steele: Back Off On Policy

Eric Kleefeld | October 5, 2009, 9:46AM

RNC Chairman Michael Steele

In a meeting with Michael Steele, top Congressional Republicans told the national GOP chair to back off from having the RNC roll out policy initiatives, due to the potential of stepping on the elected officials' prerogatives.

As the Politico reports:

And at one point, Steele, a Washington native, said that his upbringing in the "streets" made him a fighter and that he was determined to continue fighting and aggressively defending the party, according to two people familiar with the account.

Senate GOP Conference chairman Lamar Alexander (R-TN) said that the two sides came to an understanding. "We are elected to set the policy," said Alexander. "But in my view, the national committee's job is to create the environment in which Republicans can be elected to set policy. Michael Steele said that was exactly his point of view, so I think we see eye to eye on it."