August 10, 2010
As some final polls showed, there are quite a few close races tonight.
In Georgia, the
Atlanta Journal Constitution reports the Republican run off for governor will go down to the wire as Karen Handel (R) and Nathan Deal (R) are separated by just a few hundred votes. There is unlikely to be a winner declared tonight.
In Colorado, the
Denver Post reports Sen. Michael Bennet (D) defeated Andrew Romanoff (R) for the Democratic U.S. Senate nomination. He will face Ken Buck (R) who defeated Jane Norton (R) in the GOP race. The Republican race for governor is still too close to call.
In Minnesota, the
Minneapolis Star Tribune reports Mark Dayton (D) and Margaret Anderson Kelliher (D) are locked in a very tight race for the Democratic gubernatorial nomination.
In Connecticut, the
Hartford Courant
reports Dan Malloy (D) defeated Ned Lamont (D) for the Democratic
gubernatorial nomination. He will face Tom Foley (R) in the general
election. Linda McMahon (R) won the GOP nomination to face Richard
Blumenthal (D) for U.S. Senate.
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In the race for Ohio governor, a new
Reuters/Ipsos survey shows challenger John Kasich (R) leads incumbent Gov. Ted Strickland (D) among likely voters, 48% to 39%.
The sluggish economy and high joblessness tops the list of Ohio voter concerns by far, with 79% citing it as the state's biggest problem. Weak government and corrupt politicians were a distant second at 12%.
Said pollster Julia Clark: "Concerns about the economy are so high, and that seems to be turning into an advantage for Republicans. People are seeing job losses in their back yard, and that is a real factor in Ohio."
A new
Reuters/Ipsos poll in Ohio finds Rob Portman (R) holds a narrow lead over Lee Fisher (D) for the U.S. Senate, 43% to 36%.
Said pollster Julia Clark: "
There is no momentum and no energy at all in the Democratic base."
Upon hearing news that Levi Johnston
wanted his job, Wasilla, Alaska Mayor Verne Rupright tells
Entertainment Tonight, "Well, it is a little early to declare. Usually most wait until the year the seat is up."
He adds: "But since I am nearly old enough to be Levi's grandfather I think it would be wise for him to get a high school diploma and keep his clothes on. The voters like that!"
A new
Public Policy Polling survey of undecided voters finds that 51% think the current state of the economy is still President Bush's responsibility to only 27% who think it's President Obama's, and 55% of them would rather have Obama as President to only 28% who are feeling any Bush nostalgia.
In an interview on Fox News, Kentucky U.S. Senate candidate Rand Paul (R) denied
allegations made in a
GQ story about his college days, saying "I think I would remember if I kidnapped someone, and I don't remember. And I absolutely deny kidnapping anyone ever."
"No, I was never involved with kidnapping, no I was never involved with forcibly drugging people... do we live in an era where people can come forward anonymously and accuse you of things and then all of a sudden I am supposed to spend the rest of the campaign defending myself against anonymous accusers who say I kidnapped them? The story just borders on ridiculous."
He added: "I think they deserve a lawsuit. The problem is, in our country they make it almost impossible for politicians to win anything... we used to have journalistic ethics in this country... it's so ridiculous I don't know where to start."
A new
Pew Research survey finds Democrats have the edge in the generic congressional ballot over Republicans, 45% to 44%. Four years ago, however, Democrats held an 11 point lead.
"Major shifts in sentiment among key voting blocs account for the improved GOP standing in 2010. Republicans now enjoy advantages among typically loyal voting blocs that wavered in 2006, notably men and whites. The GOP is also now running better than four years ago among three key swing groups in recent elections -- independents, white Catholics and seniors."
"Republicans also continue to enjoy an engagement advantage over the Democrats, which at least in part reflects the greater disposition to vote among these voting blocs that have swung their way."
Meanwhile, the
Gallup tracking poll shows Republicans with a 49% to 43% lead.
"If I was you I might want me to go away too. But I'm not going away. I'm here."
-- Rep. Charles Rangel (D-NY), in a
speech on the House floor, vowing to fight ethics charges filed against him.
See more...
Just published:
American Taliban: How War, Sex, Sin, and Power Bind Jihadists and the Radical Right by Markos Moulitsas.
"Moulitsas pulls no punches as he compares how the Republican Party and Islamic radicals maintain similar worldviews and tactics. Moutlitsas also challenges the media, fellow progressives, and our elected officials to call the radical right on their jihadist tactics more forcefully for the good of our nation and safety of all citizens."
From the political dictionary: "
stemwinder," a term that has traveled very far from its origins.
A friend and former aide tells
KTUU-TV that former Sen. Ted Stevens (R) was killed in a plane crash in Alaska.
Stevens, the longest serving Republican senator in history, was 86 years old.
If he can win his primary today, a new
Public Policy Polling survey finds Sen. Michael Bennet (D-CO) will begin the general election as the favorite to win the U.S. Senate seat to which he was appointed last year.
Bennet leads Jane Norton (R), 46% to 40%, and beats Ken Buck (R), 46% to 43%.
In contrast, Andrew Romanoff will mean the race starts out as a tossup. Romanoff edges Buck, 43% to 42%, but trails Norton 43% to 42%.
A new
DailyKos/Public Policy Polling survey in Delaware finds Rep. Mike Castle (R) leading Chris Coons (D) in the race for U.S. Senate, 48% to 35%.
For the first time in five years, a new
Marist Poll finds fewer than half of New York City voters approve of Mayor Michael Bloomberg's job performance. Just 49% think Bloomberg is doing either an excellent or good job in office.
With the White House
slamming liberal critics in an interview, a forthcoming
Public Policy Polling survey shows that 85% of liberals actually approve of the job President Obama is doing with just 12% disapproving. In addition, 88% support his health care plan with only 7% opposed.
"Not only are those numbers good, but they're steady. Obama's favor with liberals hasn't been on the decline. In May his approval with liberals was 87/10. In February it was 81/15. In November it was 87/4. Even as his ratings have declined overall he's stayed in that sort of mid-80s range with liberal voters."
With the next round of redistricting coming up, the
New York Times notes both major political parties are spending a lot of money on the 37 races for governor this year.
"The Republican Governors Association has already poured $11 million into these campaigns, and halfway through the year had raised $28 million -- more than its entire budget for the 2006 election season -- bringing its current reserves to $40 million."
"The Democratic Governors Association says it intends to devote $50 million to these races, nearly three times as much as ever, and the Democratic National Committee has dedicated as much direct financing to governors' races as it has to Senate and House campaigns."
A final
Landmark Communications poll in Georgia shows Nathan Deal (R) with a small lead over Karen Handel (R) in the Republican gubernatorial run off.
The race has possible implications for the 2012 presidential race as Mike Huckabee has endorsed Deal, while Sarah Palin has backed Handel.
Polls close tonight at 7 pm ET.
Connecticut voters head to the polls today "to decide some of the most hotly
contested state primary battles in years, including Republican and
Democratic races for governor that have tightened to single-digit
margins," the
Hartford Courant reports.
Time notes Democrats "haven't had a governor in Hartford since Bill Clinton was
president and they believe they have a shot this year. Greenwich
millionaire (and netroots hero) Ned Lamont faces former Stamford mayor
Dannel Malloy in what may be the most closely fought race of the day.
Lamont ran for Senate in 2006, and though he beat Senator Joe Lieberman
in the Democratic primary, he lost once Lieberman ran as an independent.
Back then, the hot topic was Iraq, but Connecticut is now focused on
the economy."
On the Republican side, former Bush ambassador to Ireland Tom Foley (R) looks to fend off a surging Lt. Gov. Michael Fedele (R).
Polls close at 8:00 pm ET.
The
Minneapolis Star Tribune forecasts low turnout -- "after all, it's August" -- in Minnesota's Democratic gubernatorial primary today featuring former Sen. Mark Dayton (D) and Margaret Anderson Kelliher (D).
First Read notes it's "a big test for the new leadership at Emily's List, which is backing Kelliher. The organization under its previous leadership had a terrible track record in primaries, but a wholesale change in staff and philosophy has since taken place. A Kelliher victory would be a BIG feather in the cap of the new team. That said, Dayton has spent an ENORMOUS amount of his own money so it won't be easy for Kelliher."
The winner of the primary faces presumptive GOP nominee Tom Emmer (R) in the general election.
The most interesting primaries are in Colorado tonight, where both parties are staging competitive primary contests for U.S. Senate.
On the Democratic side, Sen. Michael Bennet (D) faces challenger Andrew Romanoff (D).
Time notes the race "is an unlikely toss-up. With the help of President Barack Obama and the Senate Democratic leadership, Bennet outraised Romanoff $7.7 million to $2 million -- a big enough margin in most places to win. But Romanoff sold his house two weeks ago and liquidated his savings on the belief that he's surging."
But as
First Read notes, the even more competitive Senate primary is the GOP race between establishment favorite Jane Norton and challenger Ken Buck. "The C.W. is that the race is now even, after a series of gaffes by Buck (like saying that Coloradoans should vote for him because he doesn't wear high heels). The party in DC wants Norton and sees her as the more electable candidate and the one most prepared for the fall campaign. Buck, like Romanoff, is playing the role of the insurgent."
Of course, the other interesting race is the Republican gubernatorial contest between Scott McInnis (R), who's been plagued by a plagiarism scandal, and Dan Maes (R). Establishment Republicans hope McInnis wins so that they could possibly find a new, stronger candidate in smoke-filled
backroom deal.
Most voting in Colorado is done by mail, and those ballots must be turned in by 9:00 pm ET.
Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour (R) "insists he won't think about a possible 2012 presidential bid until after this year's election, but he's already taking steps to build support in first-in-the-nation Iowa,"
Politico reports.
"Barbour sent a
mail piece to Iowa Republicans last week introducing himself to likely caucus-goers."
Meanwhile,
The Fix looks at Barbour's inner circle.
In an interview with
The Hill, White House press secretary Robert Gibbs was "simmering with anger at criticism from liberals who say President Obama is more concerned with deal-making than ideological purity."
Said Gibbs: "I hear these people saying he's like George Bush. Those people ought to be drug tested. I mean, it's crazy."
We can file this one under "
gaffe."
Update: Gibbs sends out a
statement calling his comments "inartful."
Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels (R) "says he is opposed to more federal stimulus money for Indiana, but six months ago he asked for just that," the
Indianapolis Star reports.
"On a national television show Sunday, Daniels denounced a new $26 billion stimulus bill shortly after the program's host introduced him as a 'prime contender; for president. But in February, Daniels signed onto a letter seeking additional stimulus funds to run the state's Medicaid program, which is the bulk of the money in the new stimulus bill Congress is expected to pass today."
"It doesn't matter what I do. People need to hear what I have to say. There's no one else who can say what I can say. It doesn't matter what I live."
-- Newt Gingrich, quoted in an
Esquire profile, on the hypocrisy of his extra-marital affairs and his family values rhetoric.
In a must-read piece,
GQ looks at Kentucky U.S. Senate candidate Rand Paul's (R) college years.
"The strangest episode of Paul's time at Baylor occurred one afternoon in 1983 (although memories about all of these events are understandably a bit hazy, so the date might be slightly off), when he and a NoZe brother paid a visit to a female student who was one of Paul's teammates on the Baylor swim team. According to this woman, who requested anonymity because of her current job as a clinical psychologist, 'He and Randy came to my house, they knocked on my door, and then they blindfolded me, tied me up, and put me in their car. They took me to their apartment and tried to force me to take bong hits. They'd been smoking pot.' After the woman refused to smoke with them, Paul and his friend put her back in their car and drove to the countryside outside of Waco, where they stopped near a creek."
Recalled the woman: "They told me their god was 'Aqua Buddha' and that I needed to bow down and worship him. They blindfolded me and made me bow down to 'Aqua Buddha' in the creek. I had to say, 'I worship you Aqua Buddha, I worship you.'"
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