Good News Monday (political)

[whometense]

From the Carpetbagger:

* Missouri's back-and-forth Senate race has swung back in the Dems' direction. According to the latest St. Louis Post-Dispatch/KMOV poll, state Auditor Claire McCaskill (D) is ahead of incumbent Sen. Jim Talent (R) by six points, 49% to 43%. McCaskill is polling particularly strong among Missouri's independents, with whom she enjoys a 14-point lead. McCaskill's six-point lead is a three-point gain since earlier this year.

* Speaking of Pennsylvania, Sen. Rick Santorum (R) continues to struggle badly against Bob Casey (D), no matter which poll you read. The latest Quinnipiac poll shows Casey ahead, 52% to 34%, while the latest Rasmussen poll shows a similar margin, 52% to 37%.

And Santorum loathers (isn't that everyone??) will want to check out this post as well:http://www.thecarpetbaggerreport.com/archives/7774.html

[ginnyinWI]

1. There is a second poll out on Doyle not as favorable

So there is some cause to bite one's fingernails here. But it's too soon to get really nervous. There is a current kerfluffle going on about someone in Doyle's administration who illegally gave out a contract to a travel agency, but this person has resigned and Doyle has stated he was no part of it. I suppose it will go away before fall. Meanwhile his opponent, Green, is a Bush Republican all the way--and that won't be good for him at all.

[ProSense]

2. Interesting! Looks like Iraq may be a problem for Talent:

Talent-McCaskill race

In Missouri, for example, Sen. Jim Talent, R-Mo., has not tried to soft-pedal his support for the war and is not on the defensive like Shays, even though he is in a tight race against state Auditor Claire McCaskill.

St. Louis political science professor Ken Warren noted that Missouri "tends to be more conservative on family values and flag-waving issues," so Talent may have more leeway on the war than candidates in other states.

Still, a recent Post-Dispatch poll found that Missourians' views of the war mirror those of the nation. A majority said going to war in Iraq was not worth it, while 60 percent said the United States should begin withdrawing some or all troops.

http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/news/stories.nsf/stlouiscitycounty/story/ED24012C83F0E7E0862571990018F64B?OpenDocument

[whometense]

3. Here's Tuesday's item:

http://www.thecarpetbaggerreport.com/archives/7787.html

* Rep. Ted Strickland (D) continues to look very strong in Ohio's gubernatorial race, leading Republican Secretary of State Ken Blackwell consistently for months. According to a new Rasmussen poll, Strickland is now ahead of Blackwell 50% to 37%. As the polling report explained, "Strickland has improved his support throughout the year; he's been at 50% or above in every survey since March. Blackwell has attracted as many as 40% in individual polls, but the gauge has fluttered around 37%-38% in each of our three-poll rolling averages."

[ray of light]

4. Ohio needs help with getting rid of Blackwell running the elections

and getting the vote out.

Hope people will volunteer there.

[whometense]

5. Wednesday:

http://www.thecarpetbaggerreport.com/archives/7798.html

* Speaking of Democratic pick-up opportunities, a new Brown University/Taubman Center for Public Policy poll shows former Rhode Island Attorney General Sheldon Whitehouse (D) leading incumbent Sen. Linc Chafee (R), 38% to 37%, with 25% undecided. It's the first independent, statewide poll that shows Whitehouse taking the lead. The results prompted Chafee to renew his calls for Cranston Mayor Stephen Laffey to drop his GOP primary bid.

And this one, just for comic effect:

* In New York, Staten Island Rep. Vito Fossella (R) is on the defensive this week after reports surfaced that he used campaign expenditures to put his wife and children through ski school. Fossella acknowledged that "mistakes have been made."