Kentucky: Sarah Palin travels to the state today to campaign for Rand Paul:
In what is being described by Paul’s campaign as “low key,” Palin will attend a lunchtime fundraiser and reception in Louisville on behalf of the Tea Party-backed candidate who beat establishment pick Trey Grayson in May.
Palin endorsed Paul ahead of his primary victory – among the first in a string of endorsements that went against candidates the national party preferred.
CNN seems to think this is sign of desperation for Paul’s campaign:
Palin couldn’t come at better time for Paul, who finds himself neck and neck with his Democratic opponent despite the state’s conservative leanings and a political environment that is more favorable to the GOP overall.
According to a recent CNN/Time/Opinion Research Corporation survey of registered voters in Kentucky, 46 percent support Paul, with an equal amount saying they back the Democratic nominee Jack Conway, the state’s attorney general. (emphasis added)
However, likey voters would beg to differ.
New Hampshire: Republican nominee Kelly Ayotte kicks of her general election battle against Rep. Paul Hodes with a slight lead, 47 percent to 43 percent, according to a recent PPP survey. Neither candidate is particularly popular, though. Both Ayotte and Hodes have favorability ratings of just 35 percent.
Washington: Sen. Patty Murray leads Republican Dino Rossi 53 percent to 44 percent among likely voters, according to a new CNN/Time poll. Murray and Rossi are currently splitting support among independents, which is disappointing news for Rossi:
“The state of Washington has been considered pretty blue in recent elections and Murray is capitalizing on that. She is winning support from 95 percent of self-identified Democrats,” says CNN Polling Director Keating Holland. “And 93 percent of Republicans support Rossi, showing how polarized the electorate is – a consequence of the two extremely close gubernatorial races that Rossi ran in 2004 and 2008.”
Wisconsin: Sen. Russ Feingold has called for a series of six debates between him and Republican Ron Johnson. Johnson says he will agree to three debates:
“I look forward to debating Senator Feingold and allowing voters the chance to contrast his record of a career politician next to my own record as a job creator,” Ron Johnson said. “In a time of deep economic turbulence for Wisconsin and the nation, I look forward to discussing with Senator Feingold his partisan record of spending, debt creation and failed economic policies. These debates will show voters that there is a clear choice between the politics as usual offered by Senator Feingold and the common sense approach and fiscal responsibility my background would bring to the U.S. Senate.”
Feingold’s campaign had this response:
“We remain committed to the six debates that we have accepted, and Ron Johnson has failed to meet the challenge to have an honest debate of the issues. He has spent more than $4.5 million on hollow, negative television ads, but he won’t spend his time on an honest debate of the issues in western Wisconsin, Madison, and his own town of Oshkosh. He has now dodged 15 debates and voters deserve more from a candidate for the United States Senate. Mr. Johnson has said he got into this race because it was time to get off the sidelines, but he has yet to do so. If Ron Johnson is afraid to fight for himself and his ideas, then voters are right to question whether he has the guts to fight for them in Washington.”