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Sarah Palin on the campaign trail with the McCain family in 2008.

(CNN) – Her father's surprise pick of Sarah Palin to be his running mate so shocked Meghan McCain that she became hysterical and "panicked," the Arizona senator's daughter told Jay Leno Wednesday.

"I found out an hour before I went on stage with her. I think they were scared I would say something or whatever. Like the rest of the country, I had no idea who she was and I was actually crying on the bus on the way to the rally," said McCain, who is promoting her new book, "Dirty, Sexy, Politics."

"And then I found out who she was, and I remember being on stage and distinctly thinking, 'God, let her not have any skeletons in the closet. Please God.' And if you see any video footage of it, I looked panicked," she added. "I was scared, just really scared. I didn't know her. "

McCain has not been shy to express her rocky relationship with the vice presidential candidate, whom she has since described as a "time bomb" in her new book.

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Sheriff Arpaio is considering a 2012 bid.

Washington (CNN) - "America's Toughest Sheriff" Joe Arpaio passed on running for governor earlier this year, but the Arizona lawman who has become a national figure for his tough stand on illegal immigration is not closing the door on a presidential run in 2012.

Arpaio, the controversial sheriff of Maricopa County, heads to the early presidential proving ground of New Hampshire Sunday to headline the Nashua Republican City Committee lunch.

"I am honored by this invitation to speak to the largest local Republican Party organization in the great state of New Hampshire," Arpaio said in a statement. "As a native New Englander, I'm looking forward to visiting this state that historically chooses who our next President will be."

Chad Willems, Arpaio's political adviser, said that the sheriff is "not going back to test the waters," but did acknowledge that "People just don't go to New Hampshire if they are not interested in these things."

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Washington (CNN) - Despite President Obama's accusation Wednesday that Republicans are holding middle class income tax cuts "hostage" by tying them to an extension of tax cuts for wealthier Americans, the reality is several Democratic senators also oppose allowing President Bush's tax cuts for higher earners to expire.

Democrats Ben Nelson of Nebraska, Evan Bayh of Indiana, Kent Conrad of North Dakota, and Independent Joe Lieberman of Connecticut have each publicly expressed concern about the impact of raising taxes, even on the well-to-do, during an economic downturn.

"The general rule of thumb would be you don't want to do tax changes, tax increases...until the recovery is on more solid ground," Conrad said recently, summarizing their view.

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(CNN) - Minority leader Mitch McConnell is cautiously optimistic that he will lead a "larger group" than he does now after the November midterm elections, but stopped short of saying the Republicans will definitely win back the majority in an interview that will air on CNN's John King, USA at 7 p.m. EST.

"I think we can safely say is the wind is at our back and we're going to be very, very competitive," McConnell told CNN Chief National Correspondent John King.

"Number one, we will not lose a single Republican incumbent senator in November. Number two, we have five open republican open seats, including here in Kentucky. We will win all those. And, we are competitive in the following places where there are Democratic Senators: California, Washington, Nevada, Colorado, Illinois, Delaware, Pennsylvania, Indiana, North Dakota, Arkansas, Wisconsin, and probably in Connecticut and maybe West Virginia. …And we will win a number of them, and we will be a more influential group in the next congress," McConnell predicted.

But McConnell acknowledged that the makeup of the Republican Party in the next Congress will be diverse, especially if many of the conservative-leaning Tea Party candidates who have won state primaries make it to Washington.

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(CNN) - I’m sitting at my computer watching a woman in Arizona shuffling through an array of firearms and emptying clip after clip into the desert. Terrorist? No. Tactical forces specialist? No. Republican candidate for Congress? Bet your sweet Beretta she is. And she’s not the only one packing iron as we head into this hell for leather midterm election.

We’ll get back to the would-be Laura Croft of Capitol Hill in a minute.

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DNC chairman Tim Kaine spoke Wednesday in Pennsylvania.

Washington (CNN) – Tim Kaine, the chairman of the Democratic National Committee, kicked off the 2010 campaign season Wednesday morning in Pennsylvania, lambasting the Republican Party and Minority Leader John Boehner in a highly partisan speech.

Kaine's address stuck to a script likely to be repeated by Democratic office seekers all over the nation as the midterm elections approach, as he ticked off the legislative accomplishments of President Obama and the Democratically controlled Congress.

But Kaine did go after House Minority Leader John Boehner, saying he is already "measuring the drapes."

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Charlie Crist and Kendrick Meek are part of a close three way race for Senate in Florida.

(CNN) - A new poll indicates that the three way-battle for Florida's open Senate seat, arguably the most fascinating Senate contest this year, is deadlocked at the top.

And according to a CNN/Time/Opinion Research Corporation survey of registered voters in Florida, the Democrat holds a seven point advantage in the gubernatorial fight.

Full results (pdf)

In the Senate contest, 36 percent of people questioned say they support Republican nominee and former Florida House Speaker Marco Rubio, with 34 percent backing Republican Gov. Charlie Crist, who earlier this year dropped his bid for the GOP Senate nomination and is now running as an independent candidate. Twenty-four percent say if the election were held today, they'd vote for Rep. Kendrick Meek, the Democratic nominee, with three percent saying they vote for none of the candidates and three percent holding no opinion.

"A three-way race is producing a three-way split among Florida voters," says CNN Polling Director Keating Holland. "Meek wins majority support among Democrats while Rubio picks up seven in ten Republicans. Among Independents, it's Crist with 45 percent, distantly followed by Rubio with 29 percent and Meek with only 16 percent of Independents."

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A new poll indicates that the battle for Kentucky's open Senate seat is dead even.

(CNN) - A new poll indicates that the battle for Kentucky's open Senate seat is dead even.

According to a new CNN/Time/Opinion Research Corporation survey of registered voters in Kentucky, 46 percent support Republican nominee Rand Paul, with an equal amount saying they back Democratic nominee Jack Conway. Five percent of those questioned say they'd vote for neither candidate if the general election were held today, and four percent have no opinion.

Full results (pdf)

"Not surprisingly, Paul is winning among conservatives by more than 40 points," says CNN Polling Director Keating Holland. "But Conway has a 22-point advantage among moderates."

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It's neck and neck in California's Senate and gubernatorial battles, according to a new poll.

(CNN) - It's too close to call in California's Senate and gubernatorial battles, according to a new poll.

A CNN/Time/Opinion Research Corporation survey released Wednesday indicates that Sen. Barbara Boxer holds a 48 percent to 44 percent margin over her Republican challenger, Carly Fiorina, but Boxer's 4-point advantage is within the poll's sampling error. Five percent of people questioned say if the general election were held today they'd vote for neither candidate and three percent were undecided.

Full results (pdf)

"In a battle between two women, female voters will be a key constituency. Right now, 48 percent of women would pick Boxer compared to 43 percent for Fiorina. Six years ago, Boxer won 65 percent of the women's vote," says CNN Polling Director Keating Holland.

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Virginia Rep. Tom Perriello's campaign is asking his opponent not to accept NRCC funding in the wake of a Twitter fight.

Washington (CNN) - Things boiled over Tuesday night in the fight between Democratic Rep. Tom Perriello of Virginia, and Robert Hurt, his Republican opponent, after the Perriello campaign accused Hurt's new campaign spokesperson of being a "carpetbagger" in a Twitter post.

The remark was made in a tweet sent from the campaign's official Twitter account, which is not controlled by the candidate himself.

The fight between Perriello and Hurt has grown more intense in recent weeks as one of the House's most vulnerable Democrats tries to win a second term. It wasn't long before a national Republican operative shot back at Perriello by posting the home addresses of several Perriello staffers who don't live in the district.

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Washington (CNN) - President Obama opened the post-Labor Day stretch of the midterm campaign in the perennial swing state of Ohio on Wednesday, accusing the GOP of pushing bankrupt economic policies and putting politics ahead of national welfare.

He pushed a new $350 billion plan to lift the sagging economy, including $200 billion in tax cuts for businesses to purchase new equipment and write off 100 percent of new investments through the end of 2011.

The president also highlighted a $50 billion proposal for infrastructure investment, as well as $100 billion to permanently extend tax credits to businesses for research and development.

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The RNC released a video highlighting Democratic candidates who are distancing themselves from President Obama in campaign ads.

Washington (CNN) - A new Republican Party video highlights Democratic lawmakers facing tough re-elections this year who are distancing themselves from the White House.

The video, which went up Wednesday on the Republican National Committee's website, GOP.com, and on YouTube, starts with a video clip of President Barack Obama saying "if I said the sky is blue, they'd say no."

In the comments, the president was referring to Republicans who outright oppose his policies, but with the words "That's right. They do" and the donkey symbol that represents the Democratic Party, the video suggests that some Democrats also oppose the president.

The video then includes clips of campaign commercials from Rep. Walter Minnick of Idaho, Rep. Stephanie Herseth-Sandlin of South Dakota, Rep. Frank Kratovil of Maryland, Rep. Jason Altmire of Pennsylvania, Rep. Bobby Bright of Alabama, and Rep. Joe Donnelly of Indiana. In each clip, the Democratic lawmakers highlight their opposition to Obama administration policies, such as bailouts of Wall Street, some major banks, and the big auto companies, health care reform, the federal stimulus, the budget, and energy legislation.

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Washington (CNN) – The smart money in Washington and Chicago, Illinois, says it's all but a certainty that within weeks Rahm Emanuel will throw his hat into the ring to replace retiring Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley. So the parlor game over who will replace Emanuel as White House chief of staff has already kicked into high gear.

I've been hitting the phones and working the BlackBerry since Daley announced his plans to step down, and a clear consensus has emerged among top strategists within the Democratic party: Two White House aides - Tom Donilon and Ron Klain - are the clear front-runners to take over Emanuel's office just steps from the Oval Office.

But also pay close attention to a name you have not heard much about yet, but that could end up being the surprise pick: Phil Schiliro. Schiliro doesn't grab a lot of headlines but has a huge fan in the president himself and could wind up shocking the political world by snagging the top job.

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Gov. Haley Barbour said Republican candidates will be elected this November if they stay on message this fall.

Washington (CNN) – Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour's message to Republican candidates this fall: stay on message.

"The intensity since last year is greater than it was in '94, but we're still eight weeks away from the election. Republicans need to understand they need keep their foot on the accelerator," Barbour told a group of journalists at a breakfast sponsored by the Christian Science Monitor Wednesday.

Barbour, who is widely considered a potential 2012 presidential candidate, said for now he is concentrating on his job as chair of the Republican Governors Association.

"I am not giving serious thought to a run until after November 2," Barbour said. "I'm giving all of my attention to electing Republican governors."

During the hour-long breakfast, Barbour took questions on range of topics, including a Florida pastor's controversial plan to burn the Quran on September 11.

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Newtown, PA (CNN) - They enlisted in the military, served in the recent war in Iraq and successfully ran for public office. Now they are fighting for their political lives.

Of the handful of members of Congress who saw combat in Iraq, toppling Saddam Hussein or helping maintain the peace in the war's aftermath, two veterans are locked in tough re-election campaigns: Democratic Reps Patrick Murphy of Pennsylvania and John Boccieri of Ohio.

Both men won their first elections – Murphy in 2006 and Boccieri in 2008 – by touting their experiences as military veterans while challenging George W Bush's handling of the war and economic stewardship.

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John Kasich is no fan of the Obama economic program, but says perhaps this time the president has an idea worth considering.

The former GOP congressman is running for Ohio governor now, and says he wants to study the proposal President Obama is set to unveil Thursday near Cleveland.

The president is to propose a new research and development tax credit, in an effort to spur hiring. But the GOP congressional leadership has all but ruled out cooperating on any major Obama economic initiatives before Election Day.

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Ohio Rep. John Boccieri will attend President Obama’s speech Wednesday.

(CNN) - Freshman Ohio Democratic Rep. John Boccieri has decided to attend President Obama's Cleveland speech on the economy Wednesday.

The fact that a Democrat joining the president for a speech in his home state is news is a sign of the political times – especially in the battleground of Ohio.

Boccieri is in a neck-and-neck race to save his seat in a district that voted for John McCain over Barack Obama in 2008, and where the president's agenda since he took office has been highly controversial.

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The running mate of Florida GOP gubernatorial candidate Rick Scott (shown at right) is condemning the Gainesville pastor organizing a Quran burning to protest radical Islam.

Lakeland, Florida (CNN) – The running mate of Florida GOP gubernatorial candidate Rick Scott is condemning the Gainesville pastor organizing a Quran burning to protest radical Islam.

“We have to look at it as a moral issue, it’s a sensitivity issue, and we should not be supporting something like that,” state Rep. Jennifer Carroll told reporters Wednesday at a campaign event in Lakeland, the Scott campaign’s first public comments about the controversial protest.

Scott is battling Democrat Alex Sink in the governor’s race.

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Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on Wednesday slammed a Florida pastor for his ‘disgraceful’ plan to burn the Quran on the anniversary of 9/11.

Washington (CNN) – Secretary of State Hillary Clinton used a foreign policy talk to weigh in on hot button political issues Wednesday, slamming a Florida pastor for his "disgraceful" plan to burn the Quran and strongly criticizing George W. Bush's fiscal record.

Clinton warned about the long-term consequences of rising federal budget deficits, arguing that they will eventually diminish U.S. power and impair America's ability to act effectively in the global arena.

Her remarks came during an appearance before the non-partisan Council on Foreign Relations.

Clinton noted that Terry Jones, the Florida pastor, is the head of a small congregation, and said she wished his plans to burn the Quran on the anniversary of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks hadn't attracted so much media attention. But sadly, "that's the world we live in right now," she said.

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Illinois Senate candidate Alexi Giannoulias showcases his friendship with President Obama in a new ad.

(CNN) - As more and more congressional Democrats avoid tying themselves to President Obama, Illinois Senate candidate Alexi Giannoulias is painting himself as a friend of the president, and showcasing his ties to him in a new ad.

"Alexi's my friend," Obama says in the 30-second spot. "I know his character. You can trust him. You can count on him."

The commercial uses clips of Obama speaking at a fundraiser for Giannoulias on August 5, when the president traveled to Illinois to campaign for the state treasurer. Vice President Joe Biden, White House senior adviser David Axelrod and Obama 2008 campaign manager and Democratic strategist David Plouffe have also campaigned for Giannoulias.

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