Washington (CNN) - Senate Democrats outraised their Republican rivals in the month of May, but for the first time this election season, the GOP committee reports having more cash on hand.
The National Republican Senatorial Committee reported Monday raising $3.6 million last month, bringing the organization's total cash on hand to $18.1 million. The committee, charged with helping elect Republicans to the Senate, also reported Monday that it is debt free.
The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, meanwhile, raised $5 million in May and has $17.57 million on hand – about a $500,000 less than the Republicans. The Democrats have zero debt as well.
Democrats spent $4.56 million in May while Republicans spent $2.5 million.
Washington (CNN) - Congressional Republicans are turning up the heat on the White House about whether someone in the administration may have illegally offered a federal job to Rep. Joe Sestak, if the Pennsylvania Democrat would not challenge Sen. Arlen Specter's bid for re-election.
The seven Republican members of the Senate Judiciary Committee sent a letter to Attorney General Eric Holder Wednesday demanding he appoint a special prosecutor to investigate the allegations, which were first raised by Sestak several months ago.
"These allegations concern what could be a serious breach of the law," said Sen. Jeff Sessions, R-Alabama, the ranking member on the committee. "There has been enough talk regarding this matter; it is time for a thorough and professional investigation."
Neither Sestak nor White House officials have revealed who from the administration spoke to the congressman nor what job might have been offered him. White House aide David Axelrod told CNN's JKUSA Monday the allegations "would constitute a serious breach of the law."
Read the full letter here [pdf]
However he said after the charges were made White House lawyers investigated and determined "the conversations were perfectly appropriate."
"A mere assurance from the White House counsel is plainly not conclusive," Sessions said. "It is time to get to the bottom of this."
Washington (CNN) - President Obama is breaking bread with senators next week, but in a surprise he will do it with Republicans - not his friends on the Democratic side of the aisle.
In what may be a rare moment of bipartisanship in this midterm election year, the president will go behind closed doors with senate Republicans on Tuesday at their weekly policy luncheon in the Capitol, according to a senior administration official and a top Republican aide.
Fresh off major victories on health care reform and the financial reform legislation, Obama requested the meeting with Republicans to try and jump-start his efforts to also revamp the immigration system and break the deadlock on climate change legislation.
It will be extremely difficult to find consensus on those issues but both sides are saying the right things in the days leading up to the lunch in order to at least give the air of bipartisanship.
"Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell and Republican Policy Chairman John Thune agreed to host the President, and the Republican Conference welcomes his visit where they will have a wide-ranging discussion on the year ahead," said Don Stewart, a spokesman for McConnell.
From CNN Politics
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