New polls show Americans are opposed to the Senate Health Care bill.

Washington (CNN) - For the second straight day, a new national poll indicates that a solid majority of Americans oppose the health care bill that Democrats are pushing through the Senate.

According to a Quinnipiac University survey released Tuesday morning, 53 percent of the public disapproves of the proposed changes, with 36 percent supporting the bill.

That follows a CNN/Opinion Research Corporation poll released Monday that indicated 42 percent favor the Senate Democrats' legislation, with 56 percent opposed.

Both surveys were conducted last week through Sunday, as Senate Democrats were negotiating a final health care bill, but before a crucial party-line vote early Monday morning to end debate, a huge hurdle to eventual passage of the legislation that the Democrats successfully were able to jump.

According to the Quinnipiac poll, Americans by an 18-point margin disapprove of the job President Barack Obama's doing on health care.

"As President Barack Obama's numbers on health care have declined so has his margin over Republicans on whom American voters trust most on the issue," says Peter Brown, Assistant director of the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute. "In July he enjoyed a 20-point edge on the trust question, and that margin has been narrowing, to 45 – 40 percent today."

The Quinnipiac survey also indicates that while a majority of Americans oppose the health care plan, they back two options that were cut from the Senate bill. According to the poll, 56 percent support the option of getting coverage through a government health insurance plan, with 38 percent opposing the public option. And nearly two-thirds like the proposal to allow people as young as 55 to buy into the government run Medicare program, with three in ten opposed.

The Quinnipiac University poll was conducted December 15-20, with 1,616 registered voters from across the country questioned by telephone. The survey's overall sampling error is plus or minus 2.4 percentage points.

–Follow Paul Steinhauser on Twitter: @psteinhausercnn

In early May, Specter held a 20-point lead over Toomey, but that advantage had disappeared by July.

(CNN) – Dead even.

That's what a new poll in Pennsylvania indicates about next year's senate race between Sen. Arlen Specter and Republican challenger Pat Toomey.

According to the Quinnipiac University survey of Keystone State voters released Friday morning, the Republican-turned-Democratic incumbent is deadlocked at 44 percent with the former congressman and former head of the Club for Growth, a limited-government and anti-tax organization. Toomey had a statistically insignificant one point lead over Specter in an October 1 Quinnipiac poll.

In early May, Specter held a 20-point lead over Toomey, but that advantage had disappeared by July. Toomey led Specter in polls of a hypothetical Republican Senate primary earlier this year, before the five-term senator became a Democrat. Specter said at the time that the difficulty in winning the Republican primary was a factor in his decision to switch parties.

"With less than 11 months to go, Sen. Arlen Specter and Pat Toomey are neck-and-neck. Specter has the state's Democratic registration advantage on his side, while Toomey can take heart in the numbers that show problems for Specter in measures in addition to the horse race," said Peter Brown, assistant director of the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute. "For example, voters say 50 – 38 percent Specter does not deserve reelection."

The survey indicates that Specter leads Democratic challenger Rep. Joe Sestak, a former Navy admiral, 53 percent to 30 percent. But that 23-point lead is down from a 32-point margin in July.

The White House has publicly backed Specter since he switched parties. Both President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden have teamed up with the senator at political events this fall.

The poll indicates Pennsylvania voters approve 47 to 45 percent of the job Specter's doing as senator, and by 49 to 45 percent the job Obama's doing in the White House. Both margins are within the survey's sampling error.

"The President's job approval rating in Pennsylvania should be troubling to the White House. Pennsylvania has been trending Democratic in recent years and Obama had a double-digit 55 – 44 percent win in the 2008 election," said Brown. "But what's ailing him in Pennsylvania – unhappiness over health care and the economy – is no different than what is producing similar, and in some places worse numbers for the President elsewhere."

The Quinnipiac University poll was conducted December 8-14, with 1,381 Pennsylvania voters questioned by telephone. The survey's sampling error is 2.6 percentage points for the overall survey.

As 2009 comes to an end, about half of the country is giving President Barack Obama a thumbs up.

Washington (CNN) – As 2009 comes to an end, about half of the country is giving President Barack Obama a thumbs-up.

According to a CNN Poll of Polls compiled and released Thursday, Obama's approval rating in polls taken in the past week averages out to 50 percent, with 44 percent saying they disapprove.

"Obama's average approval rating was at 52 percent or 53 percent every week from early October to mid-November. Each week since then, his average approval rating has been between 48 percent and 50 percent," says CNN Polling Director Keating Holland. "The bad news for the White House is that his current rating is down by roughly 15 points since the start of the year. The good news is that it appears to have stabilized as the end of the year approaches."

Since scientific polling began more than seven decades ago, only one popularly-elected president has ended his first calendar year in office with an approval rating below 50 percent.

Ronald Reagan's approval rating dipped to 49 percent in December 1981, and stayed below 50 percent for two years - but he won re-election in a landslide, says Holland. By contrast, Jimmy Carter and the elder George Bush had approval ratings well over 50 percent in December of their first year in the White House, but lost their re-election bids. "So the first-year approval ratings don't appear to have any predictive value when it comes to re-election prospects," said Holland.

The CNN Poll of Polls on how Obama is handling his job overall consists of an average of six surveys conducted within the last week: NBC/Wall Street Journal (Dec. 11-14), the Gallup tracking (Dec. 13-15), AP/GfK (Dec. 10-14), ABC/Washington Post (Dec. 10-13), Pew (Dec. 9-13), and Fox (Dec. 8-9). The Poll of Polls does not have a sampling error.

Four of the six surveys in the overall Poll of Polls also asked about the president's handling of the economy, the number one issue on the minds of Americans. According to an average of those four polls, 45 percent approve of how Obama's dealing with the economy, while half of the public disapproves.

Four of the six surveys also asked about Afghanistan. According to the CNN Poll of Polls, 50 percent, on average, approve of how Obama's handling that conflict, with 43 percent disapproving.

Three of the surveys asked how the president's dealing with health care reform. According to the CNN Poll of Polls, 44 percent approve of Obama's handling of health care, with 51 percent giving him a thumbs down.

The president's approval drops even lower for the budget deficit. Three of the surveys asked about the deficit, and the CNN Poll of Polls indicates 37 percent approve of Obama's handling of the issue, with 54 percent disapproving.

–Follow Paul Steinhauser on Twitter: @psteinhausercnn

Possible 2012 GOP White House hopeful Tim Pawlenty says he will not take sides in most Republican primary battles next year.

(CNN) – Possible 2012 GOP White House hopeful Tim Pawlenty says he will not take sides in most Republican primary battles next year.

In an interview with the New Hampshire Union Leader, the two-term Minnesota governor says he will not endorse or have his political action committee contribute to Republican Senate or House candidates who are competing in "open, transparent" primary campaigns, including the GOP Senate primary battle heating up in the Granite State.

Pawlenty, along with many other Republicans, backed conservative candidate Dough Hoffman over Republican party nominee Dede Scozzafava in this autumn's intra-party fight in a special election for the House Seat in New York's 23 Congressional District.

Pawlenty told the Union Leader that he took sides because local party bosses used an "incredibly flawed, insular, closed and unfair process" to chose the Scozzafava, who he said was far too liberal on key issues.

Scozzafava eventually dropped out of the race just three days before the election. The Democrat in the contest won the election, taking a district Republicans have controlled for more than a century.

Pawlenty was the featured speaker Wednesday night at a fundraiser in Concord for New Hampshire State Senate Republicans.

In the interview with the Union Leader, Pawlenty said if his party hopes to regain the trust of the American people that it lost earlier this decade, it must return to its conservative roots and then practice what it preaches.

"We've got to explain using conservative principles, conservative ideas and values, why our approach, even if it may not be instant gratification, is better for families and individuals and regular working people all across this country on those kind of issues, those bread and butter, meat and potatoes issues," said Pawlenty.

Pawlenty announced this past summer he would not seek a third term as governor next year, fueling speculation he is setting his sights on a presidential bid instead. Since then, he's become a frequent speaker at major Republican and conservative conferences across the country. He also took on a high profile role as vice chairman of the Republican Governor's Association.

The governor also rolled out a new political action committee in October and announced a group of new advisers, several of whom advised Pawlenty's likely 2012 rival - former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney - during his 2008 presidential bid. Last month, Pawlenty traveled to Iowa to headline the state GOP's annual leadership dinner, one of the two major annual events for the state party. Iowa's caucuses kick off the presidential primary season.

New Hampshire's primary is traditionally the second contest on the presidential primary calendar. As for his thinking on whether he'll eventually make a bid for his party's presidential nomination in 2012, Pawlenty told the Union-Leader that "I haven't ruled it out, but I haven't ruled it in, either. I've got a job to do in Minnesota rule, to finish my term as governor. After that, we'll see."

But Pawlenty added that "clearly the country is in need of new and different leadership. Who that is and the message and whether somebody like me needs to be or should be the messenger, that all remains to be seen. But I just don't know, to be frank about it."

Pawlenty's expected to meet with a group of young Republicans before leaving New Hampshire Thursday and heading back to Minnesota.

–Follow Paul Steinhauser on Twitter: @psteinhausercnn

Democratic Rep. Anthony Weiner is frustrated with the course health care reform legislation in the Senate is taking.

Washington (CNN) - Democratic Rep. Anthony Weiner is frustrated with the course health care reform legislation in the Senate is taking, telling CNN the "bill has certainly gotten worse."

But the liberal lawmaker from New York, on CNN's American Morning Wednesday, said "I'm not prepared to say that we should throw out the whole process."

There have been increasing complaints from many on the left in recent days, as what they consider key elements of President Barack Obama's health care reform plan – including a public health insurance option and a compromise proposal that would allow individuals to buy in to the government run Medicare system at age 55 – have apparently been jettisoned to win the support of conservative Democrats, independent Sen. Joe Lieberman, who's part of the Democrats' 60 seat coalition in the Senate, and moderate Republican Sen. Olympia Snowe. Some have said the bill has been so watered-down, it may be time to abandon it entirely.

"Every time conservatives or those that are concerned about costs step forward and say they have a problem, they take out something that helps reduce costs. You know, the public option was something that increased competition for private insurance companies and drove down costs; they took it out. Expanding Medicare to allow people not just 65 but 64, 55, the most expensive group to insure get covered under Medicare, now that's been dropped out," adds Weiner. "You know what's puzzling about all this is the very same people who say they're concerned about cost are the ones responsible for stripping out cost savings measures, so it really is a frustrating process to watch going on in the Senate."

Weiner hopes the bill can be improved in a House-Senate conference committee, saying, "I don't believe that you should let the perfect be the enemy of the good, and unlike some people in this town, I actually want to get health care reform passed. But when we go into a House/Senate conference, one of the things a lot of my colleagues are going to be asking are what are the things we can do to improve the choices that consumers have, make some competition for the insurance companies."

Former Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Deans said earlier this week the Senate bill should be killed. Health care was one of the central issues of Dean's when the former Vermont governor ran for the White House in 2004.
"This is essentially the collapse of health care reform in the United States Senate," Dean told Vermont Public Radio on Tuesday. "Honestly, the best thing to do right now is kill the Senate bill, go back to the House."

Weiner, a six-term congressman who represents a district in New York City, says "what Governor Deans has said is not wrong.
Weiner adds that he reserves to right to join Dean "at the end of the day."

"This does have to get better," says Weiner.

Poll: Paterson's numbers are inching up.

(CNN) – Two new surveys suggest that David Paterson's poll numbers are inching up - but that the New York governor still trails state attorney general Andrew Cuomo by a wide margin in a hypothetical Democratic primary race.

According to a Quinnipiac University survey released Tuesday, 40 percent of New York's registered voters approve of the job Paterson's doing as governor. That's up 10 points from a Quinnipiac survey in October. The poll indicates that Paterson's disapproval rating has dropped 8 points, from 57 percent in October to 49 percent now.

A Siena College Research Institute survey released Monday suggested a similar trend, with Paterson's favorable rating at 37 percent, up 9 points from earlier this year.

But both polls indicate voters believe Paterson does not deserve election next year to a full four-year term as governor. Fifty-nine percent of people questioned in the Quinnipiac survey say Paterson doesn't deserve to be elected in 2010, a modest improvement from October, when more than two of out three voters felt the governor didn't deserve a full term. The Siena poll also indicates an improvement for Paterson, but less than one in five think he should be elected next year, with nearly two-thirds preferring someone else.

Although it is the best Paterson has done on this measurement since February, it is still more than three-to-one negative," says Siena pollster Steven Greenberg.

According to the Quinnipiac survey, Cuomo leads Paterson by 37 points in a possible 2010 Democratic primary matchup, down 5 points from October. Paterson has narrowed the record high 59-point lead lead Cuomo had last month in the Siena poll, but he still trails by 44 points. Cuomo, the son of former three-term New York Gov. Mario Cuomo, has yet to announce if he'll enter the race.

Paterson, who was lieutenant governor when a scandal led to then-Gov. Eliot Spitzer's departure from the office in March 2008, has said he's running next year. In September, the White House would not confirm or deny a New York Times report that the Obama Administration was urging Paterson to withdraw from the race. But sources told CNN that White House Political Director Patrick Gaspard met with Paterson, one of only two African-American governors, to let him know about the administration's concerns he could not win the governor's race, a problem that could affect races down-ticket.

Paterson went up on the airwaves in October with a major ad campaign designed to reintroduce himself to voters.

"Gov. Paterson's new TV ads depict him as a probable 2010 candidate. But New Yorkers say 2-1 fuhgeddaboutit," says Maurice Carroll, director of the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute.

Looking ahead to next year's general election matchup, the Quinnipiac survey puts Cuomo 40 points ahead of former Rep. Rick Lazio, the only Republican contender at the moment, with Paterson leading Lazio by 4 points, which is within the survey's sampling error. The Siena poll indicates Cuomo holds a 46 point advantage over Lazio, with Paterson ahead of him by 2 points, which is within that poll's sampling error.

The Quinnipiac University poll was conducted December 7-13, with 1,692 New York State voters questioned by telephone. The survey's sampling error is plus or minus 2.4 percentage points.

The Siena College Research Institute poll was conducted December 6-9, with 665 New York State registered voters questioned by telephone. The survey's sampling error is plus or minus 3.8 percent points.

–Follow Paul Steinhauser on Twitter: @psteinhausercnn

Sen. Evan Bayh is urging President Barack Obama to veto an end of the year government funding bill that fellow Democrats pushed through the Senate this past weekend.

Washington (CNN) –  Sen. Evan Bayh is urging President Barack Obama to veto a huge end of the year government funding bill that fellow Democrats pushed through the Senate this past weekend.

On a mostly partisan vote of 57-35, the Senate approved the compromise omnibus spending plan worked out with the House, which passed it last week. The measure now goes to President Barack Obama to be signed into law.

The senator from Indiana was one of three Democrats, joining Russ Feingold of Wisconsin and Claire McCaskill of Missouri, to vote against the spending bill, which is needed to keep the federal government running as of next week.

"The president didn't create this mess, but Congress must be restrained," Bayh said in a statement released Monday. "We have to take the credit card away from the politicians who just want to spend, spend, spend. More than one trillion dollars of spending was just way too much. This may not win me a popularity contest in the halls of Congress, but it's the right thing to do."

In March, Bayh was one of only two Democratic senators to vote against a similar omnibus spending bill that passed Congress. Bayh also urged the president to veto that spending bill, which funded the government for the remaining months of the current fiscal year.

Bayh, who's up for re-election next year, has increasingly parted ways with his caucus on Senate votes. Last week he was among a handful of Democrats to vote in favor of a health care reform amendment that would have strengthened restrictions on the use of federal taxpayer funds for abortions - an amendment that was vehemently opposed by liberals. Bayh's also opposed to a clean energy bill being pushed by Democrats.

Last year, Bayh was a major supporter of Barack Obama's presidential campaign and was considered a contender for the vice presidential nomination that eventually went to fellow senator Joe Biden.

(CNN) - With less than two months until primary day in Illinois, a new poll suggests that Democrat Alexi Giannoulias and Republican Mark Kirk are their party's frontrunners in the battle for President Barack Obama's old senate seat - though the Chicago Tribune/WGN survey also indicates that more than a third of Democratic voters and nearly half of Republican voters are undecided.

Thirty-one percent of likely Democratic primary voters questioned in the poll say they're backing Giannoulias, who was elected in 2006 at age 30 as Illinois state treasurer. That's 14 points ahead of former Chicago Urban League President Cheryle Jackson.

No other Democratic candidate was in double digits, according to the survey, which also indicates that 35 percent of Democrats remain undecided.

According to the poll, Giannoulias leads Jackson among female voters by a two-to-one margin, even though Jackson's the only woman in the Democratic primary.

The survey also indicates Kirk, a five term congressman from suburban Chicago, has the support of 41 percent of likely Republican primary voters. No other GOP candidate breaks double digits in the poll. But 46 percent of Republican voters say they're undecided.

The Senate seat up for grabs next year was once held by Barack Obama. Sen. Roland Burris, the controversial appointment by then-Gov. Rod Blagojevich, still fills the seat. Burris said earlier this summer that he will not run for a full term next year.

The Chicago Tribune/WGN poll was conducted December 2-8, with 600 likely Democratic primary voters and 600 likely Republican primary voters questioned by telephone. The survey's sampling error is plus or minus 4 percentage points.

–Follow Paul Steinhauser on Twitter: @psteinhausercnn

Biden: Dodd is 'getting the living hell beat out of him'.

Washington (CNN) – Joe Biden praised Sen. Chris Dodd Friday, but conceded his good friend - one of the Senate's most vulnerable Democrats - is "getting the living hell beat of him."

The vice president made his comments at a fundraiser for Dodd Friday in Hartford, Connecticut. Dodd had been scheduled to accompany Biden at the fundraiser and at event earlier in the day to announce nearly $4 million in federal stimulus funding to replace an aging fire station in East Hartford, but stayed in the nation's capital to work on health care reform legislation and other Senate business.

The five-term senator, who's up for re-election next year and fighting for his political life, was replaced by wife Jackie Clegg Dodd.

The vice president heaped compliments on his fellow Democrat, calling him "the single most gifted legislator in Congress, now that Teddy Kennedy's gone."

Biden spoke of Dodd's dual roles for much of this year leading both the Senate Banking and Health, Education, Labor and Pensions committees at a time when financial reform and health care reform are among the most pressing matters facing Congress.

"Chris Dodd is the first United States senator that has simultaneously chaired two major committees in a moment of genuine national crisis," Biden said. "And had he got either of those jobs wrong, the consequences for America would be dire....

"Chris is getting the living hell beat out of him, the living bejesus beat out of him," said Biden. "Why? Because he's being a leader. This is going to be a hell of a race and it's an uphill race, but Chris Dodd will prevail."

In a sign of Dodd's sinking political fortunes, the Cook Political Report this week moved his race from "toss up" to "lean Republican."

Dodd saw his approval ratings plunge late last year and early this year, following last year's Wall Street and banking industry financial meltdown, Dodd's involvement in the AIG bonus controversy, and questions about mortgages he obtained from a VIP program.

Dodd's poll numbers inched up during the spring and summer after bottoming out earlier this year. But his approval rating slipped back again in a Quinnipiac University survey released last month. The poll also indicated that by 53 percent to 39 percent, Connecticut voters don't think Dodd deserves to be re-elected next year. According to the survey, Dodd is trailing his two potential Republican challengers in hypothetical 2010 general election matchups.

–Follow Paul Steinhauser on Twitter: @psteinhausercnn

Biden: Dodd is 'getting the living hell beat out of him'.

Washington (CNN) – Joe Biden praised Sen. Chris Dodd Friday, but conceded his good friend - one of the Senate's most vulnerable Democrats - is "getting the living hell beat of him."

The vice president made his comments at a fundraiser for Dodd Friday in Hartford, Connecticut. Dodd had been scheduled to accompany Biden at the fundraiser and at event earlier in the day to announce nearly $4 million in federal stimulus funding to replace an aging fire station in East Hartford, but stayed in the nation's capital to work on health care reform legislation and other Senate business.

The five-term senator, who's up for re-election next year and fighting for his political life, was replaced by wife Jackie Clegg Dodd.

The vice president heaped compliments on his fellow Democrat, calling him "the single most gifted legislator in Congress, now that Teddy Kennedy's gone."

Biden spoke of Dodd's dual roles for much of this year leading both the Senate Banking and Health, Education, Labor and Pensions committees at a time when financial reform and health care reform are among the most pressing matters facing Congress.

"Chris Dodd is the first United States senator that has simultaneously chaired two major committees in a moment of genuine national crisis," Biden said. "And had he got either of those jobs wrong, the consequences for America would be dire....

"Chris is getting the living hell beat out of him, the living bejesus beat out of him," said Biden. "Why? Because he's being a leader. This is going to be a hell of a race and it's an uphill race, but Chris Dodd will prevail."

In a sign of Dodd's sinking political fortunes, the Cook Political Report this week moved his race from "toss up" to "lean Republican."

Dodd saw his approval ratings plunge late last year and early this year, following last year's Wall Street and banking industry financial meltdown, Dodd's involvement in the AIG bonus controversy, and questions about mortgages he obtained from a VIP program.

Dodd's poll numbers inched up during the spring and summer after bottoming out earlier this year. But his approval rating slipped back again in a Quinnipiac University survey released last month. The poll also indicated that by 53 percent to 39 percent, Connecticut voters don't think Dodd deserves to be re-elected next year. According to the survey, Dodd is trailing his two potential Republican challengers in hypothetical 2010 general election matchups.

–Follow Paul Steinhauser on Twitter: @psteinhausercnn

Dodd faces a tough 2010 re-election fight.

Washington (CNN) – Joe Biden heads to Connecticut Friday to help out one of the Senate's most vulnerable Democrats.

The vice president is teaming up with Sen. Chris Dodd in East Hartford, Connecticut to announce nearly $4 million in federal stimulus funding to replace an aging fire station. Later in the day, Biden is scheduled to join Dodd at a private fundraiser in Hartford for the embattled five-term senator, who's up for re-election and fighting for his political life.

The Senate Banking Committee chairman saw his approval ratings plunge late last year and early this year, following last year's Wall Street and banking industry financial meltdown, Dodd's involvement in the AIG bonus controversy, and following questions about mortgages he obtained from a VIP program.

Dodd's poll numbers inched up during the spring and summer after bottoming out earlier this year. But his approval rating slipped back again in a Quinnipiac University survey released last month. The poll also indicated that by 53 percent to 39 percent, Connecticut voters don't think Dodd deserves to be re-elected next year. According to the survey, Dodd is trailing his two potential Republican challengers in hypothetical 2010 general election matchups.

(Updated with new Dodd developments after the jump)

In a sign of Dodd's sinking political fortunes, the Cook Political Report this week moved his race from "toss up" to "lean Republican."

This will be the third recent high-profile visit for Dodd. The vice president and the senator in Connecticut appeared together at a stimulus event in early October. Later that month, President Barack Obama visited the state to headline a Dodd fundraiser.

It seems that right now, Chris Dodd's become the posterboy for incumbents in trouble.

"Dodd's in bad shape. He needs to put the focus on the eventual GOP nominee. He needs voters to reassess him and what he's done for Connecticut," says Stuart Rothenberg, editor and publisher of the nonpartisan Rothenberg Political Report. "He needs voters to feel good. If their overall mood is deeply sour, they are going to listen to messages of change. If there's a general uptick in mood, that will help Dodd."

UPDATE: Dodd's staying on Capitol Hill Friday. In a press statement, the vice president's office says that due to the possibility of votes on the Senate floor, "Senator Dodd will be unable to join Vice President Biden in Connecticut. The Senator's wife, Jackie Clegg Dodd, will make brief remarks at each event."

–Follow Paul Steinhauser on Twitter: @psteinhausercnn

CNN poll: GOP has erased party popularity gap in Congress

Washington (CNN) – Eleven months before crucial midterm elections, a national poll indicates that the public is divided over whether the country would be better off with Democrats or Republicans controlling Congress.

According to a CNN/Opinion Research Corp. survey released Thursday, 40 percent of people questioned say the U.S. would be better off if Democrats ran Congress while 39 percent feel things would be better if Republicans took charge on Capitol Hill. The 1-point margin is a statistical tie.

Full results (pdf)

Support for Democrats is down from a 10-point advantage in August and a 25-point margin in January.

"As the debate over health care continues, the Democrats may have lost the competitive advantage that they enjoyed earlier this year," CNN Polling Director Keating Holland said. "Since August, the number who support Democratic control of Congress has fallen farthest in the Northeast and the Pacific Rim - two regions that have been Democratic strongholds for many years."

Full Story

Florida Gov. Charlie Crist is in a tough Senate primary battle.

Washington (CNN) - As primary battles go, this one's pretty ugly.

The intra-party Republican fight in Florida between Gov. Charlie Crist and former state House Speaker Marco Rubio is full of fireworks.

Here's a taste:

Rubio campaign spokesman Alex Burgos declares, "Charlie Crist will need to spend every last cent trying to convince voters that his support for wasteful stimulus spending, cap-and-trade schemes, tax increases and liberal judges are acceptable Republican practices."

Crist is the popular first-term governor who's decided to run for the Senate next year rather than another term in Tallahassee. Mainstream Republicans have backed him.

Rubio is the darling of the right. Last month the conservative Club for Growth, an anti-tax organization, backed Rubio and went up with an ad slamming Crist. Days earlier, the Family Research Council, a powerful social conservative group, announced that its political action committee endorsed Rubio.

If the bitter battle looks familiar, it is.

Full story

A gay marriage bill that's up for a crucial vote Thursday in New Jersey has the backing of 'the Boss.'

(CNN) – A gay marriage bill that's up for a crucial vote Thursday in New Jersey has the backing of "the Boss."

Rock legend Bruce Springsteen say he supports the legislation, which would legalize same sex marriages in the Garden State. On his Web site, the New Jersey born Springsteen says he's "always spoken out for the rights of same-sex couples," adding that he urges "those who support equal treatment for our gay and lesbian brothers and sisters to let their voices be heard now."

The New Jersey state Senate is expected to vote on the bill Thursday. It passed through the state Senate's Judiciary Committee earlier this week by one vote. Democrats concede the measure may fall short of the 21 votes needed to pass the state Senate. The state Assembly hasn't considered the bill yet.

The timing is important since Republican Gov.-elect Chris Christie, who takes office next month, says he would veto the bill. The man Christie beat in last month's election, out-going Democratic Gov. Jon Corzine, says he would sign the bill if it reaches his desk before he leaves office.

Last week, New York's state Senate defeated a bill that would legalize same-sex marriages. The legislation had already passed the state Assembly. New York Gov. David Paterson said he would have immediately signed the bill if it had made it to his office.

Massachusetts, Connecticut, New Hampshire, Vermont and Iowa are currently the only states that legally allow same-sex marriages. Earlier this year, lawmakers in Maine approved legalized gay marriages. But voters in Maine last month passed a referendum to overturn the new law. A vote last week by the District of Columbia's city council moved Washington, D.C. one step closer to legalizing same sex marriages.

Follow Paul Steinhauser on Twitter: @psteinhausercnn

A bill that could legalize same-sex marriage comes up for debate in a New Jersey Senate committee Monday.

(CNN) - The battle over gay marriage moves to New Jersey Monday.

A bill that would legalize same-sex marriages comes up for debate in the state's Senate Judiciary Committee. If the legislation passes through the panel, it could be voted on by the full state Senate by the end of the week. The state Assembly hasn't considered the bill yet.

The timing is important since Republican Gov.-elect Chris Christie, who takes office next month, says he would veto the bill. The man Christie beat in last month's election, out-going Democratic Gov. Jon Corzine, says he would sign the bill if it reaches his desk before he leaves office.

Last week, New York's state Senate defeated a bill that would legalize same-sex marriages. The legislation had already passed the state Assembly. New York Gov. David Paterson said he would have immediately signed the bill if it had made it to his office.

Massachusetts, Connecticut, New Hampshire, Vermont and Iowa are currently the only states that legally allow same-sex marriages. Earlier this year, lawmakers in Maine approved legalized gay marriages. But voters in Maine last month passed a referendum to overturn the new law. A vote last week by the District of Columbia's city council moved Washington, D.C. one step closer to legalizing same sex marriages.

Follow Paul Steinhauser on Twitter: @psteinhausercnn

Sarah Palin has erased her drop in the polls that followed her resignation as Alaska governor, according to to new CNN poll out Monday.

Washington (CNN) - Sarah Palin has erased her drop in the polls that followed her resignation as Alaska governor, according to new national survey.

But when it comes to opinions of Palin, a CNN/Opinion Research Corporation poll released Monday suggests a partisan divide and a gender gap.

The survey indicates that Americans are split on Palin, with 46 percent saying they have a favorable opinion of her and an equal amount saying they have an unfavorable view of last year's Republican vice presidential nominee.

Full results (pdf)

Palin resigned as Alaska governor in July, with a year and a half left in her first term. She attributed the decision to tremendous pressure, time and the financial burden of a litany of ethics complaints in the past several months, complaints Palin said were without merit and took away from the job she wanted to do for Alaskans.

Related video: Public split on Palin

Following her resignation, Palin's favorable rating dropped to 39 percent in CNN polling, but her popularity is now back to the same level it was before she stepped down. The former governor is in the middle of a national tour for her best selling book, "Going Rogue: An American Life."

Eight out of ten Republicans questioned the survey have a favorable opinion of Palin, with more than seven in ten Democrats view her unfavorably. Independents are evenly divided on Palin. According to the poll, 51 percent of men see her in a positive light, with an nearly equal amount of women view Palin in a negative way.

"The gender gap on Palin is not simply a function of the fact that women tend to identify with the Democratic party more than men do," says CNN Polling Director Keating Holland. "Even within GOP circles, Republican men like Palin more than Republican women do. John McCain put Palin on his ticket in 2008 to appeal to female voters, but it looks like men are a natural constituency for her."

How does the first female vice-presidential major party candidate in more than two decades compare to recent vice presidents?

"Palin is still not as popular Al Gore and remains more unpopular than Joe Biden, but her favorable rating is much higher than Dick Cheney's," adds Holland.

Palin's book tour brought her to Iowa on Sunday. With the former Alaska governor considered a possible contender for the 2012 GOP presidential nomination, attention has been sparked by her visit to Iowa, site of the first event on the presidential calendar. Long lines of people have waited hours to see Palin during many stops of her nearly month long book tour.

The CNN/Opinion Research Corporation poll was conducted December 2-3, with 1,041 adult Americans questioned by telephone. The survey's overall sampling error is plus or minus 3 percentage points.

(CNN) - Rep. Joe Sestak gets the backing of a big name Monday morning as House Financial Services Committee Chairman Barney Frank endorses his fellow Democrat's bid for the U.S. Senate against incumbent Sen. Arlen Specter.

According to a press release from the Sestak campaign, Frank will endorse the representative from Pennsylvania's 7th congressional district when the two men team up at a news conference in Philadelphia.

Specter, up for re-election next year, is fighting for a sixth term in the Senate. The longtime Republican switched his party identity from Republican to Democrat earlier this year. Even though Specter has the backing of the Democratic Party and the White House, he's facing a primary challenge from Sestak, a former Navy admiral who first won election to Congress in 2006.

In published interviews, Frank has been critical of Specter's party switch.

Polls in Pennsylvania indicate that Specter's large primary lead over Sestak has shrunk to the low double digits.

Follow Paul Steinhauser on Twitter: @psteinhausercnn

Republicans quickly responded to the latest jobs report Friday.

Washington (CNN) - The White House calls Friday's unemployment report a hopeful sign of an economic recovery, but warns that "there are many bumps in the road ahead."

The nation's jobless rate dropped to 10 percent in November, the Labor Department reported. The unemployment level stood at 10.2 percent in October, the highest rate in more than a quarter century. The Labor Department also reported that employers cut 11,000 jobs last month, the lowest amount of jobs lost in a month in nearly two years.

"Today's employment report was the most hopeful sign yet that the stabilization of financial markets and the recovery in economic growth may be leading to improvements in the labor market," says Christina Romer, chair of the Council of Economic Advisers, in a statement on the White House website.

But Romer warns that the unemployment level "remains unacceptably high," and says "the monthly employment and unemployment numbers are volatile and subject to substantial revision. Therefore, it is important not to read too much into any one monthly report, positive or negative. But, it is clear we are moving in the right direction."

The release of the unemployment report comes as President Obama travels to Allentown, Pennsylvania to begin what the administration calls a "White House to Main Street" tour on jobs and the economy. Thursday the president held a jobs forum at the White House.

A very different message this morning from one of the top Republicans in Congress.

"After yet another month of job losses, it's clear that one question President Obama is sure to get on his 'listening tour' is: 'Where are the jobs'?" says House Minority Leader John Boehner, in a statement.

While the Republican from Ohio says the decrease in the unemployment rate is encouraging, he says "anyone who views today's report as cause for celebration is out of touch with the American people, especially when Washington Democrats' policies – whether it's a government takeover of health care, a national energy tax, or 'card check' – are already costing jobs and will pile even more debt on our kids and grandkids."

Follow Paul Steinhauser on Twitter: @psteinhausercnn

Washington (CNN) - Just about every blockbuster movie is followed by a sequel, or two. The tea party cross country caravan, it appears, is no different.

A Tea Party Express official tells CNN that they're planning a third national tour in late March and early April that will culminate in the nation's capitol on April 15, tax deadline day.

Levi Russell, a spokesman for the group, which is organized by the conservative political action committee Our Country Deserves Better, says the slogan for the tour is "just vote them out."

Russell says that with the crucial 2010 midterm elections just months away, the tour will spotlight members of Congress who they consider the worst offenders when it comes to fiscal policy. While both Republicans and Democratic lawmakers will be targeted, Russell acknowledges that more Democrats than Republicans will be on their scopes.

Russell tells CNN that tour is expected to kick off on March 27 in Searchlight, Nevada, which is the hometown of Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid. He adds that the three Republican candidates running to challenge Reid in next year's election are planning to attend the rally.

Just as the first tea party cross country caravan ended in the nation's capital, as part of a taxpayers march on Washington on September 12, this national tour is also scheduled to conclude in D.C. as well. The conservative group FreedomWorks organized the first march on Washington and will reprise their role for the April 15 event.

The first march ended with a large rally in front of the U.S. Capitol. This time organizers plan to hold their rally near the White House.

"September 12, 2009 was a historic day for patriotic, grassroots Americans who care about freedom," says Brendan Steinhauser (no relation to the writer of this article), director of federal and state campaigns for FreedomWorks. "The momentum has continued, and we expect hundreds of tax day protests on April 15, 2010 around the country. But the biggest event of all will be right outside the White House, where President Obama can hear and see us."

A second tea party cross country tour in late October and early November experienced a drop off in the number of people participating and in coverage by the media. But Russell says that drop off was expected and feels the third tour will be the best one yet, saying that "we'll be well into the 2010 election cycle and the campaigns will be heating up."

As with the first two cross country caravans, next year's tour is expected to highlight the message by organizers and activists that the federal government is too large and too intrusive into the lives of private citizens, federal taxes are too high and that the federal budget deficit is out of control.

Last month, a separate group announced that former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin will be the main attraction at what's being billed as the "First National Tea Party Convention."

Tea Party Nation says that last year's Republican vice presidential candidate will serve as a keynote speaker for the conference, scheduled to take place in Nashville, Tennessee from February 4-6. The group also announced that Rep. Michele Bachmann will be speaking at the gathering as well. The Minnesota Republican has become a hero among many in the conservative movement.

Tea Party Nation is not part of the planned national tour in March and April and Tea Party Express is not taking part in the tea party convention.

Follow Paul Steinhauser on Twitter: @psteinhausercnn

–CNN All Platform Journalist Jim Spellman contributed to this report.

(CNN) - As New York's state Senate defeated a bill that would legalize same sex marriages, a new poll indicates that just over half of state's voters favor the legislation.

Related: Same-sex marriage bill voted down in New York Senate

According to a Marist College survey released Wednesday, 51 percent of people questioned said they favor legalizing gay marriage, with 42 percent opposed.

The poll's release came just hours before the state Senate rejected the legislation, which had already passed the state Assembly. New York Gov. David Paterson said he would have immediately signed the bill if it had made it to his office.

Massachusetts, Connecticut, New Hampshire, Vermont and Iowa are currently the only states that legally allow same sex marriages. Earlier this year, Maine's state legislature voted to legalize gay marriages. But voters in Maine last month passed a referendum to overturn the new law. A vote Tuesday by the District of Columbia's city council moved Washington, D.C. one step closer to legalizing same sex marriages.

The Marist survey indicates a partisan divide on the issue, with two-thirds of Democrats supporting gay marriage and a nearly equal amount of Republicans opposed. According to the poll there's a geographic split as well, with 6 in 10 New York City voters supporting legalized same sex marriages, while voters in the suburbs and upstate are divided.

The Marist College poll was conducted Nov. 12, 16, and 17, with 805 New York State registered voters questioned by telephone. The survey's sampling error is plus or minus 3.5 percentage points for the overall sample.

Follow Paul Steinhauser on Twitter: @psteinhausercnn

Washington (CNN) - When Democratic Rep. Dennis Moore of Kansas announced last week that he would retire after next year rather than run for re-election, political analysts wondered if the move by the six term congressman would spark other retirements by fellow Democrats.

Eight days later, Rep. John Tanner, another centrist, is joining Moore. Tanner put out a statement saying he'll retire at the close of the 111th Congress. Tanner, who's represented Tennessee's 8th congressional district for 11 terms, is a founding member of the so-called "Blue Dogs," a group of House Democrats who promote centrist policies.

While Tanner ran unopposed in his last two re-election victories, John McCain won the district by 13 points in last year's presidential contest. But 14 of the 20 state lawmakers in the district are Democrats. The district is located in the northwest portion of Tennessee and includes Jackson.

Will Tanner's retirement present the GOP with an opportunity?

"With $1.4 million in the bank, John Tanner opted for retirement rather than be forced to defend the abysmal economic policies of the Obama-Pelosi agenda," Ken Spain, National Republican Congressional Committee Communications Director, tells CNN. "When a longtime incumbent such as Tanner – who hasn't faced a credible challenge in over decade – chooses to retire, it speaks to the deteriorating political environment that Democrats have left in their wake after eleven short months."

But Rep. Chris Van Hollen, Chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, is optimistic his party can keep the seat.

"We are confident that a Democrat who shares Congressman John Tanner's determination to bringing bipartisan, commonsense solutions for Tennessee's families will succeed him as the next Representative of Tennessee's 8th District," says Van Hollen in a statement.

Amy Walter, Editor-in-Chief of the Hotline, says Tanner's retirement carries a lot of weight: "As the longtime leader of the Blue Dogs, and someone who's gone from majority to minority and back in his 21 years in Congress, many would take his decision as a signal that moderates were in a heap of trouble in 2010. If a guy like that is leaving, the thinking would go, how can a freshman or sophomore in a similar district have any hope of hanging on?"

Next November, all 435 seats in the House of Representatives, where the Democrats hold an 258-177 advantage, are up for grabs. After winning back Congress in the 2006 contests and increasing their majorities in the 2008 elections, the Democrats will be playing a lot of defense next year. The GOP needs to win 41 seats back from the Democrats to take control of the House.

Follow Paul Steinhauser on Twitter: @psteinhausercnn

Newt Gingrich is holding his own job summit Wednesday.

Washington (CNN) – Newt Gingrich kicks off a series of town halls on jobs Wednesday, one day before President Obama holds a jobs forum at the White House.

The former House speaker will hold what his American Solutions organization calls a "real jobs summit" in Cincinnati, Ohio. The group says a second event will be held Thursday in Jackson, Mississippi. That's the same day Obama holds his forum in Washington, which the White House says will include representatives from business, organized labor, and academia, among other sectors.

"Our 'real jobs summit' in Cincinnati will be a town hall format and is free and open to the public. We expect over 500 people comprised of small business owners, entrepreneurs, and community leaders in the Cincinnati area," says American Solutions spokesman Dan Kotman. "Speaker Gingrich will give opening remarks followed by an opportunity for audience members to ask questions, share stories about what has worked for their business, and provide input on our 'Jobs Here, Jobs Now, Jobs First' plan."

Kotman says additional town halls will be announced next year.

The president heads to Allentown, Pennsylvania on Friday, to kick off a listening tour on the economy. The administration says the event in Allentown, known for its industrial struggles.

The nation's unemployment rate now stands at 10.2 percent, the highest level in more than a quarter century.

"Our economy's growing again, for the first time in more than a year, and we know that economic growth is a prerequisite for job growth," Obama said last month, after meeting with his cabinet. "But having said that, what I emphasize today is we cannot sit back and be satisfied, given the extraordinarily high unemployment levels that we've seen."

But Gingrich takes issue with Obama's economic programs.

"President Obama's upcoming 'Jobs Summit' in Washington, DC is an acknowledgment that the big government stimulus package failed to create jobs. For an administration that is actively promoting job-killing health care, energy, and big labor legislation, holding a 'Jobs Summit' is deceiving political theater in the midst of millions of Americans struggling to find work," the possible 2012 GOP presidential hopeful said in a statement last month.

"Beginning in Cincinnati, we will be traveling the country talking to small business owners and entrepreneurs – the engines of growth in our economy – to get their ideas on how to create jobs and grow the economy," added Gingrich.
Follow Paul Steinhauser on Twitter: @psteinhausercnn

Palin, Bachmann to headline Tea Party convention.

(CNN) – Sarah Palin will be the main attraction at what's being billed as the "First National Tea Party Convention."

Tea Party Nation announced Wednesday that last year's Republican vice presidential candidate will serve as keynote speaker for the conference, scheduled to take place in Nashville, Tennessee February 4-6. A representative for Palin has confirmed the former Alaska governor's speaking role at the gathering.

The group also announced that Rep. Michele Bachmann will be speaking at the gathering as well. The Minnesota Republican has become a hero among many in the conservative movement. A representative for Bachmann confirms her speaking role.

The event could focus the political spotlight on both women. Bachmann has become a rising star, her ascent fueled in part by major support from Tea Party activists. For Palin - currently taking a brief Thanksgiving break from a national tour for her new book, "Going Rogue: An American Life" - serving as headliner at a tea party convention could increase speculation that she is weighing a run for the 2012 GOP presidential nomination.

Judson Phillips, a spokesman for Tea Party Nation, says the group is talking with other high-profile political leaders about possible convention roles, though he wouldn't name any names.

"(T)he convention is aimed at bringing the Tea Party Movement together from around the nation for the purpose of networking and supporting the movements' multiple organizations (sic) principle goals," according to a statement from the group.

Phillips says the conference will feature workshops, seminars, information centers, and organizational tools for leaders to take back to their respective local tea party organizations. He adds that the Republican Party is not coordinating or organizing with Tea Party Nation in any way.

Phillips says Tea Party Nation was launched in April, just before the first tea parties were held across the country on tax deadline day, and that the group held rallies in Nashville and in other parts of Tennessee on April 15. He added that Tea Party Nation also organized a smaller tea party event in early July, when a second round of events were held around the nation, but did not take part in the two cross-country tea party caravans held the past few months.

A spokesman for the Tea Party Express, which organized those two cross country tea party caravans, says they are not currently involved in the organization of the convention, but that they are supportive of the gathering's goals.

Follow Paul Steinhauser on Twitter: @psteinhausercnn

Updated 7:30 p.m. with confirmation from Palin's representative

Palin, Bachmann to headline Tea Party convention.

(CNN) – Sarah Palin will be the main attraction at what's being billed as the "First National Tea Party Convention."

Tea Party Nation announced Wednesday that last year's Republican vice presidential candidate will serve as keynote speaker for the conference, scheduled to take place in Nashville, Tennessee February 4-6. A representative for Palin has confirmed the former Alaska governor's speaking role at the gathering.

The group also announced that Rep. Michele Bachmann will be speaking at the gathering as well. The Minnesota Republican has become a hero among many in the conservative movement. A representative for Bachmann confirms her speaking role.

The event could focus the political spotlight on both women. Bachmann has become a rising star, her ascent fueled in part by major support from Tea Party activists. For Palin - currently taking a brief Thanksgiving break from a national tour for her new book, "Going Rogue: An American Life" - serving as headliner at a tea party convention could increase speculation that she is weighing a run for the 2012 GOP presidential nomination.

Judson Phillips, a spokesman for Tea Party Nation, says the group is talking with other high-profile political leaders about possible convention roles, though he wouldn't name any names.

"(T)he convention is aimed at bringing the Tea Party Movement together from around the nation for the purpose of networking and supporting the movements' multiple organizations (sic) principle goals," according to a statement from the group.

Phillips says the conference will feature workshops, seminars, information centers, and organizational tools for leaders to take back to their respective local tea party organizations. He adds that the Republican Party is not coordinating or organizing with Tea Party Nation in any way.

Phillips says Tea Party Nation was launched in April, just before the first tea parties were held across the country on tax deadline day, and that the group held rallies in Nashville and in other parts of Tennessee on April 15. He added that Tea Party Nation also organized a smaller tea party event in early July, when a second round of events were held around the nation, but did not take part in the two cross-country tea party caravans held the past few months.

A spokesman for the Tea Party Express, which organized those two cross country tea party caravans, says they are not currently involved in the organization of the convention, but that they are supportive of the gathering's goals.

Follow Paul Steinhauser on Twitter: @psteinhausercnn

Updated 7:30 p.m. with confirmation from Palin's representative

Washington (CNN) - In the battle for Congress, 41 is the crucial number. That's the number of seats the Republicans need to win back from the Democrats in next year's midterm elections to take control of the House of Representatives.

Next November, all 435 seats in the House, where Democrats hold an 258-177 advantage, are up for grabs. After winning back Congress in the 2006 contests and increasing their majorities in the 2008 elections, the Democrats will be playing defense next year. Making matters tougher for the Democrats, the country's political landscape has changed this year, mostly to the benefit of Republicans. But will it be enough to get them to 41?

"President Barack Obama's standing has weakened, Democrats are on the defensive on the economy, spending and health care, and key midterm voting groups, including seniors and Independents, are moving away from the Democrats and toward the GOP," says Stuart Rothenberg, editor and publisher of the nonpartisan Rothenberg Political Report.

Of the 39 House Democrats who earlier this month voted against their party's health care reform bill, 31 come from districts that Sen. John McCain won in last year's presidential election. Of the remaining eight, six come from districts in which Obama won less than 55 percent of the vote.

Full Story:

Half of the people questioned in a CNN/Opinion Research Corporation survey say they'd support such a decision, with 49 percent opposed.

But support for a troop buildup of that size is greater than the 45 percent of the public who support the war in Afghanistan. The survey indicates that 52 percent oppose the war.

"The war is unpopular and previous polls have shown that Americans oppose sending more troops in the abstract," says CNN Polling Director Keating Holland. "But it may be a different story when Americans are confronted with an actual decision, by the Commander-in-chief, on a military matter. Previous presidents have seen a 'rally effect' - at least temporarily - when they have made command decisions like this one."

The poll's Tuesday morning release comes just hours after Obama met Monday night with his national security team on Afghanistan and neighboring Pakistan. This was the ninth meeting of the president's war council to consider whether to send more troops to Afghanistan, as requested by the U.S. commander on the ground there.

White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs said Monday that Obama won't announce his decision on a troop deployment this week, saying that the "first possible time would be sometime next week."

Sources told CNN that one option presented to Obama calls for sending about 34,000 more U.S. troops to Afghanistan in addition to the 68,000 already committed to the country, with other options involving variations of that plan.

According to the poll, if the president decides to send a smaller number of troops than 34,000, 56 percent would oppose the move, with just over four in 10 backing the decision.

"Support for a smaller troop buildup drops most among Republicans," Holland notes. "They appear most wary of doing things by half-measures in Afghanistan."

The survey also indicates that two-thirds of Americans say things are going badly for the U.S. in Afghanistan. That's up 11 points from March, when 55 percent said things were going bad.

People questioned in the poll were also asked about the war in Iraq. Opposition to that conflict remains high, with 62 percent saying they oppose the war. But 57 percent say sending more troops into Iraq in 2007, known as the "surge," was a success.

The CNN/Opinion Research Corporation poll was conducted November 13-15, with 1,014 adult Americans questioned by telephone. The survey's sampling error is plus or minus 3 percentage points.

Full results (pdf)

Follow Paul Steinhauser on Twitter: @psteinhausercnn

Gingrich to hold jobs summit one day before Obama's.

Washington (CNN) – Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich will kick off a series of town halls on jobs next month, one day before President Barack Obama holds a jobs forum at the White House.

Gingrich's American Solutions organization announced Monday that Gingrich will hold what it calls a "real jobs summit" in Cincinnati, Ohio, followed by another the next day in Jackson, Mississippi. That's the same day Obama holds his forum in Washington.

The president announced on November 12 that his forum will include representatives from business, organized labor, and academia, among other sectors.

The nation's unemployment rate now stands at 10.2 percent, the highest level in more than a quarter century.

"Our economy's growing again, for the first time in more than a year, and we know that economic growth is a prerequisite for job growth," Obama said Monday, after meeting with his cabinet. "But having said that, what I emphasize today is we cannot sit back and be satisfied, given the extraordinarily high unemployment levels that we've seen."

But Gingrich takes issue with Obama's economic programs.

"President Obama's upcoming 'Jobs Summit' in Washington, DC is an acknowledgment that the big government stimulus package failed to create jobs. For an administration that is actively promoting job-killing health care, energy, and big labor legislation, holding a 'Jobs Summit' is deceiving political theater in the midst of millions of Americans struggling to find work," the possible 2012 GOP presidential hopeful said in a statement.

"Beginning in Cincinnati, we will be traveling the country talking to small business owners and entrepreneurs – the engines of growth in our economy – to get their ideas on how to create jobs and grow the economy," added Gingrich.

American Solutions spokesman Dan Kotman said additional town halls will be announced next year.

Follow Paul Steinhauser on Twitter: @psteinhausercnn

Washington (CNN) – Call it the New York-23 effect: Both the Democratic and Republican congressional re-election committees spent more money than they took in last month.

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee reported Thursday that it raised $3.76 million in October, but spent $3.98 million. A similar story from the National Republican Congressional Committee, which said it brought in $3.4 million last month, but spent $3.6 million.

So where did the money go? Both committees infused campaign cash into the special election in New York's 23rd congressional district.

The race, to fill the seat left vacant when Republican congressman John McHugh stepped down to become Secretary of the Army, turned into a three-way contest between official GOP candidate Dede Scozzafava, Conservative Party candidate Dough Hoffman, and Democrat Bill Owens.

Scozzafava dropped out of contest three days before the election, after conservatives in the GOP backed Hoffman's bid. Owens ended up narrowly winning the election, taking a district Democrats haven't controlled since the 19th century. A count of absentee ballots continues.

The DCCC says it has $14.52 million cash on hand, with $3.3 million in debt. The NRSC reports $4.2 million in the bank, with $2 million in debt.

Next November, all 435 seats in the House of Representatives are up for grabs. Democrats currently hold a 258-177 advantage in the House.

Follow Paul Steinhauser on Twitter: @psteinhausercnn

Poll: Paterson's TV ads still not helping.

(CNN) -- A new poll suggests that the big television ad push by New York Gov. David Paterson's campaign may not be quite as effective as he'd hoped: A Marist College survey released Friday indicates that 56 percent of New York state voters have seen at least one of Paterson's television commercials - and those who'd seen the ad appeared slightly less likely to support his run.

Sixty-one percent who hadn't seen the ad thought the governor should not remain in the 2010 race. Among those who'd actually seen the spot, that number was roughly 4 points higher: Nearly two-thirds of those who say they've seen the ad don't think Paterson should run in 2010. That 4-point margin is just outside the poll's 3.5 percent sampling error.

Paterson went up on the airwaves last month with a major ad campaign designed to reintroduce himself to voters. His campaign said the commercials would run for several weeks, and constitute a "multi-million dollar" ad buy. A Siena College Research Institute survey released last week gave a hint the spots might not be having the impact Paterson was looking for: Only 21 percent of New Yorkers had a positive opinion of the job he was doing as governor, with 79 percent holding a negative opinion - a result virtually unchanged from his October showing.

The latest Marist poll suggests Paterson, who took office after Eliot Spitzer's scandal-scarred resignation, trails New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo by nearly 51 points in a hypothetical 2010 Democratic primary matchup - with results virtually the same whether or not a voter has seen the governor's new ads.

Cuomo, the son of former three-term New York Gov. Mario Cuomo, has yet to announce if he'll enter the race.

Two-thirds of those questioned in the survey think Cuomo's doing an excellent or good job as attorney general, while only one in five think Paterson's doing an excellent or good job as governor.

"Right now, Andrew Cuomo has a clear path to become governor," says Dr. Lee M. Miringoff, Director of The Marist College Poll. "If he could fast-forward to next November, I'm sure he would."

In a hypothetical general election matchup, the poll indicates that Cuomo leads former Rep. Rick Lazio, the only declared Republican candidate, by 45 points. But a Lazio-Paterson faceoff next year would be a dead heat, according to the survey.

The poll's release comes one day after a spokeswoman for Rudy Giuliani said the former New York City mayor has not made up his mind about running for governor next year. Maria Comella was responding to a Thurday New York Times report that quoted unnamed sources saying Giuliani had decided not to run for New York governor in 2010.

There's speculation that if Giuliani decided against a run for governor, he might consider a Senate run. Top New York Republicans have reportedly urged Giuliani to run for the Senate in 2010 against incumbent Democrat Kirsten Gillibrand. A Marist survey released Thursday indicates Giuliani leads Gillibrand by 14 points in a hypothetical Senate race.

The Marist College poll released Friday was conducted November 12, 16 and 17, with 805 registered New York state voters questioned by telephone. The survey's overall sampling error is plus or minus 3.5 percentage points.

Follow Paul Steinhauser on Twitter: @psteinhausercnn

Poll: Giuliani on top in possible 2010 Senate showdown.

(CNN) – A new poll of New York state voters indicates Rudy Giuliani leads incumbent Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand in a hypothetical Senate race.

According to a Marist College survey released Thursday afternoon, 54 percent of registered voters in New York support the former New York City mayor for Senate, with four in 10 backing Gillibrand, a Democratic congresswoman from upstate New York who was appointed to fill Hillary Clinton's former Senate seat. Gillibrand is running in 2010 to serve the final two years of Clinton's term.

The poll indicates that Giuliani would top former New York State Gov. George Pataki 71 percent to 24 percent in a hypothetical Republican Senate primary next year. In September, Pataki wouldn't say if he was interested in making a bid for the senate seat held by Gillibrand. Earlier this year, fellow Republican Rep. Peter King officially announced that he would not challenge Gillbrand next year.

According to the poll, Giuliani leads Gillibrand overwhelmingly among registered Republicans, tops her by 14 points among independents, and trails her by 26 points among registered Democrats. The survey indicates that New York City voters are divided between Giuliani and Gillibrand.

The Marist College poll was conducted November 12, 16 and 17, with 805 registered New York state voters questioned by telephone. The survey's overall sampling error is plus or minus 3.5 percentage points.

The poll's release comes as a spokeswoman for Giuliani says the former mayor has not made up his mind about running for New York governor next year. Maria Comella was responding to a Thurday New York Times report that quoted unnamed sources saying Giuliani had decided not to run for New York governor in 2010.

There's speculation that if Giuliani decided against a run for governor, he might consider making a bid for the Senate. Top New York Republicans have reportedly urged Giuliani to run for the Senate in 2010.

Follow Paul Steinhauser on Twitter: @psteinhausercnn

Washington (CNN) – It appears the Democratic National Committee outraised its Republican counterpart last month.

The DNC raked in $11.5 million in October, a party source told CNN Thursday. Earlier in the day, the Republican National Committee reported that they brought in $8.79 million last month, with $11.2 million cash on hand and no debt.

According to the Democratic party source, the DNC has $12.3 million in the bank, with debt of $4.4 million. The $11.5 million the DNC says it raised in October would be a monthly record for a non-presidential election year since the implementation of campaign finance reform measures earlier this decade.

The RNC says the $8.79 million they raised in October was their highest monthly total in an off-election year.

The RNC's $11.2 million in the bank is down nearly $8 million from the start of October, which reflects the large amounts of money the party committee spent last month to help GOP candidates in this November's contests. Republican gubernatorial candidates in New Jersey and Virginia both won, grabbing back two seats held by Democrats.

Follow Paul Steinhauser on Twitter: @psteinhausercnn

Giuliani spokeswoman: No decision yet.

(CNN) - A spokeswoman for Rudy Giuliani says that the former New York City mayor has not made up his mind about running for governor next year.

Maria Comella's comments were in response to report Thursday in the New York Times that Giuliani had decided not to run for New York governor in 2010, according to people who have been told of his decision.

"Rudy has a history of making up his own mind and has no problem speaking it. When Mayor Giuliani makes a decision about serving in public office, he will inform New Yorkers on his own," said Comella in a statement.

Recent polls of New York State voters indicate that Giuliani holds a wide lead over former Rep. Rick Lazio, the only Republican to have declared a gubernatorial bid, in a hypothetical 2010 GOP primary match-up.

According to the surveys, Giuliani has a double-digit advantage over incumbent Democratic Gov. David Paterson in a hypothetical general election faceoff. But the polls suggest that New York State Attorney General Andrew Cuomo, who has not indicated if he wants to run for governor, tops Giuliani by 10-12 points. Cuomo also easily beats Paterson in a possible Democratic primary, according to those surveys.

The polls indicate that New Yorkers have an overall favorable opinion of the former New York City mayor.

Sunday on CNN's State of the Union with John King, Giuliani said he had not yet made up his mind regarding a run. He had previously indicated that he would make a decision before the end of the year.

Follow Paul Steinhauser on Twitter: @psteinhausercnn

The Republican National Committee says they've raised what they call an off-election year record of money last month.

Washington (CNN) - With less than a year to go until crucial mid-term contests, the Republican National Committee says they've raised what they call an off-election year record of money last month.

The RNC reports Thursday morning that they raked in $8.79 million in October, with $11.2 million cash on hand and no debt. The RNC says it has now topped one million active donors and that as of November 11, it has registered a record 305,000 new contributors this year.

The $8.79 million is up slightly from the $8.74 million the RNC says they raised in September. The $11.2 million in the bank is down nearly $8 million from the start of October, which reflects the large amounts of money the RNC spent last month to help Republican candidates in this November's contests. Republican gubernatorial candidates in New Jersey and Virginia both won, grabbing back two seats held by Democrats.

"I am extremely pleased that the Republican National Committee continues to show solid fundraising numbers, and we are grateful to the countless Americans who have contributed to our Party. The elections in Virginia and New Jersey clearly showed the American people oppose bigger government, reckless federal spending, and higher taxes, and this enthusiasm for common-sense Republican principles is strongly resonating with our generous and motivated donors," said RNC Chairman Michael Steele in a statement.

"Thanks to our many contributors, the RNC is on solid financial footing as we continue build an organization to support our candidates and state parties in the election of 2010 and beyond."

The RNC's counterpart, the Democratic National Committee, has not yet released its October numbers. The DNC reported that they raised just over $8 million in September.

Follow Paul Steinhauser on Twitter: @psteinhausercnn

Washington (CNN) - As the 2010 battle for Congress heats up, the Senate campaign committees for both parties had something to brag about Wednesday.

The National Republican Senatorial Committee reports that it raked in $4 million last month. That's slightly ahead of their counterpart, the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, which announced it brought in $3.72 million in October.

But the DSCC says it has $11.32 million cash on hand, more than twice the $5.8 million the NRSC says it has in the bank. The DSCC does report it owes just over $2 million.

The DSCC says it raked in $5.9 million in September, compared to $3.2 million for the NRSC.

Both committees say their October 2009 numbers are better than they were at same point two years ago.

"Both the NRSC and our Senate Republican candidates nationwide continue to enjoy a strong level of fundraising success as more Americans realize the importance of returning checks-and-balances back to Washington in 2010," says NRSC Spokesman Brian Walsh.

"Our supporters are energized by Senate Republicans obstructing everything in their line of sight. With so much at stake right now, Democrats have increased our cash on hand advantage for what will be an intense 2010 campaign cycle," says DSCC Spokesman Eric Schultz.

The Democrats are defending 19 Senate seats next year, one more than the Republicans.

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CNN Poll: Most Americans say Palin not qualified to serve as President.

WASHINGTON (CNN) – Fewer than three in 10 Americans think Sarah Palin's qualified to be president, according to a new national poll - the least of any of the five potential candidates included in the survey.

But another woman tops that list in the CNN/Opinion Research Corporation survey released Monday: two-thirds of the public thinks that Secretary of State HIllary Clinton's qualified for the Oval Office. That's more than Vice President Joe Biden, who's currently next in line for the presidency.

According to the poll, 28 percent of Americans say Palin is qualified to run the White House, with seven in 10 saying the former Alaska governor and 2008 Republican vice presidential nominee is not qualified.

The survey indicates that a majority of Republicans, 54 percent, feel Palin is qualified, with 44 percent indicating she isn't. But only 29 percent of independent voters questioned feel she is qualified to serve as president, with 68 percent disagreeing. According to the poll, nine in 10 Democrats feel Palin is not qualified.

The poll's release comes one day before the release of Palin's book, "Going Rogue: An American Life."

"The perception that Palin is not qualified to be president puts her significantly behind two potential rivals for the GOP nomination in 2012 - Mitt Romney and Mike Huckabee," says CNN Polling Director Keating Holland.

According to the survey, nearly half of all Americans think Romney is qualified to be president, with 43 percent feeling the same way about Huckabee. Among Republicans, Palin is still lagging other potential 2012 primary candidates: 63 percent of GOPers think that Romney and Huckabee are qualified, 9 points higher than the number that say the same of Palin.

"Palin has many strengths - recent CNN polls indicate that Americans believe that she is not a typical politician, that she cares about average Americans, and that she is honest and trustworthy," says Holland. "But the perception that she is not qualified for the White House is her biggest Achilles heel."

An ABC News/Washington Post poll also released Monday indicates that 38 percent of Americans say Palin's qualified to serve as president, with six in 10 saying she's not qualified.

The CNN survey indicates that 67 percent of people questioned say that Clinton is qualified to serve in the Oval Office, 17 points higher than the 50 percent of Americans who think that Biden's qualified to take over as president.

Biden's low number may be attributable to negative feelings about the Obama/Biden administration rather than views of Biden personally.

"In the past, poll respondents who dislike an administration have sometimes taken it out on the vice president," say Holland. Polls from the late 1990s showed that Americans felt Al Gore was qualified to be president, but only if respondents were given the chance to say something negative about Gore that was unrelated to his qualifications, he adds. In the Bush administration, the number who thought Dick Cheney was qualified to be president dropped as the administration grew more unpopular. "Cheney's experience in office didn't change during that period - attitudes toward the Bush/Cheney administration did," he says.

Hillary Clinton also has the advantage of having been able to stay out of domestic policy debates, including health care, the economic stimulus, and other controversial matters, while adding almost daily to her experience in foreign policy, Holland adds, while Biden has been involved in the domestic policy disputes - "which might explain why some respondents were looking for a reason to say something negative about the veep."

The CNN/Opinion Research Corporation poll was conducted November 13-15, with 1,014 adult Americans questioned by telephone. The survey's sampling error is plus or minus 3 percentage points for the overall sample.

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(CNN) – A new poll suggests that a new television ad push by New York Gov. David Paterson's campaign may not be making an impact so far on voters.

A Siena College Research Institute survey released Monday indicates that only 21 percent of New Yorkers have a positive opinion of the job Paterson's doing as governor, with 79 percent holding a negative opinion - a result virtually unchanged from last month.

According to the poll, Paterson trails Attorney General Andrew Cuomo by nearly 60 points in a hypothetical 2010 Democratic primary matchup. That's a wider lead than Cuomo held in last month's survey. The son of former New York Gov. Mario Cuomo has yet to announce if he'll run for governor.

The poll also indicates that Paterson trails former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani by more than 20 points in a hypothetical general election face off. He also trails former Rep. Rick Lazio in a 2010 general election matchup for the first time, although the Republican's 3-point advantage is within the survey's 3.5 percent sampling error.

The only positive note for Paterson in the poll: His favorable rating now stands at 33 percent, up 6 points from last month.

Paterson went up on the airwaves 10 days ago with a major ad campaign designed to reintroduce himself to voters: The two commercials highlight his unique biography and address his critics head on. Tracy Sefl, a spokeswoman for Paterson, said the commercials will run for several weeks and constitute a "multi-million dollar" ad buy.

"While the governor's favorability rating saw slight improvement, no other measure of his electability increased noticeably," says Siena pollster Steven Greenberg. "While it's true that the governor's new commercials had only been airing for less than a week while Siena was polling, it seems clear that he's going to have to spend a lot of campaign funds very early to even have a chance of improving the measurements by which voters judge David Paterson."

Paterson was lieutenant governor when a scandal led to then-Gov. Eliot Spitzer's departure from the office in March 2008.

The Siena College Research Institute poll was conducted November 8-12, with 800 registered voters in New York State questioned by telephone.

–CNN's Alex Mooney contributed to this report

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(CNN) – Vice President Joe Biden is lending a helping hand to five Western House Democrats who may face competitive re-election races next year.

The vice president attends a political event in Phoenix Monday for Rep. Ann Kirkpatrick and Harry Mitchell. Kirkpatrick, a freshman, won her seat in Arizona's 1st congressional district by 17 points. Mitchell, a two-term representative, won re-election last year by 9 points. Both the non-partisan Rothenberg Political Report and Cook Political Report are keeping their eyes on both races.

Later Monday, Biden attends an event in Albuquerque, New Mexico for Reps. Harry Teague and Martin Heinrich. Republicans are gunning to win back Teague's seat, in New Mexico's 2nd congressional district. Teague, a freshman, won the district by 12 points last year. Both the Rothenberg and Cook Political Reports consider the race a tossup. Heinrich is also a freshman who won his race in 2008 by 12 points.

On Sunday, the vice president was the main attraction in Las Vegas at a fundraiser for freshman Rep. Dina Titus. Last year, Titus won Nevada's 3rd congressional district in a three-way contest, grabbing 47 percent of the vote. She could face a tough re-election next year.

According to a pool report of the event, Biden said he had campaigned in 54 House districts this year. The vice president added that with Titus' help, "we're going to be riding into, not a sunset, but a sunshine."

The Connecticut Democratic Party announced Monday that Biden will join Sen. Chris Dodd for a fundraising event in Hartford on Friday, December 11. The five-term senator is up for re-election next year and is fighting for his political life.

A Quinnipiac University survey released Thursday morning suggests that 54 percent of Connecticut voters disapprove of the job Dodd's doing as their senior U.S. senator, with 4 in 10 giving him a thumbs-up. The 54 percent disapproval rating is up 5 points from September. The poll also indicates that by 53 percent to 39 percent, Connecticut voters don't think Dodd deserves to be re-elected next year. According to the survey, Dodd is losing or tied with all of his potential Republican challengers in hypothetical 2010 general election matchups.

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A new poll suggests that Republicans are more enthusiastic than Democrats about voting in next year's midterm elections.

Washington (CNN) - When it comes to Congress, a 'throw the bums out' attitude appears to be alive and well.

According to a new Pew Research Center poll, 52 percent of registered voters would like to see their own member of the House of Representatives re-elected next year, while just over one in three say that most members of Congress should be returned to office. Both numbers come close to the all-time lows seen just prior to the 1994 election, when the Republicans won control of Congress, and the 2006 contest, when the Democrats returned to power in both chambers.

The survey indicates that only 42 percent of independent voters want to see their own representative re-elected in 2010, and just one in four independents think most members of Congress should be returned to office.

The poll suggests that Republicans are more enthusiastic than Democrats. Fifty-eight percent of people who say they plan to vote for Republican in next year's elections say they are very enthusiastic about voting. That's 16 points higher than the 42 percent of people of plan to vote for a Democrat who describe themselves as enthusiastic.

A CNN/Opinion Research Corporation survey released last week also indicated that Republicans are more energized right now than Democrats.

"The party that is out of power usually gets to play on offense, while the party in power is essentially playing defense," says CNN Polling Director Keating Holland. "Playing offense gets your team pumped up. Maybe the same psychology is at work on the political playing field this year."

Next November, all 435 seats in the House and more than a third of the Senate seats are up for grabs. Democrats currently hold a 258-177 advantage in the House, and a 20-seat margin in the Senate.

The Pew Research Center poll was conducted October 28-November 8, with 1,644 registered voters questioned by telephone. The survey's sampling error is plus or minus 3 percentage points.

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With a year to go before midterm congressional elections, a new national poll suggests that Republicans are making gains.

WASHINGTON (CNN) – With a year to go before midterm congressional elections, a new national poll suggests that Republicans are making gains but that Americans are divided over whether they'd vote for the Democratic or Republican candidate in their district.

According to a Gallup survey released Wednesday morning, 48 percent of registered voters questioned answered that they would vote for the Republican candidate if the 2010 election for the House was held today, while 44 percent said they would back the Democrat in the race. The GOP's 4 point advantage is within the poll's sampling error.

The Republican Party's lead is a switch from a Gallup poll released a month ago, when 46 percent said they'd back a Democrat, a two point advantage over the GOP. Republicans trailed the Democrats by 6 points when Gallup questioned Americans in July.

A CNN/Opinion Research Corporation survey released last week indicated that 50 percent of registered voters would vote for the Democratic candidate, with 44 percent saying they would back the Republican candidate. The 6-point advantage for the Democrats was within that poll's sampling error.

Other polls conducted over the past two months also suggest a division among Americans when it comes to the generic ballot question, which asks a respondent if they would vote for a Democrat or Republican in their congressional district without naming any specific candidates.

According to the Gallup poll, Democrats said overwhelmingly they would vote for a Democratic candidate, while Republican voters said they would overwhelmingly back the GOP candidate. Independents broke 52 percent to 30 percent for the Republicans. That 22 point advantage for the GOP among Independents is up from a 9 point margin last month.

Next November, all 435 seats in the House and more than a third of the Senate seats are up for grabs. Democrats currently hold a 258-177 advantage in the House, and a 20 seat margin in the Senate.

"When Democratic and Republican candidates for U.S. House square off a year from now, they may face a very different electorate than the one that put Barack Obama in power a year ago," says CNN Polling Director Keating Holland. "In 2008, Democratic voters were generally more enthusiastic about voting than Republicans; now it's the GOP's turn to benefit from an enthusiasm gap."

The Gallup poll was conducted by telephone from November 5-8, with the 894 registered voters questioned mostly before the House health care reform vote on November 7. The survey's overall sampling error is plus or minus 4 percentage points.

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(CNN) - Mitt Romney is heading to Reagan country.

The former Massachusetts governor is scheduled to speak this Friday to the Young America's Foundation at the Ronald Reagan Ranch Center in Santa Barbara, California. Romney is expected to be the dinner banquet speaker for the foundation's West Coast Leadership Conference, which consists of young conservatives from 44 colleges and universities across 12 states.

"Young people provide much of the energy in the conservative movement, and if we are going to be successful as a party we need to harness that energy and put it work on behalf of the principles we all believe in – more freedom, lower taxes and limited government," says Romney Adviser Eric Fehrnstrom.

Since February, Romney has made a series of moves that could aid in any 2012 reprise of his 2008 presidential bid: He has attended nine events for senatorial candidates, appeared at more than a dozen rallies or fundraisers for those running for governor this year or next, and spoken at almost two dozen meetings of Republican Party groups or conservative organizations. He's also finished a new book, due out next year.

"From now until November of 2010, I will be working to help conservatives across the country," Romney told CNN last week. "The country, in my view, is being taken a direction that is very damaging, and I think people want to see a strong return of fundamental American principles."

–CNN Political Producer Kevin Bohn contributed to this report

Rell leads in a new poll, but announced she is not seeking re-election.

(CNN) - A new poll suggests that Connecticut Gov. Jodi Rell's approval rating is on the rise and that she would beat all her potential Democratic challengers in next year's election. The only problem, Rell is not running for re-election.

According to a Quinnipiac University survey, 64 percent of registered voters in Connecticut approve of the job Rell is doing as governor, up 5 points from September. The poll's Tuesday release comes just hours after Rell, a Republican, announced she would not seek re-election in 2010.

The survey indicates that Rell would top Secretary of State Susan Bysiewicz 46 percent to 40 percent, leads businessman Ned Lamont 53 percent to 33 percent, and Stamford Mayor Dan Malloy by 19 points, in hypothetical general election matchups.

In a possible Democratic primary matchup, Bysiewicz gets 26 percent to 23 percent for Lamont, with 9 percent for Malloy, according to the poll.

With Rell not running for re-election, the Democratic Governors Association is moving Connecticut into its top tier of targeted 2010 pickup races.

"We are fortunate to have a strong field of Democratic candidates who are well-known public servants, each of whom has the knowledge, leadership, and judgment to
guide the state through these tough economic times," says Nathan Daschle, DGA executive director, in a press release.

Connecticut appears to be friendly territory for Democrats. President Obama won the state by 23 points and Democrats control both chambers of the Legislature. But the last Democrat to win a gubernatorial contest in Connecticut was William O'Neil in 1986.

Rell took over as Connecticut governor in July 2004, when predecessor John Rowland resigned in a corruption probe that eventually landed him behind bars. Rell was elected to her own full term in 2006, winning 63 percent of the vote.

The Quinnipiac University poll was conducted November 3-8, with 1,236 Connecticut registered voters questioned by telephone. The survey's sampling error is plus or minus 2.8 percentage points for the overall sample.

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(CNN) - The field in the race for New Hampshire's open Senate seat is growing.

Conservative activist Ovide Lamontagne, a 52-year-old Manchester attorney and 1996 GOP gubernatorial nominee, will officially become a candidate Monday for the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by fellow Republican Judd Gregg, who is not running for re-election next year.

Lamontagne is filing a statement of his candidacy with the Federal Election Commission. His campaign also unveiled a new Web site, Ovide2010.com, which highlights his anti-establishment and anti-Washington bid for for the Senate.

"I am running for Senate because I am ready to fight for New Hampshire taxpayers, families and businesses," says Lamontagne in a statement on his website. "I am not the establishment candidate, but, as the independent minded conservative, I am ready to lead the effort to bring fiscal sanity and fundamental reform to Washington once and for all."

Lamontagne becomes the fourth official candidate in the race for the GOP nomination, joining former state attorney general Kelly Ayotte, businessmen James Bender of Hollis and William Binnie of Rye. Rep. Paul Hodes, who represents New Hampshire's 2nd district, is the only Democrat in the race.

Lamontagne has been weighing a run since earlier this year. Fundraising will be his first problem to tackle, as Ayotte brought in $600,000 in the third quarter and her campaign has more than half a million dollars in the bank. Lamontagne has promised his wife he won't use personal money to fund the campaign, which means he'll rely on personal contributions as well as political action committees to pay for his Senate bid.

Lamontagne says he's not worried that Gregg and some members of the Senate Republican leadership recruited Ayotte to run.

"I'm liberated by that," he told the New Hampshire Union Leader. "I don't want to be beholden to the national party or the party bosses. I'll never be the establishment candidate. I'll always be the people's candidate."

Will the battle for the GOP Senate nomination in New Hampshire turn into another NY-23, the congresional contest that grabbed headlines when support from the right for a conservative candidate forced the more moderate Republican candidate out of the race - and allowed the Democrats to win a district they hadn't won in generations?

"Does it ultimately become a major ideological primary? We just don't know at this point," says Stuart Rothenberg, editor and publisher of the non-partisan Rothenberg Political. "To compare the race in New Hampshire to NY-23 is just wishful thinking for the Democrats. It's way too soon to be talking about that."

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ice President Joe Biden heads to Michigan Monday to lend a helping hand to two freshman House Democrats.

WASHINGTON (CNN) – Vice President Joe Biden heads to Michigan Monday to lend a helping hand to two freshman House Democrats who could face tough re-election bids next year. Will their votes on health care reform makes those bids even more difficult?

Biden headlines a fundraising event in Detroit for Michigan Democratic Party. Co-hosting the event are Congressmen Mark Schauer and Gary Peters. Both representatives voted in favor the health care reform bill that passed 220-215 in the House Saturday night.

The National Republican Campaign Committee is targeting the health care votes by Schauer and Peters.

"While Vice President Biden throws a lavish fundraiser to reward Mark Schauer and Gary Peters for their votes on the trillion dollar government takeover of healthcare, more than fifteen percent of Michiganders are out on the street looking for work," says NRCC spokesman Tom Erickson in a Monday morning statement. "If we're going to put Michigan back to work, voters will need to elect new leadership and fire Schauer and Peters, who have continually backed the reckless policies of Nancy Pelosi that create more government at the expense of the jobs that Michigan needs."

Democrats said the votes should give Schauer and Peters an edge next year.

"Mark Schauer and Gary Peters both have strong records of delivering for their districts and helping to create jobs in order to turn Michigan's economy around, responds Gabby Adler, Midwest Regional Press Secretary for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. "Voters in Michigan know that Health Insurance Reform is a key component of a long term economic recovery for Michigan workers and businesses of all sizes, and encouraged Schauer and Peters to support the legislation. Mark Schauer and Gary Peters have an undeniable advantage heading into 2010 because of their already significant legislative achievements and because of their prolific fundraising that no GOP candidate in Michigan has even come close to."

Schauer ousted Republican Rep. Tim Walberg in last year's election, winning by by 3 points in Michigan's 7th congressional district, which Barack Obama won by 5 points. He could be facing a rematch in 2010, as Walberg has already announced his candidacy - if he makes it past what could be a tough primary battle. Both the non-partisan Cook Political Report and the Rothenberg Political Report say the district's contest is likely to be competitive next year.

Peters topped Republican Rep. Joe Knollenberg by 9 points in last year's election in the 9th congressional district, which Obama won by 7 points.

"The health care vote is another piece of ammunition that Republicans will use against Schauer and Peters," says Nathan Gonzalez, political editor of the Rothenberg Political Report. "I think Republicans are more optimistic about Schauer. It's more of a Republican district.

Republicans have always seen an opportunity in the 7th and this health care vote adds to their optimism. This is going to be a top race next year."

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Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty is speaking to the Iowa GOP on Saturday.

(CNN) – It may be two years and two months until the next Iowa caucuses, but if you're considering a run for the 2012 Republican presidential nomination, it's never to early to visit the Hawkeye State.

Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty is the keynote speaker Saturday at the Iowa GOP's annual leadership dinner in Des Moines. The function is one of two major events for the state's Republican Party. And as the fundraiser's main attraction, Pawlenty invites more speculation about a run for the White House.

The next day Mike Huckabee returns to Iowa. The former Arkansas governor and 2008 Republican presidential candidate visits on Sunday to promote his new holiday themed book, "A Simple Christmas: Twelve Stories that Celebrate the True Holiday Spirit."

Now a Fox News talk show host, Huckabee has returned to Iowa several times since his win in the 2008 caucuses, most recently to raise money for Republican gubernatorial candidate Bob Vander Plaats.

On Tuesday, George Pataki returns to Iowa to help raise money for the GOP. The former New York governor will be the keynote speaker at the Scott County Republican's Ronald Reagan Dinner. Pataki's visit could fuel speculation that he's interested in making a run for his party's presidential nomination in 2012. Pataki spent a lot of time in Iowa during the early stages of the last presidential election cycle, but opted not to become a candidate.

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Republicans quickly responded to the latest jobs report Friday.

Washington (CNN) - The top Republican in the House of Representatives says the White House is "falling short" when it comes to battling unemployment.

"The president has said that job creation is the ultimate measure of economic performance. Today's report is yet another reminder that American families and small businesses are still struggling, and the White House response is falling short," said House Minority Leader John Boehner in a statement released Friday morning.

Boehner's statement was released just minutes after the Labor Department reported that the nation's economy lost 190,000 jobs in the month of October and the unemployment rate rose from 9.8 percent to 10.2 percent.

"A jobless recovery and double-digit unemployment are not what the American people were promised. Democrats pledged that the so-called 'stimulus' would create jobs immediately and keep the unemployment rate from going above eight percent. But since the 'stimulus' was signed into law, more than three million private sector jobs have been lost. Americans are asking 'Where are the jobs?' but all they've gotten from Democrats in Washington is more spending and more debt," adds Boehner.

Minutes after Boehner's comments, the Republican National Committee weighed in as well.

"With so many families looking for work, it is time the Obama administration stop spreading their phony 'saved or created' talking points and start creating the dependable jobs America needs. President Obama promised jobs during his campaign for president, and the elections in Virginia and New Jersey on Tuesday were a clear referendum on his failure to deliver on this promise," said RNC Chairman Michael Steele in a statement.

Nearly six in ten Americans want Congress to continue working on health care reform bills that have been passed through various committees, according to a new CNN poll.

Washington (CNN) - Nearly six in ten Americans want Congress to continue working on health care reform bills that have been passed through various committees, according to a new national poll.

Full results (pdf)

Fifty-nine percent of people questioned in a CNN/Opinion Research Corporation survey say lawmakers should continue working on the legislation, a rise of 6 points since August. But only a quarter say those bills should be passed pretty much as is, with a third suggesting that Congress should make major changes. The poll also indicates that one in four say lawmakers should start from scratch and 15 percent want Congress to stop all work on health care reform.

The survey's release Friday morning comes one day before the full House of Representatives is expected to hold a floor vote on the Democrats health care reform bill.

"Most of the Democrats interviewed support some form of heath care reform, but the divisions within congressional Democrats are reflected in the party nationwide," says CNN Polling Director Keating Holland. "Forty percent of the Democratic rank and file want Congress to approve the proposals that have passed through committee with only minor changes. But an equal number of Democrats nationwide want Congress to make major changes to those proposals before approving them."

According to the poll, 45 percent support President Barack Obama's proposals to reform health care, with 53 percent opposed to his plans. This is the first time since the president's early September prime time address a joint session of Congress on health care that a majority of people questioned in a CNN survey oppose Obama's proposals.

"Six in ten independents say they oppose Obama's health care proposals," says Holland. "That's a nine point increase since October."

The House bill that faces a probable Saturday vote contains a version of the public option, an insurance option administered by the federal government that would compete with plans offered by private insurance companies. According to the poll, 55 percent support the public option, with 44 percent opposed.

Rising health care costs could be a factor in support for Congress to take action.

"The appetite for some version of health care reform may be explained by the fact that 55 percent of Americans with health insurance say that their insurance company has raised rates, deductibles or co-payments within the past year," says Holland.
No House Republicans are expected to vote Saturday for the Democrats health care bill.

"With any health care bill likely to face near-unanimous opposition from the GOP, only one in three Americans say that the Republicans in Congress are doing enough to cooperate with Barack Obama. Is Obama doing enough to reach out to Republicans? Half say yes; half say no," adds Holland.

The CNN/Opinion Research Corporation poll was conducted October 30-November 1, with 1,018 adult Americans questioned by telephone. The survey's sampling error is plus or minus 3 percentage points.

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Poll: Potential problems for possible 2012 GOP candidates.

WASHINGTON (CNN) – A new national poll indicates that more than seven out in 10 Republicans say they would seriously consider voting for Mike Huckabee for president in the next race for the White House, giving the former Arkansas governor more potential support than Sarah Palin, Mitt Romney, or any other Republican tested.

But the USA Today/Gallup survey released Wednesday morning also suggests that none of those potential Republican hopefuls could win the votes of a majority of all Americans if they won the GOP nomination in 2012.

The poll finds that 71 percent of Republicans questioned say they would seriously consider voting for Huckabee, the former governor of Arkansas and 2008 GOP presidential candidate.

Sixty-five percent say they would seriously consider voting for Romney, the former Massachusetts governor who also ran for the 2008 Republican presidential nomination. An equal amount indicate they'd seriously consider voting for Palin, the former Alaska governor who served as John McCain's running mate last year. Six in 10 saying they would take a serious look at voting for former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, but far fewer respondents say they would support the much less recognized Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty (32 percent) or Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour (26 percent).

Among all Americans, the poll suggests that only around four in 10 would seriously consider backing Huckabee or Romney, with one in three saying they would seriously support Palin, 29 percent seriously considering voting for Gingrich and less than one in five backing Pawlenty or Barbour.

"The latest CNN/Opinion Research Corporation poll had Huckabee ahead of Palin and Romney in a head-to-head match-up among Republicans," says CNN Polling Director Keating Holland. "So Huckabee not only has more support now, but the potential to gain even more backers that his possible opponents as 2012 approaches."

These surveys are very early hypothetical looks at the next race for the White House. It's the pre-season in the next presidential contest, as possible GOP contenders form political action committees, campaign for fellow Republicans, write books and address conservative conferences and party dinners.

The USA Today/Gallup poll was conducted October 31-November 1, with 1,021 national adults questioned by telephone. The survey's sampling error is plus or minus 4 percentage points for the overall sample and plus or minus 7 percentage points for questions of Republicans only.

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A new CNN/Opinion Research Corporation poll indicates that Americans are divided over whether they'd vote for the Democratic or Republican candidate in their district.

WASHINGTON (CNN) – With a year to go before midterm congressional elections, a new national poll indicates that Americans are divided over whether they'd vote for the Democratic or Republican candidate in their district.

Fifty percent of people questioned in a CNN/Opinion Research Corporation survey released Tuesday say they would vote for the Democratic candidate if the election for the House of Represenatives were held today, with 44 percent saying they'd back the Republican candidate. Five percent say they'd vote for neither major party candidate and 2 percent are undecided.

The 6-point advantage for the Democrats is at the edge of the poll's sampling error.

Other organizations' surveys conducted over the past two months also suggest a division among Americans when it comes to the generic ballot question, which asks a respondent if they would vote for a Democrat or Republican in their congressional district, without naming any specific candidates.

Next November, all 435 seats in the House and more than a third of the Senate seats are up for grabs. Democrats currently hold a 79-seat margin in the House of Representatives, with two seats vacant, and a 20 seat margin in the Senate.

According to the poll, Americans are also divided on whether they have made up their minds regarding the 2010 midterm contests, with 49 percent saying their minds are made up and 45 percent saying they could change their choice.

The survey also indicates that 46 percent of Republicans say they're enthusiastic about voting next year, with 39 percent of Democrats saying they're energized.

"When Democratic and Republican candidates for U.S. House square of a year from now, they may face a very different electorate than the one that put Barack Obama in power a year ago," says CNN Polling Director Keating Holland. "In 2008, Democratic voters were generally more enthusiastic about voting than Republicans; now it's the GOP's turn to benefit from an enthusiasm gap."

But President Barack Obama, unlike Bill Clinton in 1994, currently appears to give Democratic candidates an advantage: The survey suggests that most registered voters say they are more likely to vote for a candidate for Congress who supports Obama. Four in 10 are say they are more likely to vote for a candidate who opposes Obama.

"Historically, these tea leaves are very hard to read," adds Holland. Democrats and Republicans had virtually the same numbers a year before the 1994 midterm elections that put the GOP in power, he says, but the two parties also had roughly the same strength a year before the 2006 midterms that put the Democrats back in the saddle on Capitol Hill. "Add to that the fact that nearly half of all voters say they could change their minds between now and election day, 2010, and it's clear that any prediction would be futile," says Holland.

The CNN/Opinion Research Corporation poll was conducted October 30-November 1, with 952 registered voters questioned by telephone. The survey's overall sampling error is plus or minus 3 percentage points.

Full results (pdf)

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As voters across the country head to the polls Tuesday, one thing appears certain: Many of them are angry.

Washington (CNN) – As voters across the country head to the polls Tuesday, one thing appears certain: Many of them are angry.

And that anger could shape the results of three of the most high-profile elections this year - gubernatorial battles in New Jersey and Virginia and the fight for an open seat in New York's 23rd Congressional District.

National polls indicate that many voters are in a foul mood. The big question is whether that mood will continue into 2010, when the entire House of Representatives, more than a third of the Senate and more than a third of the governorships are up for grabs.

"We're in the middle, I think, of a political rebellion going on in America," House Minority Leader John Boehner said Sunday on CNN's "State of the Union." "And this rebellion is by people who really have not been actively involved in the political process and they don't really care if you're a Democrat or a Republican. They want to see people who are going to stand up and protect the future for our kids and grandkids."

Full story

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(CNN) - With just hours to go until Election day, two new polls suggest New Jersey Gov. Jon Corzine's in a statistical tie with his Republican challenger, Chris Christie.

According to a Fairleigh Dickinson University PublicMind survey released Monday afternoon, 43 percent of likely New Jersey voters back Corzine, the Democratic incumbent fighting for a second term, and 41 percent support Christie, the former federal prosecutor in the Garden State. Eight percent back independent candidate Chris Daggett, and 7 percent support other candidates, or are undecided.

Corzine's 2-point advantage is well within the poll's sampling error. Christie was up 2 points over Corzine in a Fairleigh Dickenson University survey released Friday.

According to a Quinnipiac University survey released Monday morning, 42 percent of likely New Jersey voters back Christie, with 40 percent supporting Corzine, and 12 percent backing Daggett. Six percent of likely voter in that poll remain undecided.

Christie's 2 point advantage is also well within the poll's sampling error. A Quinnpiac survey released last Wednesday had indicated that Corzine held a 5 point lead, not quite large enough to be statistically significant in that poll.

Most surveys in New Jersey over the past seven weeks have suggested that Corzine and Christie were deadlocked, with Daggett polling in the low double digits.

The poll indicates that 38 percent of Daggett supporters say they might change their mind. Thirty-nine percent say Corzine is their second choice, while 29 percent say Christie is number two. Only one in ten Christie backers and just 13 percent of Corzine backers say they might change their mind.

"Daggett is the key to an incredibly close New Jersey election," says Maurice Carroll, director of the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute.

"In most races - including the one in Virginia this year - the outcome hinges on turnout," says CNN Polling Director Keating Holland. "But in New Jersey, the outcome is likely to be determined by the size of the vote for minor-party candidates. If turnout is relatively high but all the extra voters choose an independent candidate, that won't affect the margin between the Democrat and the Republican."

The Quinnipiac University poll was conducted October 27-November 1, with 1,533 New Jersey likely voters questioned by telephone. The survey's sampling error is plus or minus 2.5 percentage points.

The Fairleigh Dickinson University PublicMind poll was conducted October 22-November 1, with 1,119 New Jersey likely voters questioned by telephone. The survey's sampling error is plus or minus 3 percentage points.