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Barbour hopes Hutchison stays in Senate.

Cedar Creek, Texas (CNN)– Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour said Thursday that he hopes Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison remains in the Senate and acknowledged that he has spoken with her about challenging Gov. Rick Perry in the GOP primary.

Barbour, head of the Republican Governors Association (RGA), would not elaborate on his conversation with Hutchison, but did say he personally hopes Perry wins another term.

"I would just hate to lose Kay Bailey in the Senate," Barbour said at a news conference during the RGA's annual meeting. "She has been a great senator. I would just hate to lose a great senator like that when we have a fine governor."

Barbour did note that the RGA, which is the campaign arm for GOP governors, would not be taking a side in the primary. Still, this week's conference is being held in Perry's home state and he has played a prominent role as host of the event.

Cedar Creek, Texas (CNN) - Flanked by 14 of his fellow Republican governors, Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour Thursday denounced Democratic efforts to reform health care and said that states will bear the financial burden if enacted.

Barbour took specific aim at a health bill recently passed by the House as well as the new legislation introduced in the Senate by Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nevada.

"Sen. Reid's bill, like the House bill, guts Medicare and is a huge cost shift that will have to be borne by states," Barbour said at a news conference held during the Republican Governors Association annual meeting.

(CNN) – House Republicans are criticizing three Democrats for voting in favor of their party's health care reform bill in a new weeklong TV ad buy.

The 30-second spots are airing on cable television and target Reps. Vic Snyder of Arkansas, Earl Pomeroy of North Dakota and John Spratt of South Carolina.

Ken Spain, communications director of the National Republican Congressional Committee, said this early ad buy is an indication of what Democrats should expect to see in the lead up to the 2010 elections.

"Democrats are getting a taste of what next fall is going to feel like when they are going down to defeat thanks in part to the statements made by their liberal colleagues," Spain said.

(CNN) – Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani will headline a conference call Wednesday with national reporters to criticize the Obama administration's decision to hold Khalid Sheikh Mohammed's trial in New York.

The call is being organized by the Republican National Committee.

Giuliani has been very vocal, including in an interview Sunday on CNN's State of the Union with John King, about his opposition to having the trial take place in New York.

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Washington (CNN) – The Democratic National Committee is targeting 32 House Republicans in a new radio ad campaign that criticizes them for voting against health care reform legislation earlier this month.

The commercials will begin running Tuesday and are aimed at Republicans in congressional districts that voted for President Obama in the 2008 election.

"Republicans have read this wrong politically," said DNC spokesman Hari Sevugan. "They think the political peril is in voting for reform. The political peril is in voting against reform and siding with big insurance companies instead of their neighbors."

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi was able to marshal a health care reform bill through her chamber, although not without controversy. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid is expected to bring the Senate bill to the floor soon, but the fate of health care reform remains up in the air as Democrats remain divided over issues such as a government-run insurance option and abortion.

A full list of Republicans targeted in the new DNC ad after the jump:

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The Republican National Committee has instructed its insurance company to remove a provision from the committee's health insurance policy that covered elective abortion for employees.

WASHINGTON (CNN) – The Republican National Committee has instructed its insurance company to remove a provision from the committee's health insurance policy that covered elective abortion for employees.

"Money from our loyal donors should not be used for this purpose," RNC Chairman Michael Steele said in a statement released late Thursday. "I don't know why this policy existed in the past, but it will not exist under my administration. Consider this issue settled."

In a note accompanying the statement, the RNC said this type of coverage dated to 1991.
The Politico newspaper first reported the story Thursday.

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John King will host a new political show at 7 pm. ET starting early next year.

Washington (CNN) – Heading into the critical 2010 midterm elections, CNN will launch a new weekday political program that will be hosted by award winning correspondent John King.

"I'm thrilled to have the opportunity, at this busy and consequential time, to have a platform to discuss and explore the big issues of our time," King, chief national correspondent and anchor of the network's Sunday program "State of the Union," said in a statement released Thursday by CNN.

Early next year, King will move into the 7 p.m. ET time slot that was previously held by longtime CNN anchor Lou Dobbs, who announced Wednesday that he was leaving the network.

"The program will reflect what CNN is all about: straight facts from our anchors and the widest range of opinions from across the political spectrum," Jonathan Klein, president of CNN/U.S., said in the network's statement. "John has enthralled CNN viewers with his vast political knowledge, and he has spent the past year reporting from beyond the Beltway on pressing policy issues and the real people they impact. Every night, he'll share his passion and his insights about what is really going on in Washington and across America."

CNN did not announce the name of King's new program and in the statement said he would "continue to anchor 'State of the Union' until early next year."

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'Americans know real change in Washington will never happen until we end the era of permanent politicians,' Sen. Jim DeMint said in a statement.

Washington (CNN) - A handful of Republican senators have proposed a Constitutional amendment to limit the amount of time a person may serve in Congress.

Currently, there are no term limits for federal lawmakers, but Sen. Jim DeMint, R-South Carolina, and several of his colleagues are advocating that service in the Senate be limited to 12 years, while lawmakers would only be allowed to serve 6 years in the House.

"Americans know real change in Washington will never happen until we end the era of permanent politicians," DeMint said in a statement released by his office. "As long as members have the chance to spend their lives in Washington, their interests will always skew toward spending taxpayer dollars to buyoff special interests, covering over corruption in the bureaucracy, fundraising, relationship building among lobbyists, and trading favors for pork – in short, amassing their own power."

Two-thirds of the House and Senate would need to approve the amendment - a stumbling block that short-circuited the idea 14 years ago. The new proposal echoes the Citizen Legislature Act, part of the original Contract with America proposed by Republicans before they won control of Congress in 1994. That measure, which would have allowed both senators and members of the House to serve just 12 years, won a majority in the Republican-controlled House in 1995, but failed because it did not meet the constitutionally-required two-thirds threshold.
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WASHINGTON (CNN) – A coalition of unions, liberal interest groups and other organizations is providing air cover for 20 House Democrats who voted this past weekend in favor of the Democratic leadership's health care reform bill.

The umbrella group Health Care for America Now and one of its larger members, the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, are spending $650,000 to run the ads for one week in each of the Democrats' congressional districts "thanking them for theirvote," said Jacki Schechner, spokeswoman for HCAN.

All but two of the Democrats were elected in 2006, 2008 or 2009 and several of them only won by slim margins. The two Democrats elected prior to 2006 included in this ad campaign are Rep. Tim Bishop of New York (2002) and Rep. Leonard Boswell of Iowa (1996). The National Republican Congressional Committee has already announced plans to target Democratic members over their vote in favor of the health care bill.

Schechner also said that another one of HCAN's members, Americans United for Change, will thank 10 more members in TV ads, bringing the total amount spent on this campaign to $1 million.

See the ad and the list of 20 Democrats.

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Washington (CNN) – Opponents of President Obama’s approach to health care reform have outspent supporters by more than $7 million in the past 30 days in what has become the most expensive one year, single issue advocacy campaign on television in the nation’s history.

So far, more than $151 million has been spent in 2009 on TV ads by organizations promoting, opposing or simply weighing in on the health care debate, according to an exclusive analysis conducted for CNN by TNSMI-Campaign Media Analysis Group (CMAG).

Supporters of Obama’s approach to health care reform began airing TV commercials earlier in the year than opponents and account for $61 million, while opponents have spent $52.3 million and groups with an interest in the debate but not advocating a position have dedicated $38 million.

In the past 30 days, supporters of Obama's approach to health care reform spent nearly $12 million on TV ads while opponents countered with $19.1 million.

“We are starting to see a separation in the messaging,” said Evan Tracey, president of CMAG and CNN’s consultant on political television advertising. “Groups that are opposed to President Obama’s health care plan are starting to turn up the volume in key states to put pressure on lawmakers to vote against these bills.”

On Wednesday, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce spent a whopping $1.5 million alone to air an ad linking the depressed economy to the health care debate in cities stretching from Juneau, Alaska, to Roanoke, Virginia.

“This advertising is turning very gray in terms of the senior voters they are targeting and the mood of the electorate who are pessimistic about the economy,” said Tracey.

Americans for Stable Quality Care, a coalition of health care interest and liberal advocacy groups, spent more than $8.2 million over the past month on commercials to lead the spending in support of Obama’s approach to reform. The Chamber spent $9.7 million on TV ads, while America’s Health Insurance Plans, an association of insurers, dedicated $5.5 million to commercials during this same 30 day time period.

The House is meeting for a rare weekend session as the Democratic majority tries to pass a health care bill.

“The Chamber ad combined with a lot of weekend news coverage of the new unemployment numbers is going to be a potential one-two punch as House Democrats try to pass a health care reform bill,” Tracey said.

Tracey is referring to news Friday that the nation’s unemployment rate rose to 10.2 percent, the highest it has been since 1983.

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Were the 2009 elections really a referendum on President Obama?

Washington (CNN) – Victories in New Jersey and Virginia Tuesday provided a major shot in the arm for the Republican Party heading into the 2010 elections, but the Democratic losses of these two governorships should not be interpreted as a significant blow to President Obama.

While the economy and jobs were the chief concern for voters in both states, 26 percent of New Jersey residents said property taxes was also a major issue, while another 20 percent mentioned corruption, according to CNN exit polling. In a similar CNN survey taken in Virginia, health care was the most important issue for 24 percent of the voters, while 15 percent named taxes and transportation was mentioned by 7 percent.

Further proof that this election was not solely focused on Obama, 56 percent of Virginians said that the president was not a factor when it came down to their vote. In New Jersey, that number increased to 60 percent of the people who went to the polls on Tuesday.

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Full story

Washington (CNN) – Victories in New Jersey and Virginia Tuesday provided a major shot in the arm for the Republican Party heading into the 2010 elections, but the Democratic losses of these two governorships should not be interpreted as a significant blow to President Obama.

While the economy and jobs were the chief concern for voters in both states, 26 percent of New Jersey residents said property taxes was also a major issue, while another 20 percent mentioned corruption, according to CNN exit polling. In a similar CNN survey taken in Virginia, health care was the most important issue for 24 percent of the voters, while 15 percent named taxes and transportation was mentioned by 7 percent.

Further proof that this election was not solely focused on Obama, 56 percent of Virginians said that the president was not a factor when it came down to their vote. In New Jersey, that number increased to 60 percent of the people who went to the polls on Tuesday.

Perhaps this was the problem for Virginia Sen. Creigh Deeds and New Jersey Gov. Jon Corzine.

Neither Democratic candidate was Obama; neither was a great spokesman for "change;" and Democratic strategists and grassroots activists said each candidate failed to give independents a reason to support them.

Still, in the coming days a storyline will develop that this was a referendum on Obama and his policies.

At the same time, another narrative will continue to evolve over the future of the Republican Party as grassroots conservative activists seek to increase their influence following the success of forcing the centrist Republican nominee in a New York congressional special election from the race.

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Newt Gingrich endorsed Hoffman via Twitter Saturday.

WASHINGTON (CNN)– Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, who came under fire from some conservatives for endorsing Dede Scozzafava in next week's special Congressional election in New York, is now backing Conservative Party candidate Doug Hoffman.

Gingrich made the announcement via Twitter shortly after the Republican Party nominee Scozzafava announced she was releasing supporters from their commitment to back her.

"Scozzafava dropping out leaves hoffman as only anti-tax anti-pelosi vote in ny 23 Every voter opposed to tax increases support doug hoffman," Gingrich wrote on Twitter. (Tweet shown as it appeared)

Polling showed that Scozzafava was running third in this special election for what had been a traditionally safe Republican seat.

But a split among Republicans over who to support, Scozzafava or the more conservative Hoffman, opened the door for Democratic nominee Bill Owens to capture the seat.

National Republican Party officials, who had also endorsed Scozzafava, are now lining up behind Hoffman.

This new show of GOP unity will make it more difficult for Owens to win the election on Tuesday.

A source tells CNN the House GOP Chairman will endorse Doug Hoffman.

WASHINGTON (CNN) – In a sign that the national Republican leadership is lining up behind Doug Hoffman, House GOP campaign Chairman Pete Sessions will endorse the Conservative Party candidate in the New York special congressional election, a senior Republican source tells CNN.

A political organization formed to promote Sarah Palin is trying to raise $41,000 to help pay for a potential appearance by the former Alaska governor next month.

WASHINGTON (CNN) – A political organization formed to promote Sarah Palin is trying to raise $41,000 to help pay for a potential appearance by the former Alaska governor next month before an influential conservative group in Iowa.

Team Sarah, which has no formal ties to Palin, sent a fundraising appeal to supporters Tuesday afternoon asking them to contribute on behalf of Iowa Family Policy Center Action, which is trying to book Palin for a speech on Nov. 21. Bill Collier of Team Sarah said that IFPC Action has already raised $59,000 for the event.

"As you know, we at Team Sarah have supported efforts to raise money for Sarah Palin's PAC and for the Legal Defense Fund, but this effort will actually help her and her family directly and enable her to have resources she directly controls to take care of all the things she needs to do as she launches her national effort to restore the core values of our Conservative movement," Collier wrote in the fundraising pitch obtained by CNN.

If Palin agrees to attend the event, it would be her first appearance in Iowa since she traveled to the state as the 2008 Republican vice presidential nominee. Her visit to this critical presidential proving ground could be seen as a step towards a potential run for the White House in 2012.

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Hollywood to help Obama choose TV ad.

WASHINGTON (CNN) - Supporters of health care reform have entered almost 1,000 videos - from shocking images of people in peril to cartoon shorts - in a Democratic Party contest in which a panel of celebrity judges, party officials and grassroots activists will pick a submission that will be turned into a new television ad.

The list has now been whittled down to 20 ads. A handful of President Obama's Hollywood allies including Will.I.Am, Rosario Dawson and Seth MacFarlane are some of the judges helping to choose the 30-second TV spot that will be paid for by Organizing for America, Obama's political arm at the Democratic National Committee.

Several of the ads promote the inclusion of a public option in the final health care reform bill, while other entries feature children speaking directly to the camera about the issue. The most graphic video, which promotes the public option, shows a highway car crash, a woman drowning and another sitting on a window ledge surrounded by fire.

Organizing for America will send an e-mail out this afternoon naming the 20 videos still in the competition.

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(CNN) – The White House and Congressional Democrats are feeling the heat from liberal Democrats, who are demanding that a federally-funded insurance program be a key component of health care reform.

An Obama administration official took to the official White House blog late Sunday evening to emphasize the president's preference for a public option and to silence any suggestions otherwise.

The White House Blog

The Public Option: Rumor Check

Posted by Dan Pfeiffer on October 25, 2009 at 08:56 PM EDT

A rumor is making the rounds that the White House and Senator Reid are pursuing different strategies on the public option. Those rumors are absolutely false.

In his September 9th address to Congress, President Obama made clear that he supports the public option because it has the potential to play an essential role in holding insurance companies accountable through choice and competition. That continues to be the President's position.

Senator Reid and his leadership team are now working to get the most effective bill possible approved by the Senate. President Obama completely supports their efforts and has full confidence they will succeed and continue the unprecedented progress that is being made in both the House and Senate.

Dan Pfeiffer is Deputy Communications Director

The White House blog posting did little to mollify Adam Green, cofounder of the liberal political advocacy organization Progressive Change Campaign Committee. Green's group is advocating for the public option and has targeted individual lawmakers with television ads in their home states urging them to support it.

"Expressing a preference for the public option is not the same as fighting for the public option," Green wrote on the blog openleft.com . "Telling Harry Reid 'good luck with that' is not the same as the president saying, 'I am there helping Reid fight for those final votes.'"

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Chris Van Hollen warned fellow Democrats that they are heading into a challenging midterm election.

WASHINGTON (CNN) - Maryland Rep. Chris Van Hollen warned fellow Democrats Thursday that they are heading into a challenging midterm election, but assured them that everything is being done to head off major losses in 2010.

"Historically, we're facing a headwind this cycle with a record number of Frontline Members, a smaller playing field of challenger races, and a difficult fundraising environment," Van Hollen wrote in a six-page memo sent to House Democrats and obtained by CNN. "We've known about that challenge from the start and have been aggressively preparing for it, applying the lessons from the last two successful cycles."

Van Hollen, chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, points to 20 Republican seats that he thinks can turn Democratic in 2010. Of those 20, Van Hollen singled out open seats in Delaware, Illinois and Pennsylvania, as well as the Louisiana seat held by GOP Rep. Joseph Cao, as "four strong pick up opportunities."

"As we discussed at the beginning of this year, after House Democrats' big wins over the past two cycles – 54 seats in some of the reddest districts in the country – our best defense this cycle is a strong offense," Van Hollen wrote.

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The DNC has created a new Web page and video that criticizes the industry for opposing Obama on this issue.

WASHINGTON (CNN) – The Democratic National Committee is targeting the health insurance industry in its latest public relations campaign to try and discredit critics of President Obama's efforts to reform the nation's health care system, a party official tells CNN.

The DNC will send supporters an email this afternoon informing them that America's Health Insurance Plans - the insurance lobbying arm - has been picked for its "Call 'em Out" campaign. The DNC has created a new Web page and video that criticizes the industry for opposing Obama on this issue.

"The lobby has invested millions trying to convince Congress to oppose reform,"
Jen O'Malley Dillon, executive director of the DNC, writes in the e-mail provided to CNN. "So this week, we're not simply debunking lies: The best way to Call 'em Out is to cut through the spin and tell our representatives to say 'no' to deceitful lobbyists and 'yes' to reform."

So far, the DNC has only targeted Republican elected officials in the month-old campaign: House Minority Leader John Boenher of Ohio, Arizona Sen. John Kyl, Minnesota Rep. Michele Bachmann and Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty. This is the first time the DNC is taking on a particular industry.

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