CNN 100: Rahall returns to top 100
Washington (CNN) - The CNN 100, a list of the nation's 100 most vulnerable House races, has been updated to reflect the latest developments in the battle to control the chamber this November.
Democratic incumbents Ed Perlmutter of Colorado and Nick Rahall of West Virginia trade places, with Rahall returning to the CNN 100 after a brief hiatus and Perlmutter dropping off.
The CNN 100 is comprised of 85 Democratic seats, 15 of which are open seats and another 70 with incumbents running for re-election. There are 15 Republican seats in the CNN 100, 5 open seats and 10 incumbent races.
The updated list can be viewed here. The latest changes are detailed below:
RETURNING TO THE CNN 100:
WV-03 Rep. Nick Rahall (D)
DROPPED FROM THE CNN 100:
CO-07 Rep. Ed Perlmutter (D)
Rep. Jackson 'deeply sorry,' admits 'social acquaintance '
[cnn-photo-caption image= http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2010/images/09/21/art.jackson.jr.jpg caption ="Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. said he is 'deeply sorry' regarding a 'social acquaintance' that may have disappointed some supporters."]
(CNN) – A Chicago businessman told federal investigators that Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. asked him to pay for a Washington, D.C. restaurant hostess to fly between Washington and Chicago multiple times, the Chicago Sun-Times reported Tuesday.
Jackson told the paper he was "deeply sorry" that he had "disappointed some supporters," in a written statement.
"The reference to a social acquaintance is a private and personal matter between me and my wife that was handled some time ago. I ask that you respect our privacy," Jackson said in his statement.
Jackson's wife also appealed for privacy in a statement to the Chicago Tribune.
O'Donnell camp fights back
[cnn-photo-caption image= http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2010/images/09/17/art.odonnell.file1.odonnell.jpg
caption="Delaware GOP Senate candidate Christine O'Donnell's campaign addresses critics."]
WILMINGTON, Delaware (CNN) - Christine O'Donnell's Senate campaign is pushing back hard on allegations that she misused election funds by putting them to private use. Leading the counter-offensive is Cleta Mitchell, an attorney and an expert in campaign finance law, who was just retained by the O'Donnell campaign to deal with the allegations.
In an interview with CNN, Mitchell responded to a complaint against O'Donnell filed this week by the watchdog group Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington. The group, known as CREW, accuses O'Donnell of spending roughly $20,000 from her failed 2008 campaign for the Senate for personal expenses.
"That is not true," Mitchell told CNN. She accused CREW and its executive director, Melanie Sloan, of libeling O'Donnell and said the campaign is considering a lawsuit against the group.
Witchcraft and Marxism in Delaware
(CNN) - Delaware Senate nominee Chris Coons tried to set the record straight Tuesday in an interview that covered witchcraft, Marxism and Harry Reid.
When asked by CNN National Political Correspondent Jessica Yellin if Republican Christine O'Donnell's controversial comments about witchcraft over a decade ago were relevant now, Coons said "I really don't think so."
"My opponent spent more than a decade as a pundit on television so there's lots of clips of her saying things that I'm sure she wished that there weren't files of right now," Coons said.
On Fox News Christine O'Donnell addressed the same comments she made to Bill Maher in 1999, calling her experimentation with witchcraft, "teenage rebellion."
Murkowski asks Alaskans to 'stand by me'
[cnn-photo-caption image= http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2010/images/09/21/art.murkowski.0921.art.jpg
caption="Sen. Lisa Murkowski is up with a new ad."]
(CNN) - Alaska Senator Lisa Murkowski is on the air with a paid advertisement making her case to Alaskans and asking them to "stand by me" as she pursues a general election write-in campaign.
In her first ad of the general election, the current Republican Senator from Alaska wastes no time going after her opponents.
"Alaskans have spoken, they cannot accept the extreme views of Joe Miller nor the inexperience of Scott McAdams," Murkowski says in the ad.
After losing to Republican Joe Miller in the GOP primary last Tuesday, Murkowski decided to run as a write-in candidate in November against Miller and Scott McAdams, the Democratic nominee.
First lady to campaign for Democrats
[cnn-photo-caption image= http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2010/images/08/13/art.michelleobama.0719y.gi.jpg caption ="Michelle Obama will campaign for Democratic candidates in the closing weeks of the midterm election."]
Washington (CNN) – First lady Michelle Obama is hitting the campaign trail to headline events for at least nine Democratic candidates and two Democratic committees in the closing weeks of the midterm election.
The first lady will visit five different states starting on Oct. 13 with events in Milwaukee and Chicago for Wisconsin Sen. Russ Feingold, Illinois Senate nominee Alex Giannoulias, Illinois Rep. Debbie Halvorson, Illinois Rep. Bill Foster, Illinois congressional candidate Dan Seals and the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. Obama's schedule has her wrapping up this national barnstorming tour on Oct. 27 in Los Angeles to attend events for California Sen. Barbara Boxer.
Katie McCormick Lelyveld, the first lady's spokeswoman, noted that the schedule is fluid and more stops could be added in the coming weeks.
A recent CNN/Opinion Research Corporation Poll shows that 62 percent of Americans have a favorable opinion of the first lady, while only 25 percent have an unfavorable view of her. Digging deeper into that data, 58 percent of independents and 69 percent of women have a favorable opinion of Obama, making her a valuable asset on the campaign trail.
There had been some grumbling among Democrats that the first lady was not doing enough politically for Democrats.
"From the beginning, she's wanted to hit the campaign trail," said Susan Sher, the first lady's chief of staff. "It was just a matter of figuring out what would work with her schedule and what would be most useful."
See the first lady's political schedule after the jump:
FULL POST
Poll of Polls: Obama in mid-forties
[cnn-photo-caption image= http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2010/images/09/08/art.obama.0903r.gi.jpg
caption="New Poll of Polls: President Obama at 46 percent."] (CNN) - Six weeks before the November 2010 mid-term elections, an average of the most recent national surveys indicates that President Barack Obama's approval rating stands in the mid-forties.
According to a new CNN Poll of Polls compiled and released Tuesday, 46 percent of Americans approve of how Obama is handling his White House responsibilities, with 49 percent saying they disapprove.
Since early June the president's approval rating in CNN Poll of Polls has hovered around 46 percent.
President Obama's approval level stood at 67 percent in early February 2009, soon after he took over in the White House. In late July 2010, it fell to 43 percent, the lowest of his administration, while 50 percent of Americans disapproved of his job performance at that time.
John King to moderate Massachusetts gubernatorial debate
[cnn-photo-caption image= http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2010/images/09/21/art.john.king.jpg caption ="CNN's John King will moderate a Massachusetts gubernatorial debate Tuesday night."]
CNN Chief National Correspondent John King will moderate a Massachusetts gubernatorial debate Tuesday night.
The candidates in attendance will be Democratic Gov. Deval Patrick, Independent candidate Tim Cahill, Republican candidate Charlie Baker and Green-Rainbow Party candidate Jill Stein Tuesday night.
Presented by the Boston Media Consortium, the debate will stream live at 7 p.m. EST on cnn.com/live and on WCVB.com.
John King hosts John King USA weeknights at 7 p.m. EST.
Listen to King talk about that race and other political news with CNN's Bob Costantini:
Summers to step down
(CNN) - The Obama administration's top economic adviser, Larry Summers, will be stepping down from his post at the end of 2010, the White House announced Tuesday.
Summers, the director of the National Economic Council, will return to Harvard University, the White House said. His departure comes as the administration is struggling with poor reviews of its stewardship of the economy after a deep recession that has unemployment at nearly 10 percent.
"I will always be grateful that at a time of great peril for our country, a man of Larry's brilliance, experience and judgment was willing to answer the call and lead our economic team," President Barack Obama said in a statement on Summers' departure.
Updated 5:40 p.m.
CNN to broadcast Delaware Senate debate Oct. 13
[cnn-photo-caption image= http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2010/images/09/21/art.odonnell.coons.jpg caption ="Delaware Senate candidates Chris Coons and Christine O'Donnell have accepted an invitation to debate on October 13."]
(CNN) - Delaware Senate candidates Christine O'Donnell (R) and Chris Coons (D) have accepted an invitation to participate in a debate on October 13.
The 90-minute debate will be anchored by CNN lead political anchor Wolf Blitzer and longtime Delaware public television anchor Nancy Karibjanian.
CNN will televise the debate, which will take place at the University of Delaware.
O'Donnell and Coons are running for the Delaware Senate seat previously held by Vice President Joe Biden.
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