Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) has agreed to participate in two debates with primary challenger J.D. Hayworth.
The McCain camp announced Friday it had accepted debate invitations from KTVK 3TV in Phoenix for a July 16 meeting and for the next day on PBS 6-Tucson's "Arizona Illustrated." In addition to Hayworth, Navy veteran Jim Deakin (R) will also be allowed to participate. Both debates are set for 7 p.m.
A spokesman for McCain said he "looks forward to a spirited discussion on the issues."
Hayworth had been calling for a series of 10 debates. When McCain didn't respond respond for 100 days he noted the anniversary by sending out a release titled "Century Mark of Shame."
Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-Texas) continues to struggle with voters of her own party, according to new numbers from Public Policy Polling.
The poll found Hutchison's approval ratings have taken a dive since she lost a nasty Republican primary to Gov. Rick Perry. In a PPP poll from February of 2009, Hutchison's approval rating was near 60 percent. But her latest approval number stands at just 37 percent, with 43 percent of voters disapproving.
A full 48 percent of respondents said Hutchison should not run again in 2012.
From pollster Tom Jensen:
"Texas doesn't seem a likely candidate to elect a Democratic Senator any time soon so the greatest challenge for Hutchison in 2012 could be if she draws a serious primary challenger from the right flank of her party. Even among Republicans only 42% say they'd vote for Hutchison again to 41% who say they would rather vote for someone else, and it's clear that ideology is a big factor in that sentiment. 39% of GOP voters think Hutchison's too liberal to 46% who are comfortable with her ideologically."
After her gubernatorial bid, Hutchison indicated she would not run for re-election to the Senate in 2012, but she has since failed to rule out a run for another term.
Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.) wants Colorado Sen. Michael Bennet (D) to "hit … back harder" against his Republican challenger.
Jane Norton, a Republican Colorado Senate candidate, recently put up a Web video that criticizes President Barack Obama's handling of the war on terrorism.
"The liberals in Washington seem to have forgotten ... (sound of jet engines over a black screen symbolizing 9/11) ... But we haven't. Let's win the war on terror," Norton says in the video.
"This is about the same dirty campaign tactics I've seen a hundred times, and they don't just make my blood boil, they demand action," Kerry wrote in a fundraising pitch to Bennet's supporters Friday. "Like other desperate politicians who've deployed the tactics of fear and smear, she has sunk to invoking images of our heroic service members to launch a thinly veiled attack on" Bennet and Obama.
Kerry recalled the time he came under so-called "Swiftboating" attacks. "I learned a lot from that experience," he wrote. "The lesson: they hit you, hit them back harder — make them pay a price."
Norton has been watching her lead in the polls slip against Weld County District Attorney Ken Buck (R). Observers believe she is trying to shore up her base of support ahead of the August Republican primary.
New Hampshire Senate candidate Kelly Ayotte (R) released a new TV spot Friday that again promotes her as tough crime fighter.
The former attorney general has come under fire from her opponent, Democratic Rep. Paul Hodes, after she was forced to testify before a legislative committee about her office's response to the Financial Resources Mortgage scandal.
Hodes's first TV ad used footage from Ayotte's testimony. During the ad, the announcer says that "44 times Kelly Ayotte ducked responsibility and claimed she didn't know" about the "biggest Ponzi scheme in New Hampshire history."
Meanwhile, Ayotte's response features police in uniform expressing their support for her, as well as former Gov. Steve Merrill (R) saying: "These kinds of claims just don't wash."
The ad then pivots to an attack on Hodes's voting record. "Hodes voted for trillions in new spending and debt," the announcer says, "plus pork barrel earmarks."
"But Kelly Ayotte is a tough conservative who will cut spending."
The 30-second spot is airing on WMUR and statewide cable. It's the campaign's third spot produced by the DC-based firm McCarthy Marcus Hennings.
Vice President Joe Biden heads to Milwaukee today to host a fundraiser for Sen. Russ Feingold (D-Wis.).
Biden will host a $500-a-plate lunch at the Pfister Hotel.
Feingold has been polling under 50 percent against an unknown Republican challenger, wealthy businessman Ron Johnson.
My colleague Sean J. Miller interviewed Johnson about the race, and Johnson told him he's willing to self fund.
“Over 31 years of very hard work, I’ve tucked away, outside of
business, enough money to get my message out,” Johnson said. “If I have to,
I’ll spend it all.”
Meanwhile, President Barack Obama will be in southeast Wisconsin on Wednesday to
discuss the economy.
Vice President Joe Biden will make a fundraising stop in Ohio next week on behalf of Democratic Senate candidate Lee Fisher who is locked in a tight race with former Rep. Rob Portman (R) in Ohio's open seat Senate contest.
The Fisher campaign said Biden will campaign and headline a fundraiser for Fisher in Cleveland June 30. "We're excited to have Vice President Biden's support and to be able to work with him to create good-paying jobs in Ohio and re-build our middle class."
The National Republican Congressional Committee is using the news to tie Fisher to the Obama administration. In a statement, NRSC press secretary Amber Marchand said "It's not surprising that President Obama and Vice President Biden want to reward Lee Fisher after he enthusiastically endorsed their failed economic agenda."
The latest poll numbers in the race had Fisher and Portman tied 43-43.
Sarah Palin has weighed into another contested Republican primary — announcing Thursday she's backing Rep. Todd Tiahrt (R) for the Kansas GOP Senate nod.
"Todd is a protector of our Constitution, a pro-family, pro-Second Amendment commonsense conservative who has never voted for a tax increase and has fought to end the wasteful spending coming out of Washington," Palin wrote on her Facebook page Thursday. "He didn't just stand on the sidelines complacently, but instead actually battled against the bailouts, the debt-ridden stimulus spending, the cap-and-tax energy schemes, and Obamacare."
She called on her supporters to help support Tiahrt's campaign. There are currently no plans for Palin to campaign with the eight-term congressman.
"We are very excited about the endorsement, and Todd is certainly open to having Gov. Palin return to Kansas to campaign with him any time," Sam Sackett, a Tiahrt spokesman, said in an e-mail.
Tiahrt faces Rep. Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) in the August primary. Sen. Sam Brownback (R-Kan.) is running for governor.
The former Alaska governor's had some luck picking the winners of recent primaries.
She endorsed gubernatorial candidate Nikki Haley (R) in South Carolina and also backed Tim Scott against Paul Thurmond in the state's 1st congressional district GOP primary.
She'll be in California Friday for a fundraiser at for the 50th anniversary of California State University, Stanislaus.
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