Former Sen. Jim Talent (R-Mo.) passed on running for Missouri's open Senate seat this cycle, but he's still thinking about a rematch with Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.).

"I do have to make a decision early next cycle if I'm going to run," Talent told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

Since losing to McCaskill in 2006 by less than 50,000 votes, Talent has remained in Washington working on national security issues.

"I do want to stay involved or, if anything, step up my involvement in public affairs. It could take that form [running for office], it could take many forms," he said. "Now is not the time to be withdrawing from public affairs."

He warned his fellow Republicans not to assume voters' anger will be directed solely at Democrats in November.

"I don’t think it is inherently a partisan thing," he said about the national mood. "I think it's directed at the people they identify as in power."

The GOP may also lose some members, he added. "You don’t know whether there might be some impact on Republican incumbents. But I would be surprised to see that on any broad scale."

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) will get some help in his reelection bid next week when Michelle Obama heads to Nevada. 

The first lady will deliver the key note address to the 2010 Women's Summit on Tuesday in Reno, the White House announced Thursday. Reid is hosting the event. The two will then head to Las Vegas where Obama will promote her healthy lifestyle initiative.

Reid faces a tough reelection campaign in a year filled with anti-incumbent sentiment. His approval ratings have hit record lows, and Nevada has the second highest unemployment rate in the nation, trailing just behind Michigan.

Unions are also helping the embattled majority leader.

A member of the Nevada AFL-CIO told The Hill earlier this month that reelecting Reid is their top priority.

“It’s our single focus. Harry Reid has done more for the state — more than anyone in history,” said Danny Thompson, executive secretary-treasurer of the Nevada State AFL-CIO.

Kentucky Senate candidate Rand Paul (R) is leading his Democratic challenger, Jack Conway (D), in a poll released Thursday.

Paul, who recently found himself in hot water for questioning the legality of portions of the Civil Rights Act, is leading Conway 44-40 percent with 9 percent undecided in a Daily Kos/Research 2000 poll taken May 24-26.

The margin of error is 4 percent, so Paul, an eye doctor, is statistically tied with the state attorney general. The survey polled likely voters.

Paul maintains a 53-33 favorability/unfavorability rating, showing that his comments about the Civil Rights Act have not caused major losses in support.

"This race's big battleground will be independent voters — Paul is currently winning them 42-31, with 27 percent undecided, and Democrats, where Conway is only getting 75 percent to Paul's 7 Percent, with 18 percent undecided," the site's founder Markos Moulitsas writes.

Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) is up with a new TV ad that hits his primary rival on spending. The slow, somewhat monotonous spot says former Rep. J.D. Hayworth (R-Ariz.) is an "avid earmarker." It then scrolls through a list of House bills Hayworth supported "before we voted him out of office," says the announcer. 

McCain generated some unwelcome buzz a couple weeks ago with the release of his "danged fence" spot.

The new 30-second spot is airing statewide on broadcast and cable. Fred Davis of the firm Strategic Perception Inc. is producing McCain's ads.

Updated at 4:37 p.m.

Speaking at a press conference in the East Room, Obama said his administration would release an official response to the claim very soon.

Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal (D) holds a large lead over former wrestling executive Linda McMahon (R) in the state's Senate race, according to a new poll.

A Quinnipiac University survey taken between May 24-25 and released Thursday showed Blumenthal leading 56-31 percent, with 10 percent undecided. 

The survey is an indicator that the Democrat has turned the corner after he faced rampant criticism for misrepresenting his service record during the Vietnam War. 

The attorney general's lead is smaller than it was in March, when McMahon was still facing primary opposition from former Connecticut Rep. Rob Simmons (R). He was then ahead 61-28.

Blumenthal has the support of 83 percent of Democrats, as opposed to the 64 percent support McMahon garners from Republicans. 

McMahon was in a tough primary against Simmons, who said this week he is suspending his campaign after trailing in the polls.

Simmons lashed out at McMahon on Wednesday, saying he would not support her and that he would have been a better candidate against Blumenthal because of his Vietnam combat record.

Simmons later backed away from his comments.

The former World Wrestling Entertainment CEO's spokesman Ed Patru suggested in a statement Thursday that the poll is inaccurate.

“The findings of today’s Quinnipiac University poll are curious and perhaps odd, given that four polls on the Connecticut Senate race have been made public over the past 21 days, and three of those suggest the spread between Linda McMahon and Dick Blumenthal is somewhere between 15 points and a statistical dead heat," he said in a statement.

Sen. Russ Feingold's (D-Wis.) main Republican competition is running neck-and-neck with him, according to a new poll.

A new Rasmussen Reports telephone survey of likely voters shows Feingold with 46 percent support to businessman Ron Johnson’s 44 percent.

Johnson was endorsed at last weekend's state GOP convention.

Republicans will formally pick their nominee in the Sept. 14th primary, but Johnson is expected to get the nomination.

In its analysis of the race, Rasmussen notes that Feingold continues to fall short of 50 percent regardless of the Republican he's matched up against.

Feingold's campaign released a statement on the poll.

"It's time for the media to move beyond our opponents slogans, junk polls, who's in and who out, and start covering the issues that matter to the people of Wisconsin," said Trevor Miller, a spokesman for Feingold's campaign.

-- This post was updated at 1:50 p.m.

Florida Gov. Charlie Crist won't be endorsed by one prominent independent politician.

New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, who originally ran as a Republican but switched to an independent party, will not endorse Crist's Senate campaign, reports the St. Petersburg Times.

NYC Deputy Mayor Howard Wolfson told the paper that rumors Bloomberg would endorse Crist were "false" and the chances of the mayor helping Crist out were "zero." Wolfson said: "Mayor Bloomberg was very disappointed that Gov. Crist vetoed an excellent education bill and has no intention of endorsing him."

Crist announced in April he would abandon his bid for the Republican nomination and run as an independent.

And Bloomberg isn't the only independent keeping his distance from Crist.

Earlier this month, Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.) told The Hill he and Crist "have agreed to keep in touch" but didn't say anything about an endorsement.

Lieberman, who kept his Senate seat by running as an independent after he lost the Democratic nomination in 2006, said he and Crist talked about running as an independent but an endorsement wasn't specifically discussed.

"I wish him well," Lieberman said. "We talked and just agreed to keep in touch."

Bill Clinton praised Sen. Blanche Lincoln (D-Ark.) for her role in passing financial reform legislation at a time when unions are accusing the senator of "representing Wall Street."

"She has written the toughest Wall Street reform proposal to help Main Street businesses," Clinton said in a statement released ahead of his "countdown to victory" rally with Lincoln.

Clinton also makes the argument that the incumbent can bring the federal bacon home for Arkansas — a pitch that may fall on deaf ears in a year when government spending is so unpopular.

"She has fought for Arkansas farmers, ranchers and foresters," the former president said. "Arkansas cannot afford to lose Blanche's leadership as chairman of the Senate Agriculture Committee."

Clinton will be in Little Rock on Friday for a rally with Lincoln at Philander Smith College.

Republicans believe Lincoln's defense of her left flank makes her more vulnerable in the general.

"Her continued unabashed support of the Obama Administration's far-left policies puts her at odds with the majority of her state and out of touch with voters," Katie Wright, a spokeswoman for the Republican National Committee, said in a statement.

Updated at 11:34 a.m.