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  April 19, 2010, 9:37 am

Giuliani on attack in Kentucky primary

By Aaron Blake

Rudy Giuliani on Monday accused Kentucky GOP Senate candidate Rand Paul of being part of the "blame America first crowd."

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Archived under: Senate races, GOP primaries
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  April 19, 2010, 8:42 am

Top of the ballot: Poll shows dead heat in Hawaii, Romney and Obama hit the trail

By Aaron Blake

TOP OF THE BALLOT TODAY: A three-way tie in Hawaii; Romney and Obama hit the campaign trail; Dems line up Isakson challenger in Georgia, just in case.

Toss-up in Hawaii

There's essentially a three-way toss-up in the May 22nd Hawaii special election.

The liberal website Daily Kos released a Research 2000 poll over the weekend. It showed Republican Honolulu City Councilman Charles Djou leading the way at 32 percent, while former Rep. Ed Case (D-Hawaii) and state Senate President Colleen Hanabusa (D) were close behind at 29 percent and 28 percent, respectively.

Case got a big boost on Sunday, when the Honolulu Advertiser endorsed him. But unless that endorsement helps him steal support from Djou, it may only cut up the Democratic equation even more.

What’s interesting here is that Case enters the race with significantly better favorable numbers (47 percent positive, 25 percent negative) than Hanabusa (37 percent positive, 31 percent negative). Djou (40 and 27) is somewhere in between.

Romney for Rubio; Barack for Boxer

A couple of big-name Senate candidates are getting some even bigger-name help today, with President Obama raising money for Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) and Mitt Romney doing an event with former Florida state House Speaker Marco Rubio (R).

Obama joins Boxer as she finds herself in what is looking to be her most difficult reelection race yet, while Romney is a little on the late side in jumping on the Rubio bandwagon (especially now that it appears Gov. Charlie Crist is considering an independent bid instead of running in the GOP primary).

Still, the high-profile visits would have been nearly unthinkable a year ago, when Boxer’s challenge was still hypothetical and Crist looked like a future GOP presidential candidate.

Isakson challenger emerges

Sen. Johnny Isakson’s (R-Ga.) recent health problems have spurred Democrats to field a challenger in that race, and they got a good one.

State Labor Commissioner Michael Thurmond, who is one of just two Democrats elected to statewide office in the state, is expected to join the race Tuesday.

It’s hard to see the Democrats going after Isakson hard – he showed a 53-26 lead on Thurmond in a recent Daily Kos poll – but his candidacy forces Republicans and Isakson to reevaluate themselves and puts Democrats in a position to take advantage if, for whatever reason, Isakson isn’t able to campaign.

Other updates

-Former health insurance executive Charlie Baker, the party favorite, won an overwhelming victory over former independent candidate Christy Mihos at the Massachusetts Republican Party convention, forcing Mihos from the race to face Gov. Deval Patrick (D).

-Rep. Jane Harman (D-Calif.) survived her own convention scare, defeating activist Marcy Winograd (D) 599-417 and winning her party's endorsement in their primary.

Archived under: Campaign blogs roundup
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  April 19, 2010, 7:49 am

Report: Rep. Lynch could face primary challenge from labor official

By Jordan Fabian

Rep. Stephen Lynch (D-Mass.), himself a former local union president, could be facing a primary challenge from a labor official from the Bay State.

The Boston Globe reported Monday that Mac D'Alessandro, a regional political director for the large service worker's union SEIU, is seriously weighing a run against the sixth term lawmaker, who was the only Massachusetts Democrat to vote against the Democrats' healthcare bill last month.

Here is more from the Globe:

D’Alessandro, who has worked for the Service Employees International Union for nine years, downplayed the role that Lynch’s health care vote played in his decision to jump into the race, saying instead that he wants to bring a different voice to Capitol Hill.

“This is a personal decision for me, as a constituent, as someone who has progressive values,’’ he said. “This isn’t part of me being recruited, no, this is my wanting a stronger voice for the district, for my family and the other families.’’

Asked if he would have voted in favor of Obama’s health care reform bill, he said, “Absolutely.’’

“I’m going to be on the side of consumers and workers, and not on the side of health insurance companies and big banks,’’ he said.

But for now, he said, he is focused on getting on the ballot. “We’ll have more to say once we do that,’’ he said.

State Democratic Party chairman John Walsh welcomed the announcement of a potential new candidate for the state’s Ninth Congressional District, which includes parts of Boston and extends south of the city into Norfolk, Plymouth, and Bristol counties.

“I think it’s a sign of a healthy party that there’s a discussion and a debate,’’ Walsh said.

D'Alessandro has until May 4 to collect the 2,000 signatures necessary to appear on the ballot. Lynch already faces two opponents already, one a Republican and the other an independent.

Some liberal activists have encouraged primary challengers to run against Democrats who voted against the healthcare bill, another sign that the massive $940 billion new law will play a major role in the fall midterm elections.

Walsh told the Globe that the challlenge would be an “uphill fight’’ for D’Alessandro, but said its result is not a foregone conclusion.

Archived under: Dem primaries
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  April 19, 2010, 6:00 am

Obama swooping into Los Angeles to boost Sen. Boxer in tough reelection

By Sean J. Miller

Tickets for an exclusive fundraising dinner with the president are $35,200 per couple, split between Boxer and the DNC.

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Archived under: Campaign, Senate races
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  April 18, 2010, 2:10 pm

Cornyn wants Rossi to make up his mind soon about challenging Sen. Murray

By J. Taylor Rushing

Dino Rossi, a former Washington state senator and two-time gubernatorial candidate, is Cornyn’s favored challenger to Dem Sen. Patty Murray.

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Archived under: Campaign, Senate, Senate races
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  April 18, 2010, 9:45 am

McConnell: Crist would lose all GOP support if he ran as independent

By Tony Romm

The Majority Leader did not signal support for either Florida Gov. Crist or state House Speaker Marco Rubio by name.

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Archived under: Senate races
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  April 18, 2010, 9:45 am

McCain says he prefers 'great American' over maverick or partisan labels

By Bridget Johnson

The senator said he passed the "litmus test" of being a true conservative over J.D. Hayworth on opposition to earmarks, pork.

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Archived under: GOP primaries
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  April 17, 2010, 5:11 pm

Video: California Dem chair says Obama voters motivated by 'pot'

By Sean J. Miller

Recent polls have shown key parts of the Democratic base are less motivated than their Republican counterparts to vote this cycle but that doesn't worry California Democratic Party Chairman John Burton.

Burton said young people will go to the polls in November with a specific issue in mind -- pot.

Young supporters of President Obama will turnout in order to support the ballot initiative to tax and regulate pot in California, Burton told the San Francisco Chronicle Friday before the state party’s convention kicked off in Los Angeles. 

Here's the video:


Archived under: Other races
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  April 17, 2010, 3:11 pm

Rick Perry weighs in on Kansas House race, denies plans for '12 bid

By Sean J. Miller

Texas Gov. Rick Perry (R) continues to boost his national profile as he denies any plans to run for president.

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  April 17, 2010, 2:07 pm

Boxer: Dems need to match Tea Party energy as midterm elections near

By Sean J. Miller

Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) warned that Democrats must match the Tea Party's energy and enthusiasm or face the consequences.


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Archived under: Senate races
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