A year ago, I was privileged to be one of several guests at a dinner with President-elect Barack Obama. One thing that struck me and others, aside from his courtesy and fluency, was his air of self-confidence.
What a difference a day makes. Two Democratic senators, both likely reelection losers, throw in the towel. The incumbent Democratic governor of key swing state Colorado shocks everyone by declining to run for a second term. And the all-but-certain Democratic nominee for governor of Michigan, Lt. Gov. John Cherry, drops out because he can't raise money.
Now that Colorado Governor Bill Ritter has said he will step down rather than run for reelection, Democrats may be more competitive in this year's gubernatorial race.
The Rasmussen Employment Index rose more than two points in December after falling four points the month before.
Call it the battle of the Heisman contenders - Mark Ingram, Alabama's star running back who won the coveted trophy this year, and Texas quarterback Colt McCoy who was a runner-up. Tonight the two top college football teams in the country battle for the national championship, and fans predict Alabama will be the winner.
With polls showing that Connecticut Sen. Chris Dodd would probably lose to most everyone running against him, the Democrat's decision not to seek re-election is a relief to all but his Republican opponents. A Senate seat from true-blue Connecticut isn't something Democrats should have to worry about. They've already got enough on their hands dealing with the state's other senator, independent Joe Lieberman.
Thirty-two percent (32%) of U.S. voters now say the country is heading in the right direction, according to the latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey.
Sixty percent (60%) of U.S. voters say it’s at least somewhat likely that the next president will be a Republican, A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey shows that 27% suggest that outcome is unlikely.
Voters remain highly skeptical about incumbents from both political parties which helps to explain why a number of longtime members of Congress are not seeking reelection in November.
The Discover U.S. Spending Monitor fell 3.3 points in December to 83.0 (based out of 100). The decline was primarily driven by a big decrease in post- holiday spending intentions from consumers. While the decrease in spending intentions was anticipated, consumers showed little improvement in economic confidence in December and they grew slightly more pessimistic about their finances. These contributing factors leave the Monitor's index standing at a nine-month low.
We got to the airport two hours early. My daughter made fun of me. Maui is not a likely terrorist target. Then again, the president was about one minute away in Oahu, and so was Rush Limbaugh, so who’s to say for sure? The thing about terrorists is that they strike when and where you don’t expect them.
As 2010 begins, the numbers for Senator Blanche Lambert Lincoln are pretty much the same as last year’s while she prepares to face Arkansas voters in November.
Americans start the new year with a bleak assessment of the housing market’s prospects for recovery.
Over the Christmas holiday, I read a couple of books that, at least for me, may provide some guidance in the upcoming tumultuous and probably consequential year. The first book was "Munich, 1938" by David Faber (grandson of former British Prime Minister Harold Macmillan), by far the most authoritative book on that world-changing event.
Republican candidates start the year by opening a nine-point lead over Democrats, the GOP's biggest in several years, in the latest edition of the Generic Congressional Ballot.
Television is still likely to rule as the primary source of political news for most Americans this year.
Hope for a stronger economy has declined in recent months, with pessimism up sharply from a year ago.
State Attorney General Martha Coakley holds a nine-point lead over her Republican rival, state Senator Scott Brown, in Massachusetts’ special U.S. Senate election to fill the seat of the late Edward M. Kennedy.
Inside the House and Senate health care bills lurks a ticking time bomb -- a new federal entitlement, under the Community Living Assistance Services and Supports (CLASS) Act, which would allow Americans to buy into a voluntary federal long-term care insurance program.
The midterm elections this November have spawned midyear panic, largely by Democrats. With their majorities in the Senate and House, Democrats have the most to lose. And historically, the president's party sheds congressional seats at this point in the electoral cycle.
