“Influential Republicans in early presidential primary states believe New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie is poised to once again become a frontrunner for the party’s 2016 nomination, following a news report that he is no longer a target of federal scrutiny for his role in a bridge-closing scandal,” the Washington Post reports.

“Christie’s wealthy friends in Republican finance circles also expressed confidence that the governor has escaped what has been seen as the leading obstacle to his potential candidacy.”

Seven Days has unearthed a folk album recorded by Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) in 1987, while he was the mayor of Burlington, VT.

Daily Beast: “While savoring these songs, the listener might wonder, you know, how the hell something like this ever happened… The senator’s office, sadly, doesn’t have much to say about their boss’s old record making the rounds this week.”

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A new Rasmussen survey in Kansas finds Greg Orman (I) leading Sen. Pat Roberts (R) for U.S. Senate, 45% to 40%.

The survey shows the head-to-head match up now possible when Chad Taylor (D) is kept off the ballot.

A new Rasmussen survey in Iowa finds Joni Ernst (R) and Bruce Braley (D) deadlocked in the U.S. Senate race, 43% to 43%.

Molly Ball: “That Clinton is a risk-averse, pragmatic politician has been her hallmark for years, of course–it’s just another way in which her current persona offers nothing new or surprising. Has America ever been so thoroughly tired of a candidate before the campaign even began?”

In the middle of a speech championing women’s issues and condemning sexual harassment, Vice President Joe Biden offered warm words for former Sen. Bob Packwood (R-OR) who resigned after 10 women accused him of sexual harassment, Business Insider reports.

North Carolina congressional candidate Mark Walker (R) suggested war with Mexico might be a way to stop immigrants coming across the border, TPM reports.

Said Walker: “I will tell you if you have foreigners who are sneaking in with drug cartels to me that is a national threat. And if we got to go laser or blitz somebody with a couple of fighter jets for a little while to make our point, I don’t have a problem with that either. So yeah, whatever we need to do.”

“The battleground for control of the Senate is now Kansas.”

— Former Sen. Bob Dole (R-KS), quoted by ABC News, on news the Democratic candidate will be allowed to drop off the ballot to force a two-way race.

“Let’s see if you can write this whole story without mentioning how fat I’ve gotten.”

— North Carolina congressional candidate Clay Aiken (D), quoted by the Washington Post.

Large portions of Wisconsin gubernatorial candidate Mary Burke’s (D) jobs plan “appear to be copied directly from the plans of three Democratic candidates who ran for governor in previous election cycles,” BuzzFeed reports.

“Burke’s economic plan Invest for Success copies nearly-verbatim sections from the jobs plans of Ward Cammack, who ran for Tennessee governor in 2009 before withdrawing from the race, a 2008 plan from Delaware Gov. Jack Markell, and John Gregg who ran for governor of Indiana in 2012 and lost to Mike Pence.”

“Senate Republicans are planning aggressive action to intensify oversight of the Obama administration and move conservative legislation long stymied by the Democrats if they win control of the upper chamber in the midterm elections,” the Washington Examiner reports.

“Republican leaders are promising a complete makeover of the chamber that goes beyond changes in legislative priorities… Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, expected to become the next majority leader as long as he wins re-election on Nov. 4, plans to return power to the committees and promote a freewheeling debate process that allows members to shape legislation through a vigorous amendment process.”

Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) “is making adjustments to his foreign-policy profile that is bringing him more in line with his party’s mainstream and a step away from its isolationist libertarian wing. That could ease his path to the nomination, but is also creating openings for critics and rivals,” the Wall Street Journal reports.