Charlie Cook: “Now that Labor Day is behind us, the most remarkable thing about this midterm election is how little has changed since Memorial Day. In the closest and most crucial contest, for control of the U.S. Senate, only the race in Kansas looks fundamentally different than it did three months ago.”

“One question has become more pressing as Election Day nears: Where is the Republican wave? For Democrats, the good news is that there doesn’t appear to be an overwhelming Republican tide this year; the bad news is that Democrats could well lose the Senate even without such a wave. Six of the most competitive races are Democratic-held seats in states that Mitt Romney carried by 14 points or more. With a map like that, Republicans don’t need to dominate the country; they just have to win some select states.”

A new CNN/ORC International poll in Arkansas finds Tom Cotton (R) leading Sen. Mark Pryor (D) in the U.S. Senate race, 49% to 47%.

“Republican strategists and fundraisers say Jeb Bush’s closest advisers have been quietly spreading the word that they should avoid committing to other possible presidential candidates until he decides on his own course after the November election,” the Wall Street Journal reports.

“The message from Mr. Bush’s inner circle during the past few months is in part an effort to bat down speculation that the former Florida governor has ruled out a 2016 run, say GOP donors and strategists who have spoken with the Bush camp.”

A new Rasmussen poll in Louisiana finds Bill Cassidy (R) leading Sen. Mary Landrieu (D) in the U.S. Senate, 44% to 41%.

A new We Ask America poll in Illinois finds Bruce Rauner (R) topping Gov. Pat Quinn (D) in the race for governor, 46% to 37%, with Libertarian Chad Grimm at 7%.

A new Field poll in California finds Gov. Jerry Brown (D) crushing challenger Neel Kashkari (R) in the race for governor, 50% to 34%.

A new We Ask America poll in Wisconsin finds Mary Burke (D) leading Gov. Scott Walker (R) in the race for governor, 48% to 44%.

Chad Taylor (D), who attempted to withdraw his U.S. Senate bid in Kansas yesterday, will remain on the general election ballot, Secretary of State Kris Kobach ruled, the Kansas City Star reports.

Taylor did not properly declare that he was incapable of fulfilling his duties if elected as state law requires.

This will almost certainly end up in court.

National Republicans “moved to take control of the campaign” of Sen. Pat Roberts (R-KS), “a day after his hopes for re-election and those of his party for taking control of the Senate were threatened by the sudden withdrawal of the Democrat in the race,” the New York Times reports.

The NRSC “is sending a longtime party strategist to Kansas to advise Mr. Roberts and will seek to hire a local lawyer to challenge the move by the Democrat, Chad Taylor, to get off the ballot on the last day candidates were allowed to do so.”

Delaware Gov. Jack Markell (D) “is creating a stir on Twitter this morning after a suggestive photo was included in a tweet from his account,” the Wilmington News Journal reports.

“Markell apologized via twitter, saying his staff was attempting to determine how the photo of a scantily clad adult female was included in a tweet promoting an education initiative to assist the state’s most disadvantaged students.”

Despite filing papers with the Kansas secretary of State to withdraw from the U.S. Senate race, Chad Taylor (D) could be stuck on the ballot this fall, The Hill reports.

“Two election law statutes have raised questions about whether Taylor gave sufficient cause to remove himself from the ballot, and, if so, whether Democrats must ultimately choose a candidate to replace him.”

Rick Hasen: “This could well end up in court, and I don’t have a good sense for how the courts would rule on this question.”

Rand Paul: “Some pundits are surprised that I support destroying the Islamic State in Iraq and Greater Syria (ISIS) militarily. They shouldn’t be. I’ve said since I began public life that I am not an isolationist, nor am I an interventionist. I look at the world, and consider war, realistically and constitutionally.”

“I still see war as the last resort. But I agree with Reagan’s idea that no country should mistake U.S. reluctance for war for a lack of resolve.”

The Rothenberg Political Report says that Sen. Pat Roberts (R-KS) “has not been actively campaigning for about a month now.”

“The lack of a strong campaign infrastructure is one of the fundamental reasons why Roberts is in severe danger. He can’t count on the the traditionally red hue of Kansas in federal races to bail him out. Senate Minority Mitch McConnell is a long-time incumbent with deep negatives, but the sheer past performance of Kentucky would not be enough to pull him to victory in this environment. He has been running one of the most aggressive campaigns in the country for years. The same cannot be said for Roberts.”