A new Texas Lyceum poll finds Greg Abbott (R) leading Wendy Davis (D) in the race for Texas governor by nine points, 49% to 40%.
Bathroom Sex Sting Continues to Cost Craig
Former Sen. Larry Craig’s (R-IS) 2007 arrest in a Minnesota airport bathroom sex sting continues to cost the former senator, Roll Call reports.
“A federal judge in the District of Columbia has ordered the Idaho Republican to pay $242,535 to the Department of the Treasury… Federal Election Commission officials filed the complaint against Craig in 2012, alleging he illegally converted campaign money for personal use because the legal expenditures were not ‘made in connection with Mr. Craig’s campaign for federal office and were not ordinary and necessary expenses incurred in connection with his duties as a Senator.'”
Events Have Controlled Obama
First Read: “Every news cycle introduces the American public to another unbelievable — and usually negative — story. Over the summer, it was the rise of ISIS and the surface-to-air missile that destroyed a jetliner over Eastern Ukraine. Then there was the flood of unaccompanied Central American minors coming to the U.S.-Mexico border. After that, the beheadings of the American journalists in Syria. And now? On Tuesday, we learned about the first confirmed Ebola case diagnosed in the United States, and we also found about the U.S. Secret Service’s latest misstep — an armed contractor with a criminal record was allowed on an elevator next to the president of the United States.”
“Take all of these stories together, and what you get is news-cycle whiplash, where it’s one bad or scary story after another. The Ebola and Secret Service stories, in particular, underscore a feeling of insecurity for the country… Politically, it’s difficult to dismiss how these negative storylines have defined Obama’s sixth year in office and have highlighted a, well, lack of control over events. As we’ve said before, events have controlled Obama’s second term more than the other way around.”
Florida Had Longest Voting Lines
“Voters in Florida waited far longer than those in other states to cast their votes in the 2012 election, hampered by long ballots and cutbacks in early voting options,” McClatchy reports.
“Voters in the state stood in line more than 34 minutes on average, significantly longer than ballot-casters did in any other state reviewed by the Government Accountability Office, Congress’ watchdog. The shortest waits? Alaska, at just 1.4 minutes.”
Republicans Seek Big Gains in House
“House Republicans have been destined for modest gains in the midterms despite a favorable political environment. Now, just five weeks until Election Day, the party is raising its ambitions, jumping into Democratic strongholds long thought to be beyond the GOP’s reach,” Politico reports.
“The goal: Achieve their biggest House majority since Harry Truman’s presidency.”
Haley Holds Big Lead in South Carolina
A new Winthrop University poll in South Carolina finds Gov. Nikki Haley (R) holds a 10-point lead over rival Vincent Sheheen (D), 44% to 34%.
Ryan Would Not Run If Romney Does
Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI) told HuffPost Live he definitely won’t mount a presidential campaign if his former running mate Mitt Romney decides to give it another try.
Said Ryan: “I wouldn’t if he were. I would support Mitt. If he were to run, I would not.”
GOP Balances Showing Concern While Blasting Obama
“President Obama must be touched by all the concern Republicans are showing him these days. As Congress examines security breaches at the White House, even opposition lawmakers who have spent the last six years fighting his every initiative have expressed deep worry for his security,” the New York Times reports.
“Yet it would not be all that surprising if Mr. Obama were a little wary of all the professed sympathy. Although the target of the legislative scrutiny is the Secret Service, not the president, the furor over security has left the White House on the defensive. At Tuesday’s Capitol Hill hearing and at the daily White House news briefing, the questions fueled an air of scandal: Who knew what when, and was there a cover-up?”
Christie Approval Crashing in New Jersey
A new Quinnipiac poll in New Jersey finds voters give Gov. Chris Christie (R) one of his lowest job approval ratings ever, as 46% approve and 45% disapprove.
Just 11 months ago Christie won re-election with 60% of the vote.
Kasich Headed for Landslide
A new Quinnipiac poll in Ohio finds Gov. John Kasich (R) leading challenger Ed FitzGerald (D) by 22 points, 57% to 35%.
Said pollster Peter Brown: “Not only is Gov. Kasich getting a healthy share of Democrats, but he also has a double- digit lead among women, something almost unheard of in this era of the gender gap.”
Armed Man Rode Elevator With Obama
“A security contractor with a gun and three convictions for assault and battery was allowed on an elevator with President Obama during a Sept. 16 trip to Atlanta, violating Secret Service protocols,” the Washington Post reports.
“Obama was not told about the lapse in his security.”
Quinn Tops Rauner in Illinois
A new Rasmussen poll in Illinois shows Gov. Pat Quinn (D) has overtaken challenger Bruce Rauner (R) in the race for govenror, 44% to 42%.
Hagan Still Up in North Carolina
A new Civitas poll in North Carolina finds Sen. Kay Hagan (D) leading challenger Thom Tillis (R) in the U.S. Senate race, 46% to 41%, when leaners are allocated to each candidate.
Extra Bonus Quote of the Day
“My mistake was that I was speaking in a way that reflected back to the man. If I had been able to see the camera, I would have remembered that I was talking to the whole world, not just the man.”
— Mitt Romney, quoted by the New York Times, recognizing the potential of hidden cameras to wreck a presidential campaign.
Pataki Again Flirts With White House Bid
Former New York Gov. George Pataki (R) “is reportedly considering running for president in 2016, though a former aide says talk of a campaign is premature,” the AP reports.
The New York Post says Pataki “is privately gearing up for a 2016 presidential run, according to sources, and was spotted meeting GOP kingmaker David Koch last week.”
Do We Elect a Governor Who May End Up in Jail?
New York gubernatorial candidate Rob Astorino (R) has one of the strangest and most desperate ads of the year.
Shaheen Leads by Double-Digits in New Hampshire
A new American Research Group poll in New Hampshire finds Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D) leads challenger Scott Brown (R) in the U.S. Senate race, 53% to 43%.
Ernst Ahead in Iowa
A new Public Policy Polling survey in Iowa finds Joni Ernst (R) slightly ahead of Bruce Braley (D) in the U.S. Senate race, 44% to 42%.
Key finding: “Even though the horse race numbers haven’t changed much, this is the first time we’ve found Ernst with a better net favorability rating than Braley.”
