The stampede of Republicans dumping contributions from Ted Stevens picked up speed today:

• Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell's campaign spokesman tells us that McConnell is donating $10,000, the amount McConnell has received this cycle from Stevens' leadership PAC, to the Wayside Christian Mission. Still no response on whether McConnell is endorsing Stevens for reelection.

• The Pioneer Press is reporting that Sen. Norm Coleman of Minnesota is donating the money to support childhood cancer research. Interestingly enough, he'd previously said he wouldn't dump the money, on the grounds that Stevens is innocent until proven guilty. But a Franken radio ad tying him to Stevens might just have changed his mind.

• Mike Johanns, the Republican nominee favored to win the open seat in Nebraska, is also donating the money he's received from Stevens to charity.

Uh oh. Here's another sign that top Republicans are backing away from Sen. Ted Stevens: Roll Call reports that NRSC chairman John Ensign refused to give a definite answer when asked if he was endorsing Stevens for re-election.

"I'm not going to make any comment," Ensign said. "There's a process in place and we're going to wait to see how that process plays out."

We've also asked the campaign spokesman from Senate GOP leader Mitch McConnell -- who is himself facing a tough re-election fight this year -- whether he supports Stevens, and whether he'll keep contributions he's received form Stevens' PAC. No answer yet.

Wow. Things are so bad for the GOP that even Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell, a powerful institutional player from a red state, is taking his re-election fight very seriously.

The evidence? McConnell is already on the air with a negative ad against his opponent, businessman Bruce Lunsford, even though there are still three and a half months until election day:

If Democrats can beat McConnell or even make it close, it will be a very huge deal -- after all, nobody in the Senate has done more than McConnell to keep the Iraq War going against the efforts of the Democratic majority to end it.

Obama To Tour Foreign Countries
The Obama campaign has announced that the candidate will be embarking on an overseas tour and meet with foreign leaders -- an important step in establishing a credible image on foreign policy. The candidate will visit Britain, France, Germany, Israel and Jordan, and the trip is expected to take place some time in July.

Obama And McCain Courting Latinos Today
Barack Obama and John McCain are both speaking today before the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials conference in Washington. For John McCain, this is an opportunity to overcome the Latino community's overall antipathy towards the Republican Party and its anti-immigrant bent. For Obama, his job is to secure the lead he currently has in the polls among a demographic where he lagged way behind during the primaries.

McCain: Obama "Didn't Seem To Be Serious" About Town Halls
During a campaign appearance yesterday in Cleveland, John McCain expressed pessimism about Barack Obama taking up his challenge of holding 10 town-hall meetings in the course of the campaign. The Obama campaign had previously answered with an offer of five appearance, being three traditional debates and two town halls. "The response, in all due respect, didn't seem to be serious," McCain said.

Hagel: I'm Closer To Obama Than McCain
Sen. Chuck Hagel, the conservative Nebraska Republican who has turned vocally against the Iraq War, has indicated in an interview with Bloomberg TV that he does not plan to publicly endorse any candidate for president. Hagel added, however, that his differences with Barack Obama were probably "not as big" as his differences with John McCain.

Poll: McConnell Under 50 In Kentucky
A new Rasmussen poll of Kentucky finds Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell leading Democratic businessman Bruce Lunsford by a 48%-41%, margin, with a ±4.5% margin. This is an improvement from their poll from a month ago, which had Lunsford ahead after his primary victory, but still a mark of concern for a four-term Senator who has become the leader of his party. Keep an eye on this race in the months ahead.

Elizabeth Dole Reverses Herself On Offshore Drilling
The Charlotte Observer reports that Sen. Elizabeth Dole opposed offshore drilling near North Carolina as recently as last week, but has now introduced a bill to give states the option of allowing it -- in line with President Bush and John McCain's embrace of the issue. "Now, more than ever, responsible and practical steps are needed to increase our energy independence and strengthen economic and national security," Dole said in a statement.

In what is shaping up as a plum pickup opportunity for Senate Dems in a very unlikely place, Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell could be in for a very serious race this fall, according to a new SurveyUSA poll of Kentucky.

The numbers: McConnell 50%, Democratic businessman Bruce Lunsford 46%, within the ±4% margin of error. A Rasmussen poll from a few weeks ago gave Lunsford the lead, coming right off of his primary victory.

McConnell has had the unenviable task of defending President Bush's Iraq positions on a daily basis. If the political environment turns out to be such that the Democrats can win this one, then the GOP will start finding it very difficult to prevent the Dems from getting a 60-seat majority.

The Senate Republicans are expected to have a rough time of it this year, but even this is big news: A new Rasmussen poll puts Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) behind his Democratic challenger, businessman Bruce Lunsford:

Lunsford (D) 49%
McConnell (R) 44%

Sample size: 500 likely voters.
Margin of error: ±4.5%

Party leaders are often considered safe bets for re-election, but McConnell's ties to President Bush obviously haven't helped his own prospects even in this red state. And with the DSCC out-raising their GOP counterparts, expect the Dems to make a play for this seat and others all over the map.

Late Update: McConnell's campaign quickly released an internal poll showing him ahead, at 50% support to Lunsford's 39%.

GOP Senate leader Mitch McConnell, whose support for the Iraq War has made him vulnerable to a challenge in 2008, officially has a challenger: Andrew Horne, a retired Marines lieutenant colonel who served in Iraq and who's also a senior adviser to the antiwar group VoteVets. Here's his announcement video:

Presumably Horne will be making an issue of McConnell's recent comments belittling the deaths of professional soldiers.

His official Web site, complete with bio and other stuff, is here.

As we reported here the other day, GOP Senate leader Mitch McConnell appeared to belittle the deaths of American troops, saying the following in a meeting with constituents:

“Unfortunately, most of our friends on the other isle are having a hard time admitting things are getting better; some days I almost think the critics of this war don't want us to win. Nobody is happy about losing lives but remember these are not draftees, these are full-time professional soldiers."

The comment seemed to suggest that the deaths of professional soldiers isn't a huge deal because, well, they signed up for this.

Now McConnell's constituents are teeing off on him for the remark in letters to Kentucky's Courier-Journal.

Troy Torstrick of Louisville wrote: "The naked contempt that this comment displays for the men and women in the military is simply astonishing...If he had any shame, he would resign."

Added Steven Gregson of Owensboro: "Does this mean that he thinks that the lives of professional soldiers are somehow worth less than the lives of draftees? We Kentuckians have a big problem in Washington: His name is Mitch McConnell."

And one out of stater wrote: "Coming from a family with several career-long members of the military, including one in naval intelligence and another who was stationed at the Pentagon for years, I find McConnell's remark abominable and disgusting...I urge the citizens of Kentucky to make sure that this is his last term in the U.S. Senate."

You know, it's an awful cliche to say this at this point, but imagine if a Dem -- Harry Reid -- had said what McConnell said here, irking his own constituents. It would be a story for days and days and days. There's simply no question about it. But has a single major news organization picked up these quotes?

The antiwar group VoteVets.org has become the first group to come out and condemn GOP Senate leader Mitch McConnell over our report that he belittled the deaths of professional soldiers in a meeting with constituents this week.

"I would say that Mitch McConnell owes every member of our service and the families of the fallen an apology, but no apology from him can take back the venom he has spewed at our troops," a VoteVets.org senior advisor, Retired Lt. Col. Andrew Horne, said in a statement.

"For anyone to believe that casualties of war are somehow more acceptable because they were not draftees is disgusting," continued Horne, who served in Iraq with the Marines and lives in McConnell's home state of Kentucky. "For the Republican leader in the United States Senate to say that is beyond repugnant."

If Harry Reid said something like this it would be news for days and days. So it'll be interesting to see if this goes anywhere.

Uh oh -- looks like GOP Senate leader Mitch McConnell has got a problem on his hands. Check out what he said about the death of American troops in Iraq in a meeting with constituents this week, according to Kentucky's Grayson County News-Gazette:

“Unfortunately, most of our friends on the other isle are having a hard time admitting things are getting better; some days I almost think the critics of this war don't want us to win. Nobody is happy about losing lives but remember these are not draftees, these are full-time professional soldiers."

It's hard to read this as anything but belittling the importance of the deaths of troops because they're "professional soldiers." What McConnell is basically saying here is, "hey, they signed up for this."

Maybe someone should get clarification from McConnell on this.

The Lexington Herald-Leader reports that Kentucky state Auditor Crit Luallen, who was being recruited by the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, is telling party leaders that she has decided not to challenge Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R) next year. Additionally, outgoing state Attorney General Greg Stumbo, who was exploring a campaign, is now expressing a desire to return to the state legislature instead.

The news leaves Democrats without a top flight challenger to put McConnell on the defensive. Louisville attorney Andrew Horne, an Iraq veteran who lost the Democratic primary in Kentucky's Third Congressional District to now-Rep. John Yarmuth in 2006, says that he will consider running if Luallen makes her decision final.

Late Update: Luallen issued a statement today saying that she has "no plans" to enter the race.

Outgoing Kentucky Attorney General Greg Stumbo (D) is starting to sound more and more like a definite candidate for Senate against Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R). In an interview with the Lexington Herald-Leader, Stumbo says he has private poll numbers showing him with "a distinct advantage" in the Democratic primary. Stumbo has been exploring the race, but previously hinted he would get out if a stronger Democrat came along.

Stumbo also had tough words for State Auditor Crit Luallen, who has been the object of a draft effort by some Dems. "Even if I were not interested in this race, I would not advise her not to run," said Stumbo. "I would think it would be very difficult to get sworn in one week for a four year term and turn around two weeks later and file for a different position. I think people think that’s too opportunistic."

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) might be in some serious trouble in 2008 — a new SurveyUSA poll gives him a negative net approval rating for the first time, with only 44% approving and 47% disapproving. While it's technically a statistical dead heat, it's hardly a nice place to be for a four-term incumbent and party leader.

McConnell has had the unenviable job of leading the fight in the Senate for President Bush's Iraq policies, and it appears to be catching up with him. Democrats so far don't have a candidate to face McConnell next year, but some are working to recruit state Auditor Crit Luallen, who was easily re-elected to her current post earlier this month. Outgoing state Attorney General Greg Stumbo is also exploring the race, but has yet to officially declare.

The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee's new Web ad against Mitch McConnell shows that they might be serious about mounting a challenge against the Senate Minority Leader. And what's more, DSCC spokesman Matt Miller told the Herald-Leader that the DSCC is considering buying air time to show it on Kentucky TV:

Successfully taking on McConnell would be for the Democrats a revenge of sorts against the Republicans for 2004, when they defeated then-Senate Dem Leader Tom Daschle.

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell told CNN yesterday that the Iraq War is "winding down," and it won't be a factor in the 2008 race.

"The war is winding down," he said. "Next year's election is going to be about this Congress and what it failed to do."

McConnell cited recent reports of lower death tolls, and predicted "fewer and fewer troops in Iraq, fewer and fewer casualties, more and more ... return to normalcy."

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) has a new pair of 60-second ads set to go on TV tomorrow — one for each of Kentucky's media markets — extolling the incumbent's virtues.

Going up on the air this early is a sign that McConnell is taking his re-election effort seriously, even though he doesn't yet have any official opponent. Outgoing state attorney general Greg Stumbo is exploring the race, while some Democrats are trying to recruit state Auditor Crit Luallen, who was re-elected by a landslide this week.

The ads compare McConnell to the late Kentucky Senator Alben Barkley, who served as the Democratic Leader during the New Deal era and became Harry Truman's vice president, and even feature the support of Barkley's grandson.

Here's the Louisville version:

The Lexington version can be seen after the jump.

Read more »

A new Rasmussen poll in Kentucky finds Senator Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) polling under 50% against two well-known Democrats.

Against state Attorney General Greg Stumbo, McConnell is ahead 48%-41%. McConnell leads state Auditory Crit Luallen 49%-39%. Although McConnell is ahead, a four-term incumbent should normally be expected to poll at over 50%.

A key figure from the poll: Among respondents, 37% want the troops out of Iraq within the next year, and another 22% want them out immediately.

Stumbo lost in the Democratic primary this year for Lt. Governor, and is currently exploring the Senate race. Luallen is expected to be easily re-elected to her current position this Tuesday.

It looks like national Dems think there may really be an opening for a genuine effort to take out GOP Senate leader Mitch McConnell.

The Huffington Post reports that DSCC chief Chuck Schumer revealed today that McConnell is a key target. "Sen. McConnell's numbers are not very good," Schumer said, adding that Dems "are going to go out and try to get a Democratic senator."

It's apparently the first time that Schumer has said publicly that the DSCC is seriously contemplating an effort to unseat McConnell -- something that reflects a growing desire among Dems to target the GOP congressional leadership in the same way Repubs won an upset victory over former minority leader Tom Daschle (D-SD) in 2004.

A new Research 2000 poll shows that Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) could be in serious trouble over his steadfast support of President Bush. McConnell leads four potential Democratic opponents for his race in 2008, but is under 50% in all cases:

McConnell (R) 46%, Chandler (D) 41%
McConnell (R) 46%, Stumbo (D) 37%
McConnell (R) 45%, Luallen (D) 40%
McConnell (R) 45%, Horne (D) 34%

In addition, McConnell's approval rating is at only 45%, with a statistically tied 46% of respondents disapproving of his performance. Also, his favorable/unfavorable numbers are roughly tied with outgoing state Attorney General Greg Stumbo, and are far behind those of Congressman Ben Chandler and State Auditor Crit Luallen.

Stumbo is currently exploring the race, while Chandler appears to be waiting for the 2010 Senate election. Luallen could end up running, but first has to be re-elected to her current office on November 6, which appears likely.

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) has had the unenviable task of leading Senate Republicans in championing President Bush's stance on Iraq. Unfortunately for him, a new poll finds that Iraq has a taken a toll on his approval rating just as he was gearing up to run for re-election in 2008.

The Lexington Herald-Leader poll finds McConnell with only a 47% approval rating, and 44% disapproval. The key reason appears to be Iraq — 55% of respondents disapprove of McConnell's position on Iraq, compared to only 38% who approve.

If this keeps up — with little or no progress in Iraq, and McConnell continuing to back up the White House — could he be truly vulnerable next year?

Here's a new antiwar ad from Americans Against Escalation that will run next week, targeting GOP Senator Mitch McConnell in Kentucky, as well as airing in the districts of GOP Reps. English, Upton and Drake. Here's the version of the ad hitting McConnell:

The idea seems to be to target young voters by highlighting talk of a possible "draft" due to the Iraq War's overstretching of our military. It's set to run next week in college towns on MTV, ESPN and networks.

This campaign -- and another similar one by the DCCC, which is also targeting vulnerable GOP House incumbents -- are part of what is shaping up as an intense summer battle over public opinion in advance of the September release of the Bush administration's progress report on Iraq.

The White House and its allies, with the help of that infamous pro-surge Op-ed by Michael O'Hanlon and Kenneth Pollack, have been pushing hard to persuade the public that they believe that the surge is working. The pushback is that the surge is failing and that GOP members of Congress should do what the American people want them to do, which is vote for measures that will force Bush to end the war.

Ah, yes -- we assume that GOP Senate leader Mitch McConnell is very happy about this indeed.

The pro-war group Vets for Freedom, the right's answer to VoteVets.org, is running a new ad in Kentucky featuring troops thanking GOP Senator Mitch McConnell for supporting the war in Iraq. Take a look:

Is an ad reminding McConnell's constituents of his support for Bush's war really going to prove all that helpful to him? Doubtful. Recent polls show that a majority of Kentuckians opposed the surge and a strong majority of them want to pull out of Iraq by next year. Of course, that hasn't stopped McConnell, who's ever solicitous of the views of the people who elected him, from going on national TV and falsely claiming that his constituents do back the war.

National Dems, meanwhile, are delighted with the new ads. "This might turn out to be the most successful fundraising tactic the Republicans have come up with in years," one national Dem strategist quipped to Election Central. "There are countless Democrats who will contribute to any group that runs ads reminding Kentuckians that Mitch McConnell supports President Bush on the war."

GOP Senator Mitch McConnell made an appearance on CNN this morning, promptly revealing once again just how high his regard for his own constituents is these days.

Asked about Iraq, the good Senator told America that people from his home state of Kentucky "overwhelmingly" support the war:

McConnell is lying to America. Better yet, he knows he's lying, but more on that in a bit.

There have been to my knowledge two polls of Kentucky voters since the surge started, and both show that McConnell is spewing baloney. The first poll, done by the Courier-Journal, found that a majority -- 52% -- thought McConnell should oppose the surge. Only 40% said he should back it.

Now on to the second poll, done in April. Yep -- it found that an overwhelming 64% of Kentuckians favored pulling out by the middle of next year. Only 36% favored the surge, while 59% opposed it. And more respondents (39%) said McConnell didn't represent their views on Iraq than said he did (34%). This was admittedly a Dem poll, but since it's in line with the earlier indy one, it'll do.

Ah, and here's the most fun part of all: McConnell actually knows he's lying. He's on record actually commenting on the results of the first poll, so he knows full well that it found the opposite of what he told America this morning.

Gotta wonder. If you were a Kentuckian watching your Senator lie in your face about your sentiments on Iraq -- making it very clear that he values the President's legacy far more than the wishes of constituents like you -- would it make you more or less likely to support him for reelection in 2008?