Politics

After years of trailing far behind Democrats, Republicans have now surpassed Democrats as the public's choice in the 2010 congressional elections. In response to the latest so-called "generic ballot" question from the Gallup organization -- "If elections for Congress were being held today, which party's candidate would you vote for in your congressional district?" -- the new results are 48 percent for Republicans versus 44 percent for Democrats among registered voters, and 46 percent for Republicans versus 44 percent for Democrats among adults nationwide.

It's an extraordinary turnaround for the GOP. Last July, Democrats held a six-point lead. Last December, Democrats held a 15-point lead. At one point in 2007, Democrats held a 23-point lead, and for all of that year, 2007, Democrats held a double-digit lead.

The new Republican lead is the result of a dramatic move of independents toward the Republican party...

Washington (AP) - Democrats just don't get the election message from voters and are pushing a liberal, big government agenda at their party's peril, Republican officials said Sunday as they predicted a political price after the majority's victory on health care.

Voters are "tired of the borrowing, the spending, the bailouts, the takeovers," said Rep. Mike Pence of Indiana, the No. 3 House GOP leader, pointing to GOP victories in gubernatorial races in Virginia and New Jersey last week.

The Democratic-controlled House narrowly approved a health care bill Saturday night, with 39 Democrats voting against it and a single Republican voting in its favor...

WASHINGTON -- Republican gubernatorial wins in New Jersey and Virginia mark a troubling turn for President Obama, whose personal efforts couldn't stop the fall of Democrats facing a voter backlash over the economy and a notable uptick in the government's would-be role in people's lives.

Obama's 2008 victory in Old Dominion had marked an historic breakthrough for Democrats who hadn't won Virginia's electoral votes since 1964. The fight in the Garden State was more grueling than usually accompanies Democratic campaigns in the reliably blue state of New Jersey.

So the setbacks demonstrate the difficulty of presidential leadership following a campaign built on promises of unity followed by divisive policies and a relentless campaign approach toward big legislative issues like the stimulus and health care bills...

ALBANY, N.Y. – Former Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin has endorsed a third-party candidate over the GOP-backed contender in New York's congressional special election, saying her own party has abandoned its core values.

The former Alaska governor, who was Arizona Sen. John McCain's running-mate last year, said Thursday she was backing Conservative Party candidate Doug Hoffman over Republican Assemblywoman Dierdre Scozzafava in the 23rd Congressional District race.

Palin said Hoffman, a businessman, stands for Republican principles — smaller government, lower taxes and a commitment to individual liberty — and that Scozzafava is more aligned with Democrats...

The passions of conservative activists could be reshaping the Republican Party and complicating some 2010 re-election campaigns.

Indiana’s Mark Souder is among four House Republicans likely to face primary opponents drawing strength from the “tea party” movement and its fervent opposition to anything that might trigger higher taxes or bigger government.

Souder, first elected in the Republican wave of 1994, usually lines up with his party’s right wing. But he has angered some conservatives by endorsing earmarks for his district and by backing both the 2008 financial industry bailout (PL 110-343) and the expansion of the program to help recreational vehicle makers...

President Obama opened a fresh round of debate on health care reform Wednesday night, urging Congress to stop "bickering" and approve a package that will expand and improve coverage for millions of Americans.

But in between the jawboning were signs that he's willing to deal -- and his ability to do so and to convince congressional allies to do the same is considered critical in the uphill effort ahead to round up enough votes to move a bill toward his desk.

The president's address to a joint session of Congress was widely seen as a chance to recharge the push for health care reform following a rocky recess. To keep that charge alive, he and his top advisers signaled Wednesday they will try to follow up the speech by bridging key differences in Congress -- a daunting task...

Former Bush Chief of Staff Andy Card is “seriously considering” a bid for the open Massachusetts Senate seat, according to a close friend and adviser.

Card is meeting Wednesday night with Bay State Republicans at their regular committee meeting in suburban Boston, said Ron Kaufman, Massachusetts Republican committeeman and a longtime associate of the former top Bush aide.

Kaufman said Card is being pushed by state Republicans to consider the special election to replace the late former Sen. Ted Kennedy and will likely decide by this weekend...

A political analyst says President Obama's support is eroding among a group of voters that was pivotal to his election in 2008 -- independents.

From mid-April through the first week of June, President Obama's weekly Gallup Poll approval rating among independents was between 60 and 70 percent. However, in the past few weeks, it has been in the mid to high 40s. Clemson University pollster and political scientist Dave Woodard says the longer President Obama talks about his healthcare reform plan, the more unpopular he becomes...

One of President Barack Obama’s former top campaign advisers is “losing patience” with the White House, he told POLITICO Tuesday morning, as frustrations among the president’s liberal allies crest over issues from health care legislation to gay rights.

“I am one of the millions of frustrated Americans who want to see Washington do more than it's doing right now,” said Steve Hildebrand, the deputy campaign manager who oversaw the Obama campaign’s field organization and was an architect of his early, crucial victories over Sen. Hillary Clinton in Iowa and South Carolina.

Obama, he said, “needs to be more bold in his leadership.”

“I’m not going to just sit by the curb and let these folks get away with a lack of performance for the American people,” he said, speaking of Washington’s Democratic leadership as a whole...

Top Republicans, inspired by President Barack Obama’s recent drop in popularity, are newly optimistic about their chances of challenging him in 2012 and are focusing on some surprising names.

Some major donors and GOP strategists have approached Joe Scarborough, the host of MSNBC’s "Morning Joe,” about a national run, according to party sources.

Former Senate Majority Leader Bob Dole of Kansas, the Republican nominee in 1996, told POLITICO that he would like to see Army four-star Gen. David Petraeus — the head of the U.S. Central Command, which includes Iraq and Afghanistan — run for president as a latter-day Ike...