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- Perusing the numbers in the latest Washington Post-ABC News poll, Greg Sargent notices that Democrats are favored over Republicans by 51 to 39 percent -- nearly the same deficit that preceded the 2006 and 2008 elections. And while Democrats and President Obama have taken hits in their approval ratings, congressional Republicans only manage to earn a 19 percent approval rating, continuing a trend of being unable to translate anti-incumbent sentiment into gains for their party.
- In another sign that the 2010 elections are unlikely to mark the beginning of a Republican comeback, September's fundraising numbers for the RNC and DNC show a good degree of parity. The RNC raised $8.7 million in September and $22.9 million in the 3rd quarter while the DNC raised about $8 million in September and $24.2 million for the quarter. Both parties would be wise to invest that money in GOTV drives to gain the edge.
- The headline item in the aforementioned WaPo/ABC poll is that 57 percent of Americans support a public option in a health care reform bill and 51 percent prefer it over getting a "bipartisan" bill. Results like this explain why some on Capitol Hill are practically begging the White House to take the lead and come out strongly in favor of the the public option. Meanwhile, Nancy Pelosi would prefer to let the CBO score speak for itself.
- Speaking of health-care reform, Jonathan Chait use the latest conservative attack on Obama's fiscal policies -- that he's honest about ugly budget numbers -- to point out the hypocrisy of the GOP's commitment to "fiscal responsibility:" "George W. Bush and the Republicans created a new health care entitlement in 2003 that was completely unfinanced. Not a dime was paid for. The Democrats have decided to completely finance every cent of health care reform, and they're taking a hundred times more flack for fiscal irresponsibility than the Republicans ever did."
- Remainders: It might shock you to learn that Glenn Beck does not understand what net neutrality means; few jokes are as timeless as hunting liberals; and Senator Tom Coburn, friend of the LGBT community.
--Mori Dinauer
