Democratic Sen. Michael Bennet Wins Colorado Senate Race, AP Reports

DENVER -- Sen. Michael Bennet narrowly defeated tea party Republican Ken Buck on Wednesday, allowing Democrats to hold onto a Senate seat once viewed a prime opportunity for the GOP to make gains.

Bennet provided a crucial firewall against further Republican gains in the Senate during midterm elections in which the GOP made a historic surge. Many polls showed that Buck had a small lead heading into the election.

The race attracted more out-of-state campaign money than any other Senate contest this year, prompting a stream of vicious attack ads as both parties viewed the race as the one that could tip the balance of power in Congress.

"This is definitely a race for the record books," Bennet said in a victory speech outside the Denver museum where President Barack Obama last year signed the stimulus bill into law.

Bennet urged sharply divided Colorado voters and politicians to "set aside our petty differences and make sure this state and this country lead in the 21st century." And he congratulated Buck, saying, "I honor his commitment to public service."

With 97 percent of the projected vote counted, Bennet was leading by about 15,400 votes out of 1.4 million cast.

Buck didn't immediately concede the race.

"We are still looking where returns need to be reported, as well as provisional ballots before making any decisions," Buck said in a post on his Facebook page.

Bennet, 45, was appointed to the seat last year to replace Ken Salazar, who became Interior Secretary. Before his appointment, Bennet was superintendent of Denver Public Schools and had never run for public office.

Democrats retained control of the Senate on Tuesday, though they lost at least six seats to the GOP. Senate races in Washington and Alaska were too close to call Wednesday.

With the Senate victory, Democrats were able to beat back strong GOP challenges in the midterms. Democrat John Hickenlooper won the governor's race, although Republicans picked up two House seats in the state.

During the Colorado campaign, Bennet painted Buck as too conservative, especially on social issues. Buck opposes abortion rights, even in cases of rape and incest, and considers sexual orientation a choice.

Bennet and the Democrats pounded Buck with attack ads calling him "too extreme for Colorado."

Buck sought to portray Bennet as part of the problem in Washington as the federal government carries out reckless spending.

Among the heavy-hitters coming to Buck's assistance was American Crossroads, a conservative group affiliated with Republican strategist Karl Rove that spent millions on ads attacking Bennet.

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Alaska's Write-In Vote Count for Senate Race Begins Next Week

ANCHORAGE, Alaska -- Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski began a drawn-out battle Wednesday for every ballot with her handwritten name on it in her bid to come back from a primary defeat that forced Alaskans to choose between Sarah Palin's tea party and the state's GOP establishment.

Meanwhile, the overseer of Alaska's elections told The Associated Press on Wednesday that the counting of write-in ballots will begin Nov. 10, with the hope of having a clear winner by late next week.

With 99 percent of precincts reporting Wednesday morning, write-in votes represented 41 percent of the vote. GOP nominee Joe Miller had 34 percent; Democrat Scott McAdams, who all but conceded Tuesday night, had 24 percent.

While Murkowski celebrated the fact she was still in the race, it remained to be seen whether the write-in votes would keep her in office.

She was one of 160 candidates following conservative calls urging Alaskans to sign up to disrupt her campaign. Though she focused heavily on educating voters on how to cast a vote for her properly, it's not clear how many did so, filling in the ballot oval and writing "Murkowski" or "Lisa Murkowski." And while election officials plan to be lenient in deciphering voter intent in determining whether a ballot for Murkowski counts, they've provided no set standard for what would be allowable.

"At this point, without a single write-in ballot counted, Lisa Murkowski has no claim on a victory," Miller said in a statement on his website Wednesday. Expressing confidence he'd win, he added: "this campaign is not over!"

Murkowski was confident, too: "We're doing this," she said, choking up in front of supporters Tuesday as she stood with her husband and two sons. "We're doing this."

If Murkowski is successful, it would be historic. No U.S. Senate candidate has won as a write-in since Strom Thurmond did it in 1954.

A final ruling could take weeks -- and could come in the courts.

The latest tally didn't include potentially tens of thousands of absentee ballots that election officials don't plan to begin counting until Tuesday. Election workers plan to begin counting write-in ballots the following day, in Juneau, to avoid keeping citizens and candidates in the dark about whose names are on the ballots, Lt. Gov. Craig Campbell said. The count could take three days, he said, adding that he hoped Alaskans would have a "pretty clear answer" on who won by the end of next week.

That may not be the last word: campaigns will be allowed to have observers in the room to make note of any ballots they challenge. Dec. 9 is the deadline for an election challenge to be filed in superior court.

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Crist, Meek Gang Up on Rubio in Florida Senate Debate

TAMPA, Fla. -- Florida Gov. Charlie Crist defends his changing positions on issues by saying as a former college quarterback he knows how to call an audible. By the end of Sunday's debate with his opponents for U.S. Senate, it looked like he was throwing a Hail Mary. 

The debate spun out of control near the end as independent Crist and Republican Marco Rubio rapidly talked over each other. 

Crist, who is down by double digits in multiple polls with just more than a week left before the election, repeatedly interrupted Rubio with accusations that as House speaker he steered money to a university and a hospital and later took jobs from them. He also said Rubio doesn't advocate transparency because he won't release credit card records from his state GOP-issued American Express card. 

"I've never had a heckler at the debate, I've always had them in the audience," Rubio said with a laugh. 

"Welcome to the NFL," responded Crist. 

It was clear that Crist and Democrat Kendrick Meek stepped up their efforts to make up ground against Rubio. Earlier in the debate, Meek, a congressman from Miami-Dade County, argued with Rubio about whether tax cuts passed under President George W. Bush should be extended. 

The debate was sponsored by CNN, the University of South Florida and the St. Petersburg Times. 

At one point, Crist jumped in after an exchange between Rubio and Meek on taxes, saying that the partisan bickering they displayed was why he's running as an independent. 

Meek scoffed at the idea. 

"We know why the governor is running as an independent -- because he couldn't beat Marco Rubio," said Meek. 

Crist was a lifelong Republican until deciding at the last minute to run as an independent. He was badly trailing Rubio at the time. 

"The reason I'm running as an independent is because it's what the people want and it's what's right with my own heart," Crist said, adding that Republicans went too far to the right for him. 

"If your polling was higher than Marco Rubio's you would have left the party?" asked Adam Smith, the Times' political editor. 

"Absolutely, because you have to be right with yourself, Adam. When the party has those kind of views and represents that kind of intolerance, that's not the way my parents, who are here today, raised me and my sisters. I couldn't live with that," said Crist, who criticized Rubio's opposition to abortion rights and stem cell research. 

Meek and Rubio pointed out the governor's changing positions on issues. Crist said Florida wants a senator that can change positions as circumstances change. 

"I remember calling a play in the huddle and literally as you're walking up to the line of scrimmage, you survey the defense, the facts and circumstances before you, see where the linebackers are, and realize that if there's going to be a blitz you've got to call an audible. You have to change to adapt the circumstances," Crist said. 

Rubio said that's not why Crist has often switched positions. 

"He changes position on the issues because he wants to win the election," Rubio said.
Crist shot back, "This is so untrue and so unfair for you to interpret what's in my heart." 

For nearly half the debate, the candidates talked about whether the Bush tax cuts should be extended. Rubio and Crist think all the tax cuts should continue while Meek said that they should not continue for people making more than $250,000 a year. 

Crist said he was willing to compromise his position, and Meek said he could agree to a higher income level, while Rubio said he wouldn't support any proposal that would let the tax cuts expire. 

"Raising taxes on 30 percent of our consumer spenders or on the job creators that comprise 50 percent of small business taxes in America would be a disaster in the middle of this deep economic downturn," Rubio said. 

But Meek said not taxing the super wealthy will cost the country $700 billion and without it, the national debt will continue to grow. 

"Mr. Rubio and Mr. Crist start to stutter when we start talking about tax cuts for the super wealthy -- it's OK to borrow that money for it to happen," Meek said. "It's important that we save money, we bring the deficit down, but we don't borrow $700 billion."

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Toomey Dismisses Tightening Polls in Pennsylvania Senate Race

Pennsylvania Senate candidate Pat Toomey, among several Republican nominees who have watched their lead narrow as Election Day approaches, said Sunday that he's not concerned about his opponent's gains and confident that the "tremendous enthusiasm" of his supporters will give him the win. 

Toomey, in an interview with "Fox News Sunday," said the Pennsylvania seat is a keystone in his party's strategy for seizing the majority in the Senate, but claimed the GOP is "likely" to gain the 10 seats necessary to do so -- with his help. 

"I never expected this to be anything but a close and competitive race," Toomey said. "It's close now, but I feel great about where we are. ... I think the energy and the momentum's on our side." 

The polls may give Republicans reason for pause. Toomey's lead has closed from as much as 10 points to 3 points in the most recent poll from the Allentown Morning Call. Democratic Rep. Joe Sestak has taken the lead, narrowly, in at least two recent surveys. 

The state of the race has caught the attention of GOP strategists banking on a Toomey win. Though many analysts think the party stands a far better shot at winning a majority in the House than the Senate, Pennsylvania is a virtual must-win for the party to have a shot at a full congressional majority. 

Sestak, trying to build on his momentum, urged voters during a rally Saturday at Penn State University to "fight for change" as he courted college students. Sestak said he was the better choice to help create jobs and tried to paint Toomey as out-of-touch with middle-class Pennsylvanians in part because of his Wall Street background. His campaign also boasted of an endorsement from The Philadelphia Inquirer, which was to be published in Sunday's editions. 

Toomey, though, said Sestak is "left of" House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and accused him of being "outside of the mainstream of Pennsylvania." 

Toomey also clarified that a video clip of him calling for the elimination of corporate taxes should not be taken literally. 

"It was never a serious policy proposal," Toomey said. He said the U.S. should lower its federal corporate tax rate from 35 percent to 25 percent to make the country more competitive. 

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Obama Campaigns for Reid as Democrats Try to Minimize GOP Gains in Senate

LAS VEGAS -- President Obama threw his star power behind the Democrats' embattled Senate leader, who finds himself in a tossup campaign against an ultraconservative tea party favorite in America's most-watched Senate race.

Republicans have made Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid their top target in the Nov. 2 election. The minority party needs to gain 10 seats to wrest control of the Senate from the Democrats, and unseating the most powerful Senate Democrat would deal a major blow to Obama, who reminded supporters of Republican opposition to his agenda.

Reid is tied in the polls with relative unknown Republican Sharron Angle in a race that has attracted millions of dollars from across the nation.

"I know sometimes over the last two years as we've been grinding out change, doing battle ... dealing with obstruction, dealing with the 'no-you-can't' crowd, I know sometimes you might have gotten discouraged," Obama said at the nighttime rally for Reid on the third day of a four-day campaign swing. The rally's Democratic organizers estimated the crowd at 9,000.

"The work of bringing about actual change is so hard," Obama said. "I'm here to tell you Nevada don't let anybody tell you that what you've done didn't matter."

Obama was trying mightily to reknit the coalition that sent him to the White House with big outdoor rallies in Los Angeles and Las Vegas and fundraisers for Senate candidates. The president was reaching out to Latino voters, college students, women and other Democratic-leaning groups as he sought to boost the candidacies of key congressional allies whose success or failure on in the Nov. 2 election will help determine the fate of his own agenda.

Everywhere he went the president asked voters to keep on believing in the promise of change, even though he acknowledged that it's been slow to come and that the euphoria supporters felt when he won the presidency in 2008 has dissipated.

Obama's campaign stops were timed to energize the Democratic base in both California and Nevada where early voting is already under way.

His visit to the U.S. gambling capital was meant to give a boost to Reid, who hope to avoid the fate of former Senate Democratic leader Tom Daschle who lost by a narrow margin in South Dakota in 2004.

Like incumbent Democrats everywhere -- and more than most -- it's not only a Republican rival that Reid is combatting. It's the troubled economy, in the state with the nation's highest rates of unemployment (14.4 percent) and home foreclosures, where the recession has taken a big bite out of Nevada's main tourism industry.

Republican candidate Angle, campaigning Thursday in Las Vegas with former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, urged Reid to "man up" and accept his share of blame for the state's economic woes.

Reid has responded to such attacks by saying Angle like other tea party-backed candidates is too extreme for Nevada voters. He has called her an ally of the special interests and advocate for jettisoning government agencies and privatizing programs for the elderly and veterans that millions of Nevadans rely on.

The Nevada Senate race is now a test of strength for the fledgling tea party movement, which advocates smaller government and lower taxes.

The 61-year-old Angle, a former state lawmaker -- like tea party-backed candidates in other states -- defeated a favorite of the state's Republican establishment in the primary election.

Her ultraconservative policies have hurt her in the general election campaign with some moderate Republicans and leaders of the state's gambling industry backing Reid. She has countered by casting Reid as a career politician who lives in a fashionable condominium in Washington and is out of touch with the state he has represented in Congress for decades.

Polls show that the 70-year-old Reid, who is seeking a fifth Senate term, remains very unpopular among Nevada voters, but the Senate race is among the tightest in the U.S. with both candidates polling just under 50 percent.

Reid has fiercely courted the Hispanic vote in the contest against Angle, who has run TV ads with images of dark-skinned men and a map of Mexico to highlight her support of strict immigration policies. Hispanics are a growing voting bloc in Nevada, where they make up roughly 25 percent of the population. More than 80 percent of the Silver State's Hispanics hail from Mexico.

The crowd in Las Vegas was a fraction of the audience that had flooded a sunny quad at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles to hear Obama. USC officials estimated that 32,500 people were there and that 5,000 other people watched on television from an overflow area.

Obama campaigned in Los Angeles for Sen. Barbara Boxer of California, who is in a tight race with former Hewlett-Packard Chief Executive Carly Fiorina, and Jerry Brown, the Democratic candidate for governor. The USC rally brought a dash of Hollywood celebrity as Jamie Foxx warmed up the crowd and Stevie Wonder performed for supporters at Boxer's earlier fundraiser with Obama.

As Obama campaigned on the West Coast, Democratic and Republican party leaders back in Washington privately scrutinized the latest polling data to determine where to spend their limited resources on TV ads and get-out-the-vote efforts in the final 10 days of the campaign.

Democrats were increasingly focusing on the most competitive states and congressional districts in the hope that a superior turnout operation will help them win enough races to hang onto control of Congress, even if only by a slim margin.

Republicans were zeroing in on states where they've seen their leads shrink in recent days -- like the Pennsylvania Senate contest -- as voters started paying increasing attention ahead of Election Day.

Attention was focused heavily on the most competitive Senate races -- California, Pennsylvania, Illinois, Washington, Colorado and West Virginia along with Nevada -- and roughly two dozen House races in a battlefield that's rapidly expanded to 75 or more seats in play

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Sestak, Toomey Trade Jabs in Pennsylvania Senate Race Debate

PHILADELPHIA -- Candidates in Pennsylvania's closely contested race for U.S. Senate jousted over bailouts, terrorist trials and Social Security in their first debate Wednesday while accusing each other of dishonesty and being beholden to big backers.

Democrat Joe Sestak and Republican Pat Toomey also dodged questions in the hourlong debate at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia while trying to portray the other as reckless, extreme and responsible for a stagnant economy that's left Pennsylvania with fewer jobs than it had in 1999.

Toomey often brought up his background in business -- he traded currency and interest rate swaps at banks in New York and started a restaurant chain. Sestak, a retired Navy admiral, recalled his 31 years in the service, which included commanding an aircraft carrier group in war after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

The men -- ideological opposites -- also relentlessly assailed the other's record in Congress: Sestak's votes for spending increases, Toomey's for corporate favoritism.

Sestak contended that Toomey's support for a plan to allow Social Security payroll taxes to be invested in private accounts would endanger America's retirement security while benefiting Wall Street and borrowing money to support the shift. Toomey said his plan would protect the benefits of older Americans, yield no profits for brokers and save a retirement system that is going broke.

"Joe had. "The teacher's union just won't let him go there."

The debate broke little ground, with the men often falling back on responses they've perfected on the campaign trail.

They also accused each other of distorting statements, at one point arguing over whether Sestak voted for a bill that would allow federal funding of abortions.

"I voted against taxpayers funding it, and you know it, Congressman," Sestak said.

"You did not, Joe," Toomey shot back.

"Yes, I did, Sestak asserted.

The two are vying to succeed five-term Sen. Arlen Specter, whom Sestak beat in the May primary.

National party committees, business advocacy groups, labor unions and more are pouring millions of dollars into the state in TV ads and get-out-the-vote efforts to influence the race.

Questions were asked by a panel of news professionals, including "Good Morning America" co-host George Stephanopoulos.

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Toomey Staying the Course as Polls Tighten in Pennsylvania Senate Race

Republican Pat Toomey's campaign says it has no plans to change course as the polls suddenly tighten in the Pennsylvania Senate race, a contest that once looked like a lock for the GOP. 

Ahead of the candidates' debate Wednesday evening in Philadelphia, a new poll from The Muhlenberg College/Allentown Morning Call showed Democratic Rep. Joe Sestak overtaking Toomey, who was leading by as much as 10 percentage points just last week. 

Though Sestak has a history of coming from behind with late-in-the-season surges, Toomey's campaign dismissed the new polling and pledged to keep the focus on the economy in the 13 days remaining. 

"We're going to continue doing what we're doing, spreading our message for creating jobs," spokeswoman Nachama Soloveichik told FoxNews.com. 

Voters can anticipate an escalating round of campaign trail accusations as Sestak challenges expectations in the race, which Toomey for months has dominated. Toomey is the conservative candidate whose popularity forced Sen. Arlen Specter -- facing a crushing defeat in the GOP primary -- to cross over to the Democratic Party. Specter ended up losing his seat after Sestak built a late surge to beat him in the Democrats' primary. 

With the Democratic congressman looking to repeat that strategy, both candidates are keeping packed agendas in their final get-out-the-vote push. 

Toomey is planning a rally outside Philadelphia on Friday with former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani. Starting next week, the Republican nominee will be flying around Pennsylvania, attending local rallies and meeting voters. 

Sestak is also planning a rally Friday after the candidates' second debate in Pittsburgh. His Sierra Club supporters are planning a day of door-knocking this Saturday, while the Brotherhood of Carpenters & Joiners are planning a pro-Sestak canvass in southwest Philadelphia the same day. Sestak got some high-level help from President Obama at a recent rally in Philadelphia. 

In this hard-to-predict state, Republican strategists have started to express concern about Toomey's standing. The Specter seat is a key part of the GOP's strategy and a virtual must-win if they want a shot at seizing the chamber from the Democrats. 

The party reportedly pulled money out of the Florida Senate race, where GOP candidate Marco Rubio enjoys a sizeable lead, and pumped more money into Pennsylvania. The new poll in the race showed Sestak leading 44-41 percent among likely voters; the margin of error was 5 percentage points. 

But Soloveichik expressed confidence in Toomey's chances. 

"The polls are all over the place, with most of them showing a good sized lead for Pat Toomey," she told Fox News. "But the bottom line for Pennsylvania voters is a clear choice between more of the same reckless Washington spending and high unemployment with Joe Sestak, or a change in direction toward fiscal discipline and job growth with Pat Toomey." 

Toomey has hammered Sestak for supporting policies like the health care package and Wall Street bailouts, but Sestak took to the airwaves with a quirky new ad to counter that message. 

The campaign's new ad shows the Sestak family walking their dog, while the candidate himself picks up the dog's droppings. The droppings apparently are a metaphor for the financial "mess" left behind by Republicans. 

"It made me sick to bail out the banks, but I had to clean up the mess left behind by these guys," Sestak said in the ad. "Now Pat Toomey is attacking me for cleaning up his mess." 

Toomey's campaign called the ad "desperate" and "laughable."

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McMahon Pledges No More Than 2 Senate Terms if Elected

Published October 10, 2010

| Associated Press

HARTFORD, Conn. -- Former wrestling executive Linda McMahon, the Republican candidate for U.S. Senate in Connecticut, says she will limit herself to two terms if she is elected Nov. 2. 

McMahon, who is in a close race with Democratic Attorney General Richard Blumenthal, says she would not seek more than two terms and would not run for a second term unless she believes she had been effective in her first six-year term. 

McMahon appeared Sunday on ABC's "This Week With Christiane Amanpour." Blumenthal told Amanpour his lead evaporated due to McMahon's self-financed campaign, which he called a "$50 million negative attack machine." 

Questioned about criticism that World Wrestling Entertainment degrades women in the ring, McMahon said programming changed to PG, or parental guidance suggested. It previously was TV14, or "parents strongly cautioned."

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Illinois Senate Candidates Spar Over Military Service Claims, Mob Ties

CHICAGO -- The candidates for President Obama's former Senate seat accused each other of lying, doing business with mobsters and driving up the nation's deficit Sunday during their first debate. 

Democrat Alexi Giannoulias said Republican opponent Mark Kirk has told "some real whoppers" during the campaign, from making false claims about his military service to calling himself a deficit hawk while supporting expensive tax cuts for the wealthy. 

Kirk responded that Giannoulias, as an executive at his family's bank, lent money to "infamous mob figures." He also repeated accusations that Giannoulias helped drive Broadway Bank into the ground, causing it to fail earlier this year. 

The debate on NBC's "Meet the Press" touched on many of the disputes and allegations that have produced an extraordinarily tight race. Polls show the two candidates essentially tied as Republicans try to capture Obama's former seat and Democrats aim to prevent an embarrassing loss. 

The candidates displayed clear policy differences. 

Giannoulias, who's currently serving as Illinois' state treasurer, defended Obama's handling of the economy, saying government stimulus programs had prevented a second Great Depression. 

"That is a reality," he said. 

Kirk, however, said the stimulus has largely failed. The five-term congressman from the Chicago suburbs said its main effect has been to drive up government debt, which Kirk called a "long-term danger to the American dream." 

But much of the debate was devoted to the candidates defending themselves against accusations of misconduct and dishonesty. 

Giannoulias denied that his decisions as a loan officer contributed to Broadway Bank's failure. He also rejected Republican claims that he's a "mob banker" because the bank did business with at least two criminal figures. 

Giannoulias said again that the bank knew the men had been in legal trouble but "didn't know the extent of that activity." The Kirk campaign disputes that claim. 

Meanwhile, Kirk was pressed on his false statements about his career in the Navy Reserve. 

Kirk, an intelligence officer, claimed he personally won an award that actually went to his entire unit. He has said he took part in first Iraq war when he didn't. He also once claimed to run the Pentagon war room when his duties actually involved only one part of the center's operations. 

And, Kirk said he came under fire on flights over Iraq and Kosovo, claims he won't explain. 

"I made mistakes. I was careless and I learned a very painful and humbling lesson," Kirk said.

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Senate, Gubernatorial Races Could Tip House Contests

WASHINGTON -- Republicans and Democrats are mindful that victories at the gubernatorial and Senate level could be a boon for candidates who are caught up in contested races for the U.S. House of Representatives.

Ahead of the Nov. 2 election, some 75 House races are seen as very competitive.

From coast to coast, Republicans have the upper hand and are likely to gain seats up and down the ballot given a troubling climate for Democrats, who are being blamed for the slow economic recovery and continuing high unemployment.

The Republican Party is looking to its strength among gubernatorial nominees, in particular, to help it pick up the 40 seats it needs to win power in the House.

The House is more likely than the Senate to change hands, where the Republicans would need to gain 10 seats to take control from the Democrats.

Governing parties typically lose seats in U.S. midterm elections, which take place in the middle of a president's four-year term.

But Democratic losses are likely to be particularly severe as President Barack Obama has lost public support as he has struggled with the weak economy, high unemployment and the country's general anti-Washington mood.

That's why strong candidates for governor or the U.S. Senate are likely to help House candidates, experts say.

"In a midterm election where turnout could be a key factor in deciding which party holds a majority in Congress, enthusiasm for (Republican) candidates at the top of the ticket will benefit Republicans in battleground districts," said Rep. Pete Sessions of Texas, the chairman of the House Republicans' campaign committee.

But David Plouffe, a Democratic National Committee senior adviser, predicted that Democrats will do better than expected in key races. Said Plouffe: "If we continue to show progress gradually ... we're going to win some of these close elections. We're going to surprise people."

And there are issues other than the economy that will help or hurt candidates.

In Ohio, for example, a published report Saturday says a Republican candidate for the House dressed up in a German SS uniform to participate in Nazi reenactments.

The Atlantic magazine said Rich Iott, a tea party favorite, has taken part in the reenactments for years. He's seeking a seat held by Democratic Rep. Marcy Kaptur since 1982.

Iott defended reenactments, but the Democrats' House campaign arm jumped on the disclosure he played a Nazi, saying it sends a chilling message to Americans.

Republican and Democratic strategists say House races are growing more competitive as voters pay closer attention to issues as the election nears.

The Republicans have significant opportunities to win governorships across the Great Lakes states, a recession-weary region where Democratic House candidates are in jeopardy. Polls also show Republicans favored to take the biggest prizes in other states with competitive House races.

Among such races for governor are:

--Pennsylvania, where Republican candidate Tom Corbett is running ahead of Democratic rival Dan Onorato. Republican Pat Toomey also has an edge in the Senate fight. Double-barreled Republican victories could help Republican candidates take over up to six Democratic-held House seats.

--Wisconsin, where Republican Scott Walker is leading Democrat Tom Barrett. Democratic Sen. Russ Feingold also is in a tough re-election battle. Two Democratic House seats are at stake.

--Ohio, where former Republican Rep. John Kasich is trying to fend off an ascendent Democratic Gov. Ted Strickland. It's all but certain Republican Rob Portman will win the Senate race. No less than five Democrats could lose their House seats.

--Nevada, where Republican Brian Sandavol is favored to beat Democrat Rory Reid. His father, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, is in a tight re-election battle, too. So is a freshman Democrat.

Elsewhere, Democratic House candidates are appearing to benefit from their party's strength at the top of the ticket in a handful of states. Among those with strong Democratic chances for governor are Colorado and Maryland.

In California, Democrat Jerry Brown is locked in a battle with Republican Meg Whitman for governor, and Democratic Sen. Barbara Boxer has recently seen her re-election prospects strengthen. Two House members would benefit from Democratic triumphs.

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Senate Office to Host Health Fair for Well-Covered Staffers

As millions of hardworking Americans struggle to make ends meet, Senate staffers will participate next week in a two-day orgy of back massages, organic food tastings and milk mustache photos.

It's all part of a health fair for the staffers, who enjoy some of the best health care in the country.

Not only will they get health screenings, they'll also find out if their iPods are too loud.  

Neither the Senate's Education and Training Office nor the Senate sergeant-at-arms, which oversees the office, would say which vendors are providing the services or how much the health fair will cost taxpayers.

But there will be no shortage of vendors providing screenings for visual acuity, chiropractic health, bone density, glaucoma, PSA levels, cholesterol levels and hearing.

The Senate staffers also will be treated to seated massages, herbal teas, polarity therapy, low-fat cheese samples and organic foods. A pharmacist and health coach will be available to speak to fairgoers about their medications, nutrition and healthy lifestyle questions.

Fairgoers can test themselves with brain games and bring their MP3 players to be tested for decibel levels.

The fair, to be held on Thursday and Friday, is not uncommon among federal agencies, a senior Senate aide told FoxNews.com. Fairs of this sort are held every year.

An aide in the sergeant-at-arms office told FoxNews.com in an e-mail that the fair is open to all Senate staff, and there is no fee to attend. The costs to the office, the aide said, are "minimum."

But based on their available health care benefits, Senate staffers don't appear to be in dire need of a health fair.

While the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program (FEHB) offers different types of plans, including PPOs , HMOs and high deductible plans, all include certain benefits such as hospital care, surgical care, inpatient and outpatient care, mental health coverage, substance abuse care and prescription drug coverage.

Senate staffers enrolled in the program don't have waiting periods or coverage limitations on pre-existing conditions.

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For-profit colleges hit again in Senate hearings

A career adviser at a large for-profit college, testifying Thursday before a Senate committee, said her employer used "tricks and sleight of hand" to exaggerate job placement statistics given to prospective students.

The latest in a series of hearings scrutinizing for-profit higher education also produced the most intense partisan finger-pointing to date and new data claiming many schools are a revolving door of dropouts and new recruits.

Kathleen Bittel, who works in career services for Education Management Corp.'s Art Institutes, told the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions she was instructed how to manipulate data to falsely show graduates were "gainfully employed" in their area of training.

In a statement, Pittsburgh-based EDMC said in-house and outside investigations found no support for Bittel's claims of undue pressure on career advisers. The company said it has multiple checks in place to ensure accurate data.

Bittel, however, testified that employees were expected to convince graduates that they were using skills gained from courses like graphic design and residential planning in jobs as waiters, payroll clerks and gas station attendants.

She said her complaints led to no disciplinary action, and she is on a leave of absence she requested.

Schools are not required to report job placement rates to the government, but some accreditors require it. Federal law requires colleges to disclose the information to current or prospective students who ask, and schools use it in marketing material.

For-profit colleges are under increased scrutiny. The industry is fighting an Education Department proposal that would cut off aid to vocational programs with high student debt levels and poor loan repayment rates, and a recent undercover government investigation found misleading recruiting tactics.

Also Thursday, Democratic Sen. Tom Harkin of Iowa released a report compiled from data he requested from for-profit schools. It found that of 57 percent of students who entered the 16 schools between July 2008 and June 2009 had already left, and that the schools have lost nearly 2 million students in the last three years.

To keep up or grow enrollment, schools are recruiting new students at a faster clip than previously thought, the report contends. Fourteen of the 16 schools analyzed recruited more new students than their entire starting enrollment in 2008-09, it said. Yet their net enrollment only increased by 22 percent, suggesting heavy churn.

The Association of Private Sector Colleges and Universities, formerly the Career College Association, said the report's conclusions are inconsistent with Education Department data and accreditation requirements schools meet.

Harkin's report also showed federal dollars accounted for between 85 percent and 93 percent of the revenues at the schools.

By law, federal student loans and aid must not account for more than 90 percent of a school's revenue. The data in the new report includes federal dollars that go to military veterans and service members through the GI Bill and other sources, committee staff said — money that is exempt from that rule.

Some Democratic lawmakers have discussed doing away with the exemption.

Harkin said for-profit colleges have made the federal government "their free money spigot." Students at for-profit schools face the possibility of graduation and the probability of debt without a diploma, he said.

The committee's ranking Republican, Sen. Michael Enzi of Wyoming, denounced the hearings, saying they single out one sector of higher education in a vacuum, are intent on "tearing these schools down" and don't serve students' interests.

Enzi then walked out, saying, "I'll leave you to go ahead and beat up on the for-profit schools."

Harkin promised legislative changes governing the sector next year.

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Senate confirms Marine chief

Published September 30, 2010

| Associated Press

WASHINGTON –  The Senate has confirmed Gen. James Amos as the next head of the Marine Corps, with Lt. Gen. Joseph Dunford as his deputy.

A naval aviator, Amos has been serving as the service's No. 2 to Marine Commandant James Conway. Conway retires this fall.

Amos is expected to support Defense Secretary Robert Gates in his quest for cost savings and to help rethink the mission of the Marines.

However, in a sharp split from his civilian boss, Amos has told Congress that gays should not be allowed to serve openly in the military. The four-star general told the Senate this month that the military's current policy of "don't ask, don't tell" works.

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