From today's Hotline:

Dem Primary Matchup

             W/Lean  W/O Lean        
Brown           51%   47%
Hackett         22     20
Und/Oth         26     33

Fav/Unfav        Fav/Unfav ID
Brown            38%/ 9%   80%
Hackett          13%/6%    52%

No more than a couple months ago Rick Santorum was headlining President Bush's tour to promote the partial privitization (destruction) of Social Security.  Now, Mr. Santorum claims to be one of the strongest supporters of seniors and their social security benefits.

http://www.ricksantorum.com/Multimedia/Video/View.aspx?ID=8

In sum, the ad basicaly says, Mr. Santorum wrote and has been on the front lines promoting the 'Social Security Gurantee Act of 2005', which would gurantee by law that seniors SS benefits could never be reduced.  The law would also allow for a cost of living increase from year to year.

November 16, 2005--Add Mike DeWine to the list of incumbent Senators facing a major challenge in his bid for re-election. He's not in as much trouble as Rick Santorum, but he may be comparing notes with Jim Talent.

A Rasmussen Reports Election 2006 poll finds DeWine trailing challenger Paul Hackett by a single point, 42% to 41%. Five percent (5%) say they'd vote for someone else while 12% are undecided.

Ohio's Republican Governor Bob Taft is not helping DeWine's cause. His Job Approval Rating is amazingly low at 19%. Seventy-nine percent (79%) disapprove, including 52% who strongly disapprove.

DeWine is viewed favorably by 48% of the state's voters and unfavorably by 38%.

Hackett, less well known, is viewed favorably by 33% and unfavorably by 29%. However, a plurality (38%) have no opinion of Hackett at this time.

Forward Together PAC...
http://www.forwardtogetherpac.com /

"A Little Truth Goes a Long Way"

The 72-Hour Plan

1. Increasing person-to-person contacts. The Republicans' grassroots development plan was detailed and aggressive in 2002. One team leader was recruited and trained for every 50 targeted voters. These team leaders were given monthly training, specific responsibilities, and a clear time line. The results were impressive: The RNC reports that 130,272 volunteers enlisted and that these volunteers made 12,604,410 phone calls and knocked on 8,405,119 doors. College campus recruiting--an area of particular concern--drew in 22,151 College Republicans.

By two 54-46 votes, the Senate blocked efforts Tuesday to add money for veterans' health care to the 2005 supplemental appropriations bill.

Sens. Patty Murray, D-Wash., and Daniel Akaka, D-Hawaii, both members of the Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee, sought to add $1.9 billion to the $80.6 billion wartime emergency supplemental appropriations bill to cover costs of treating returning combat veterans for war-related injuries and to cover shortfalls in funding for VA programs.

The Bush administration sought no VA money as part of its supplemental funding request, and none was included in the version of the bill passed by the House in March.

Murray, however, said funding for veterans is critical because wounded service members will be seeking treatment from already underfunded facilities.

http://www.marinetimes.com/story.php?f=1-292925-782283.php

Virginia Gov. Mark Warner yesterday signed into law a measure that denies illegal aliens public benefits, including access to Medicaid, welfare and local health care services.

"I have signed this legislation into law but will ask the Latino Advisory Commission to study and monitor the legislation to ensure that it is fairly implemented and does not impose undue costs on local governments," said Mr. Warner, a Democrat who is in his last year in office.

http://washingtontimes.com/metro/20050330-125648-7106r.htm

Sen. Paul S. Sarbanes, the longest-serving senator in Maryland's history, announced today that he won't seek a sixth term in 2006.

Sarbanes, 72, who represented Baltimore in the U.S. House of Representatives for three terms before embarking on his Senate career, began telephoning colleagues last night to inform them of his intention to leave Congress, aides to Democratic lawmakers said today.