2010 Elections, Political News

ABC’s Jake Tapper is reporting this morning that President Barack Obama “made more than 60 phone calls last night to Democrats up for reelection.” Most of the calls were to Democrats who were swept out of Congress in a Republican tide . Obama also called Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., who won reelection but will not be speaker in the 112th Congress.

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Obama’s Night: President Phoned 60 Democrats as his Party Lost the House

Facebook today is running an “I Voted” application for users to show all their friends they went to the polls for the midterm elections. They’ve hit a new milestone, with millions clicking. A Facebook official told CQ Politics that as of 4 p.m., 5.5 million people had clicked the “I Voted” button. “In 2008, we had 5.8 million “I Voted” clicks,” said Andrew Noyes, a Facebook spokesman. Update: While those numbers of impressive, keep in mind that Facebook’s membership has exploded in the past two years, reports Kaitlin Kovach. In August 2008, the site had just 100 million users. Today, it has over 500 million — a 400 percent increase in membership. Given the increase in users, a lower percentage of people have indicated they voted in today’s midterm election. Facebook still has a way to go if it wants to top 2008′s percentage.

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Facebook Officials: 5.5 Million Say They’ve Voted

Rep. Walt Minnick holds a 10-point lead in the race for Idaho’s 1st district, according to a new poll that suggests voters are hardly firm in their preference just two days before Election Day. Republican challenger, state Rep. Raul Labrador, trails the incumbent 38 percent to 48 percent, based on a survey of 400 likely voters taken Oct. 28 to 30 by Greg Smith and Associates. Despite the double-digit lead, the pollster determined that a significant portion of the support for each candidate is “soft,” and therefore might change over the next 48 hours. Specifically, Minnick leads 42 percent to 31 percent among “hard” voters, leaving nearly one third of the likely electorate as being “soft” in its feelings about the Congressional candidates. “Most importantly, this race is hardly over,” Greg Smith said. “About 25 to 30 percent of 1st Congressional district likely voters are either still undecided or uncommitted in their current voting preference. This race will literally be decided on Election Day.” CQ Politics rates this race as “Leans Democratic.” See the full race rating here .

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Poll: Walt Minnick Leads Among Tentative Voters

The Democratic National Committee transferred loads of cash to state parties across the country in a final get-out-the-vote push as they attempt to save the House from slipping from Democratic control and face multiple competitive Senate contests.

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Dems Send More Cash to State Parties For Final 72 Hours

Among the races closing late for Republicans ahead of Tuesday’s midterms is the contest in Rhode Island’s 1st district, an open seat long held by the retiring Democratic Rep. Patrick Kennedy. Republican state Rep. John Loughlin has raised $180,000 over the last 13 days, according to a campaign official, enough to fuel an 11th-hour media blitz just as a new public poll shows that the contest is a statistical tie. Loughlin’s fundraising has been lackluster for much of the campaign. The 13-day haul of $180,000 represents nearly one-third of the amount Loughlin raised in the first 23 months of the cycle. “It’s all going to media and GOTV in the final push,” the campaign official said.

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Surging Loughlin Hauls in $180k in Bid to Take Kennedy Seat

Edward McCormick III, Rep. Barney Frank’s Republican opponent in 1992, has endorsed Frank in his reelection bid. Frank, the chair of the House Financial Services Committee, faces a tougher-than-expected reelection challenge against Republican Sean Bielat, a former Marine and former robotics company executive. McCormick won a contested primary in 1992 but lost the general election as Frank took home 68 percent of the vote. A Norfolk lawyer at the time, he was seen as an up-and-comer in the Republican party.

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Barney Frank Gets Endorsement From Former Republican Opponent

The Virginia Democratic Party is touting a new web ad it’s using to portray Republican Robert Hurt as a wealthy lawyer born in New York City with a silver spoon. Called, “A Charmed Life,” the video goes on to slam him for his voting record in the state Legislature, something Rep. Tom Perriello (D-Va.) has done regularly in TV ads. “Robert Hurt wants to waltz into Congress,” the announcer says. “It’s up to you to stop the music.” Hurt’s family has lived in Southside Virginia for decades, and he is a lawyer in their small town of Chatham. He’s served in the state legislature for 8 years.

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Virginia Dems Hit Robert Hurt For ‘Charmed Life’ (VIDEO)

In a tight race against Republican state Rep. Rick Berg, nine-term Democratic Rep. Earl Pomeroy is making his final plea to North Dakota voters with an unusual ad this week. He declares he gets the anger with Washington, and spells out plainly he’s “not” the two most unpopular national Democrats. The ad features Pomeroy, wearing a red plaid shirt, sitting at a table with a cup of coffee and speaking directly to the camera as a guitar plays softly in the background. Entitled “Introduce,” the ad shows Pomeroy clarifying that he’s not Speaker Nancy Pelosi or President Barack Obama but a resident of Valley City who travels back to North Dakota every weekend.

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Rep. Earl Pomeroy: ‘I’m Not Nancy Pelosi, I’m Not Barack Obama’ (VIDEO)

Coming to a swing state near you: a busload of D.C.-area Democrats. Organizing for America, an arm of the Democratic National Committee, is soliciting help from Washington-region Democrats for bus trips to five states with competitive races for the final weekend push. David Litt, OFA’s D.C. volunteer coordinator, sent out an e-mail with details on Monday night. “In 2008, busloads of volunteers left from DC to help win some of the most important races in the country,” he wrote. “This year, we’re doing it again. Every day between October 30th and November 2nd, volunteers will board buses to key states and districts to go door to door, have conversations with key voters, and make sure they get to the polls. Will you join them?”

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DNC To DC Democrats: Get On The Bus!

Get ready for 24 hours of Tom. Virginia voters in a district that’s become ground zero for Republican hopes at winning back the House on Nov. 2 are about to get a whole lot of Rep. Tom Perriello as the vulnerable freshman Democrat does a full day of campaigning. He’ll even squeeze in a haircut. Joined by top aides to Democratic leadership on Capitol Hill, Perriello on Monday will begin the nonstop campaign push with just over one week to go before he faces state Sen. Robert Hurt (R) on the ballot. “You work hard. You deserve a Congressman who works hard too,” is the slogan for Monday’s events, which begin at the stroke of midnight.

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Tom Perriello’s 24-Hour Campaign Blitz To Include Haircut, Truck Stop Visit And Debate