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PPP returns to New Hampshire for the first time since April. Public Policy Polling (PDF). 7/23-25. Voters. MoE 3.26%. ( 4/17-15 results) Kelly Ayotte (R) 45% (47) Paul Hodes (D) 42% (40) Bill Binnie (R) 46% (46) Paul Hodes (D) 41% (41) Jim Bender (R) 42% (40) Paul Hodes (D) 43% (43) Ovide Lamontagne (R) 38% (38) Paul Hodes (D) 43% (43) In short, the head-to-heads between Paul Hodes and Bill Binnie and Ovide Lamontagne have held steady, Hodes has lost a little ground against Jim Bender, and he’s gained ground against frontrunner Kelly Ayotte.

Risking her reputation as a true conservative who will only endorse candidates who share her core principles, Sarah Palin endorsed the moderate Terry Branstad yesterday for Iowa’s governor over the more conservative candidates who actually do share those core principles. Her Facebook fans are none too happy. “Bad endorsement,” they say. “Branstad and his ilk are about as opposite of Tea Party/conservative types as anyone,” and “What are you thinking?” The comments go on. Here’s what she’s thinking: Branstad is going to win.

Last week, I had the privilege of covering an Emmy-sponsored panel featuring SNL stars and producers. ( An Rare Inside Look at What Makes ‘SNL’ Tick ). From that discussion, here are some choice quotes from Lorne Michaels, the show’s creator, executive producer and the inspiration for Alec Baldwin’s genius Jack Donaghy on “30 Rock” as well as Mike Meyers’ Dr. Evil. As SNL’s “Serious Side,” Michael’s works hard for the bottom-line: laughs.

Ex-AK Gov. Sarah Palin (R) spent more money to de-ice her private jets than she did donating money to candidates during the first 3 months of the year, according to new filings made with the FEC. More on Sarah Palin
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Sarah Palin PAC Spends More On De-Icing Planes, Hotels Than On Candidates

Vice President Joe Biden delivered some very funny one-liners Wednesday night at the 2010 Radio and Television Correspondents’ Dinner. While Biden certainly ventured into tongue-in-cheek territory with some of his jokes, he seemed to be well-received by the crowd of journalists, celebrities, and their guests. Bill O’Reilly, Evan Bayh, John King, Dana Bash, Jesse Jackson, Fred Thompson, Kathy Griffin, Leon Panetta, and more could be seen in the audience. Biden laughed at one point when a photo of him with White House gatecrashers Michaele and Tareq Salahi flashed on the screen.

PHOENIX — John McCain and Sarah Palin are scheduled to campaign together in Arizona next week for the first time since they conceded the presidential election in Phoenix in 2008. Palin and McCain will be at a rally and picnic in Tucson on March 26, followed the next day by a rally in the Phoenix suburb of Mesa. McCain and Palin have had a couple of public appearances together, including a dinner in Washington, but the Tucson and Phoenix events are their first return to the stump.

My favorites of the Our Gang short films of 75 and 80 years ago (back when “gang” was an innocent term), were the ones where Spanky McFarland became a 9 year-old Ziegfeld, and staged big shows full of all-kid casts on make-shift stages.

While the newswires crackle with Dick Cheney’s latest display of cowardice and Sarah Palin’s victimhood, the most important event of 2010 will hardly be mentioned: the dawn of the age of regenerative medicine, a new era for healthcare, and an even greater imperative for healthcare reform.

In the year ahead, national campaign coverage will be focused almost entirely on the Congressional midterm elections. With Republicans poised to win a substantial number of seats in the House, and at least a few in the Senate, much of what happens in November will dictate the extent to which Obama will be able to push the rest of his legislative agenda through the final two years of his first term. But with regard to the long term sustainability of Democratic majorities on the hill, the race that matters most in November isn’t one for Congress at all.