After President Obama won Colorado last year, many believed the state was trending blue. However, Colorado Sen. Michael Bennet (D), appointed this year to fill the vacant seat, trails three potential Republican opponents in a new Rasmussen poll (Dec. 8, 500 LV, MoE +/- 4.5%).

Bennet's favorable rating remains low, with 39% viewing him favorably and 46% unfavorably. All three Republicans -- Jane Norton, Tom Wiens and Ken Buck -- also lead Bennet's primary opponent, Andrew Romanoff.

Norton 45 - Romanoff 34
Norton 46 - Bennet 37
Wiens 41 - Romanoff 40
Wiens 42 - Bennet 41
Buck 41 - Romanoff 39
Buck 42 - Bennet 38

Without a hint of irony, Harry Reid - the man who just the other day compared critics of his health care plan to supporters of slavery - went on the floor of the Senate to whine that Republicans are trying to "denigrate" and "embarrass" him over the report earlier today by ABC News that Reid proposed taking the weekend off so he could attend a fundraiser in New Orleans.

Here is Reid's statement in which he announced that the fundraiser has been canceled (ht Politico):

I THINK THAT THIS DEBATE HAS REALLY COME TO A POINT THAT I'VE RARELY SEEN IN THE SENATE -- IN FACT, I'VE NEVER SEEN IT -- TO HAVE MY FRIENDS ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE AISLE COME TO THE FLOOR AND IN SOME WAY TRY TO EMBARRASS OR DENIGRATE ME BY VIRTUE OF THE FACT THAT -- IN FACT, TRYING TO EMBARRASS ME.

BUT THEY SHOULD UNDERSTAND, ANY EVENTS I HAD SCHEDULED THIS WEEKEND HAVE BEEN CANCELED. EVENTS I HAD LAST WEEKEND HAD BEEN CANCELED. FOUR OR FIVE OF THEM. SO I'M -- TO SAY THE LEAST, I -- I WOULD NEVER, EVER INTENTIONALLY COME TO THE FLOOR AND TRY TO TALK TO SOMEBODY ABOUT HAVING HAD A FUND-RAISER AND THAT'S WHY THEY'RE TRYING TO GET OUT OF HERE. THE REASON THAT I LAID OUT TO THE SENATE WHAT I THOUGHT WAS A REASONABLE SCHEDULE. ...  I THOUGHT IT WOULD BE APPROPRIATE BECAUSE WE'VE WORKED PRETTY HARD HERE TO HAVE A DAY OR TWO OFF.

A new CNN poll shows 61% opposed to the health care plan currently working its way through the Senate. Only 36% approve of the legislation.

As a point of comparison, last month CNN asked an identical question about the health care legislation under debate in the House of Representatives and found 49% opposed and 46% in favor.

A new Rasmussen Reports survey shows former Republican Congressman Rob Portman now leading both potential Democratic challengers in the race to replace retiring Ohio Republican Senator George Voinovich.

Portman holds a seven-point lead over Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner, 40 to 33, and a much smaller two-point lead over Lieutenant Governor Lee Fisher, 38 to 36.  One in five voters remain decided in both hypothetical match ups.

After 125 years in existence, Editor & Publisher is folding. It's one more bad omen for the sinking publishing world.

My favorite photo from the new issue of Time.

A new Public Policy Polling (D) survey (1,253 RVs, 12/4-7, +/- 2.8%) of potential 2012 matchups shows continued slippage in President Obama's numbers. Also of note is that Mike Huckabee seems to be weathering the early blows taken in the wake of a police shooting in Washington by a man whose sentence he had commuted as governor.

Hypothetical 2012 Matchups
Obama 46 -- Huckabee 45 -- Und 9
Obama 50 -- Palin 44 -- Und 6
Obama 48 -- Pawlenty 35 -- Und 17
Obama 47 -- Romney 42 -- Und 12

Favorable Ratings
Huckabee 35 / 35
Palin 41 / 50
Pawlenty 12 / 24
Romney 32 / 36

Obama Job Approval: 49 / 47

PPP's Jensen blogs:

"The importance of these numbers 35 months before Obama has to stand for reelection is obviously limited but it does seem pretty clear that his electoral position is weaker than it was a year ago at this time, given that his margins against Huckabee, Romney, and Palin are less than what he won by against John McCain. The most immediate implications of this relate to how effective he'll be as a candidate surrogate in the 2010 elections- will folks in tough races want Obama to come appear for them or not?"

Pat Toomey's (R) numbers are on the rise and Joe Sestak's (D) numbers are falling in a new Pennsylvania Senate poll conducted by Rasmussen (1,200 LVs, 12/8, MoE +/- 3%). Toomey now leads both potential Democratic foes in the 2010 contest.

General Election Matchups
Toomey 46 (+1 vs. last poll, 10/13)
Specter 42 (+2)
Und 9 (-1)

Toomey 44 (+7)
Sestak 38 (unch)
Und 13 (-6)

Democratic Primary Election Matchup
Specter 48 (+2)
Sestak 35 (-7)
Und 14 (+4)

The primary sample of 442 likely Democratic voters has a margin of error of +/- 5%. Specter led Sestak by 16 in the previous RCP Average.

On health care, 44 percent support the Congressional plan while 53 percent oppose it. On the public option, 42 percent say they support creating one while 39 percent oppose. Sixty-two percent of Democratic primary voters support the public option.

Robert Scheer is more than a bit peeved at President Obama.

As prepared for delivery:

Your Majesties, Your Royal Highnesses, Distinguished Members of the Norwegian Nobel Committee, citizens of America, and citizens of the world:

I receive this honor with deep gratitude and great humility. It is an award that speaks to our highest aspirations – that for all the cruelty and hardship of our world, we are not mere prisoners of fate. Our actions matter, and can bend history in the direction of justice.

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