Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley holds an early lead against former Gov. Bob Ehrlich in a grudge match from their 2006 contest, a new Washington Post poll finds (May 3-6, 851 RV, MoE +/- 4%). However, about half say they are undecided or could change their minds before Election Day.

O'Malley 49
Ehrlich 41
Und

O'Malley leads by 6.7 points in the RCP Average

My RealClearPolitics.com column, Tea parties racist?  Not so fast, has drawn not one but two responses on Salon.com.  The first is from Prof. Christopher Parker, a political scientist at the University of Washington and the lead investigator on the study of the racial attitudes of Tea Party supporters on which my column was largely based.  The second is from Salon.com editor Joan Walsh, whose article based on Parker's findings, "The Tea Partiers' racial paranoia," I  mentioned and criticized in the column. (more...)

Big news in the latest Muhlenberg College tracking poll
(5/4-7, 410 LVs, MoE +/- 5%) of the Pennsylvania Senate race. Rep. Joe Sestak (D) has for the first time in any public polling taken a lead over incumbent Sen. Arlen Specter.

Senate Primary Election Matchup
Sestak 44 (+1)
Specter 42 (-1)
Und 14 (+1)

In the gubernatorial race, Allegheny County Executive Dan Onorato still leads.

Gubernatorial Primary Election Matchup
Onorato 35 (unch)
Hoeffel 10 (-1)
Williams 9 (-1)
Wagner 8 (unch)
Und 38 (+2)

To many women attending The New Agenda benefit last night in New York, it was still summer 2008, when presidential hopeful Hillary Clinton was subjected to much sexist ridicule. Video loops of Tucker Carlson,  Chris Matthews and others making frat boy references to Clinton played throughout cocktails at the Thomson Reuters headquarters in Times Square.

For these women, the wounds still burn. And their anger goes beyond cable personalities to include Democratic Party officials and feminist organizations that accepted this sexism as collateral damage in the battle to get Barack Obama elected.

It was then that former Wall Streeter Amy Siskind and other powerful Clinton backers organized The New Agenda. Their unique brand of feminism is shorn of liberal litmus. They have defended Sarah Palin and now back Arkansas Sen. Blanche Lincoln as she faces a Democratic primary challenge from the left.

The evening's honoree was Lynn Forester de Rothschild. The former Democratic fundraiser shocked many friends when she publicly endorsed the candidacy of John McCain, after Clinton left the race.

Clinton enjoys a near cult status in these circles, where she is both martyr and source of inspiration. Her picture frequently appeared on a giant screen behind the speakers.

“It's almost as if she's challenging us to take the next step to gender equality,” Siskind said with reverence, “and the beauty of Hillary's words is this: They're both revolutionary and indisputable at the same time.”

Now Obama's secretary of state, Clinton may have moved on, but these supporters haven't quite. They take solace in a few perceived victories against her foes.

When group chose its first target from a list of offenders, all hands went up for Chris Matthews. The MSNBC host had expressed interest in running for the Senate from Pennsylvania.

“We said this guy will never be senator in our country. Never!” Siskind said to laughter.

She recounted how the group publicized its displeasure and lobbied Democrats in the state. “Here's the end result: He didn't run,” Siskind said as applause rang through the room.

Also posted, with photos, on www.fromaharrop.com.

Bad news in Indiana for Rep. Brad Ellsworth (D). The expected Democratic nominee trails former Sen. Dan Coats (R) by 15 points in the first Rasmussen poll taken since Tuesday's GOP primary (May 5-6, 500 LV, MoE +/- 4.5%).

Coats 51
Ellsworth 36
Und 8

RCP currently rates this open-seat race Lean Republican. Click here for more polling on the race.

The economy added 290,000 jobs in April, mostly in the private sector, even though unemployment ticked up to 9.9% as more people who had fallen out of the labor market appear to be returning. President Obama touted the numbers in the following public remarks this morning:

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Rasmussen's first poll (500 LVs, 5/5, MoE +/- 4.5%) since Tuesday's Democratic Senate primary shows Ohio Lt. Gov. Lee Fisher (D) leading former Rep. Rob Portman (R).

General Election Matchup
Fisher 43 (+5 vs. last poll, 3/30)
Portman 42 (-1)
Und 11 (-3)

RCP classifies the race as a Toss Up.

Arkansas Sen. Blanche Lincoln now holds a 12-point lead against her Democratic primary challenger, Lt. Gov. Bill Halter. However, the new Mason-Dixon poll finds both Democrats trailing their three potential Republican opponents in the general election.

Mason-Dixon pollster Brad Coker notes Lincoln may not be able to get over the 50% threshold necessary to avoid a June 8 runoff.

Lincoln 44
Halter 32
Morrison 7
Und 17

Rep. John Boozman (R-Ark.) takes nearly half of the Republican primary vote and leads his closest challenger by more than 30 points.

Boozman 48
Holt 17
Baker 11
Hendren 5
Reynolds 2

General Election
Boozman 52 - Lincoln 35
Baker 47 - Lincoln 39
Holt 45 - Lincoln 30

Boozman 56 - Halter 32
Baker 42 - Halter 34
Holt 42 - Halter 36

(May 2-5, 400 Dem LV, 400 GOP LV, MoE +/- 5%; 625 GE LV, MoE +/- 4%)

RCP rates the Arkansas Senate race as Likely Republican.

Jeremy Lott argues that though concerns about the Arizona illegal immigration law are justified, the proposed federal immigration reform legislation would be far more burdensome.

On Politics Nation, Kyle Trygstad writes that Sen. Bob Bennett is likely to become the first casualty of the anti-incumbent fervor threatening candidates in both parties.

Larry Kudlow, writing on RCM, discusses the global stock market panic over the Greek debt crisis and the fear of contagion and argues that financial markets continue to be repulsed by the spending and debt programs put in place by the U.S., Europe, the G20 and the IMF in 2008 and 2009.

On the Media Watch blog, Doug Clawson sharply critiques a new 60 Minutes/Vanity Fair poll on media.

On RCS, Art Spander writes that JaMarcus Russell's lack of focus and the hapless Raiders team around him combined to produce disaster.

Finally, check out RCW for continuing coverage of the British elections.

Some rare very good news for Democrats in a new Rasmussen poll out of Connecticut (5/4, 500 LVs, MoE +/- 4.5%). There's been some significant swings in hypothetical matchups in the open seat governor's race benefiting the party, seeking to reclaim the office for the first time in decades.

General Election Matchups
Lamont (D) 42 (+5 vs. last poll, 4/1)
Foley (R) 35 (-9)
Und 13 (unch)

Malloy (D) 38 (+3)
Foley (R) 35 (-9)
Und 16 (+2)

Lamont (D) 48 (+7)
Fedele (R) 28 (-10)
Und 15 (+3)

Malloy (D) 44 (+4)
Fedele (R) 27 (-10)
Und 20 (+4)

RCP classifies the race as Leans Democrat.

After the jump, the latest from the Senate race.

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