Truth beats fiction every time:

A $97,416-a-year Chicago Department of Transportation official who is the former son-in-law of mob leader Angelo "The Hook" LaPietra is under internal investigation for allegedly directing city crews under his command to install an alley light to illuminate his in-ground pool.

The latest WMUR/Granite State poll from the University of New Hampshire (462 LVs, 4/18-28, MoE +/- 4.6%) finds that the weak economy and contentious political environment has taken a toll on Gov. John Lynch (D). But other Democratic incumbents would gladly trade positions with Lynch, as his weakened numbers are still among the highest in the nation and he still leads a potential GOP opponent.

General Election Matchup
Lynch (D) 49 (-1 vs. last poll, 1/27-2/3)
Stephen (R) 32 (+2)
Und 18 (-1)

Fifty-six percent of New Hampshire voters now approve of Lynch's job performance, his lowest mark since just after he took office in 2005. Twenty-nine percent disapprove, his worst-ever showing. Lynch is seeking an unprecedented fourth two-year term as governor this November.

RCP classifies the race as Likely Democratic.

The latest tracking poll in Pennsylvania from Muhlenberg College (402 LVs, 4/30-5/3, MoE +/- 5%) shows Sen. Arlen Specter's (D) lead is now down to just 4 points.

Senate Primary Election Matchup
Specter 46 (-3)
Sestak 42 (+2)
Und 11 (+1)

In the gubernatorial primary, Allegheny County Executive Dan Onorato still has a wide edge, though it's down as well.

Gubernatorial Primary Election Matchup
Onorato 36 (-3)
Williams 9 (+2)
Hoeffel 9 (+2)
Wagner 8 (+3)
Und 38 (-3)

On RCP, David Paul Kuhn takes on the "Orwellian" Pennsylvania tax ad, and Jed Babbin, Deputy Undersecretary of Defense under George H.W. Bush, discusses the flaws in America's counterinsurgency strategy in Afghanistan. Also, check out RCP's interview with Pennsylvania Governor Ed Rendell.

On Politics Nation, Mike Memoli reports on the different messaging strategies Democrats are adopting in primary races. While some, such as Blanche Lincoln, emphasize independence from the national party, others, such as Arlen Specter, emphasize adherence to party orthodoxy.

On RCW, Theodore Couloumbis, vice president of the Hellenic Foundation for European and Foreign Policy, Bill Ahlstrom, an executive at a U.S. multinational, and Gary Weaver, professor at American University's School of International Service, chronicle the history of the Nonproliferation Treaty.

On RCM, Josh Barro of the Manhattan Institute argues that governments need to work to bring public sector wages and benefits more in line with the private sector. John Tamny writes that the global economy will suffer as a result of the Greece bailout.

With Mother's Day coming up, RCS put together a list of the Top 10 Athlete Mothers. Also on RCS, Tim Joyce argues that women's tennis desperately needs a compelling rivalry to develop.

Finally, as the second round of the NBA Playoffs heats up, check out the RCS staff's picks on the Sidelines blog.

A new Rocky Mountain Poll finds Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer holds an 8-point lead over her closest competition in the GOP gubernatorial primary, with more than half of voters still undecided on who to support in the Aug. 24 contest.

The survey, conducted by the Behavior Research Center, polled 319 likely GOP primary voters from April 15-25, mostly before Brewer signed a controversial immigration reform law on April 23. Also tested were businessman Buz Mills, state Treasurer Dean Martin and former state GOP Chairman John Munger.

Brewer 22
Mills 13
Martin 10
Munger 4
Und 51

Click here for more polling on the race.

The Times reports:

A BRITISH Army sniper has set a new sharpshooting distance record by killing two Taliban machinegunners in Afghanistan from more than a mile away.

Craig Harrison, a member of the Household Cavalry, killed the insurgents with consecutive shots — even though they were 3,000ft beyond the most effective range of his rifle.

“The first round hit a machinegunner in the stomach and killed him outright,” said Harrison, a Corporal of Horse. “He went straight down and didn't move.

“The second insurgent grabbed the weapon and turned as my second shot hit him in the side. He went down, too. They were both dead.”

The Democratic National Committeee polled the three-way special election in the 1st District of Hawaii and released its result in an effort to push one of the two Democrats from the race, Politico reports.

The survey, conducted by Harstad Strategic Research, found Honolulu City Councilman Charles Djou (R) leading former Rep. Ed Case (D) by 2 points, with state Senate President Colleen Hanabusa (D) 14 points back of Case.

"All of the crucial projective questions in the survey point to Ed Case as the
candidate far better positioned to prevail over Djou – in striking contrast with Hanabusa," the Harstad pollsters write. It shows Case "leading on every
dimension over" Hanabusa.

Voting in the special election is being conducted by mail and is ongoing through May 22, when a winner will be announced. The seat came open when longtime Democratic Rep. Neil Abercrombie resigned to focus on his gubernatorial bid.

With just two weeks to go before the primary, a new poll from Quinnipiac shows Joe Sestak closing the gap on Arlen Specter in the Democratic Senate race. One month ago Sestak trailed Specter by a whopping 21 points. Today, he's trailing by just eight.

Specter 47 (-6 vs. last poll April 7)
Sestak 39 (+7)
Undecided 14

Overall, Specter leads by 7.5% in the RCP Average.

The race remains very fluid: according to the Quinnipiac poll more than one third of voters say they might still change their mind before the May 18 primary. Also of note, despite Sestak's surge, the percentage of people who believe Specter will be more likely to win in November increased by 2 points in the last month to 60%.

In the Democratic primary for Governor, Dan Onorato has expanded his lead dramatically in the last month and now looks to be cruising to victory:

Onorato 36 (+16 vs last poll Apr 7)
Hoeffel 9 (-6)
Wagner 8 (-5)
Williams  8 (+3)
Undecided 37

Overall, Onorato now leads by 27 points in the RCP Average.

No criminal charges for South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford. From the Columbia State:

S.C. Attorney General Henry McMaster has cleared Gov. Mark Sanford of any criminal conduct for two trips to South America to meet his Argentine lover and, also, his use of state aircraft, upgraded airfare and campaign money.

McMaster, a Republican candidate for governor, said the "evidence does not support, beyond a reasonable doubt, that the governor knowingly, willfully and intentionally set out to break state law."

The decision likely ends scrutiny of Sanford following his admission last June admission of an extra-martial affair and subsequent review of the two-term, Republican governor's record.

Iowa Sen. Charles Grassley (R) is above 50% support and up double-digits against three potential Democratic opponents, a new Rasmussen poll finds (April 29, 500 LV, MoE +/- 4.5%). Finishing closest to Grassley was U.S. Attorney Roxanne Conlin, while Grassley's margins were twice as big against state Rep. Bob Krause and state Sen. Tom Fiegen.

Grassley 57 - Krause 31 - Und 8

Grassley 53 - Conlin 40 - Und 4

Grassley 57 - Fiegen 30 - 7

RCP ranks this race as Safe Republican.

In the governor's race, Gov. Chet Culver (D) looks to be in bad shape against former Gov. Terry Branstad (R), trailing by 15 points and polling under 40%. Also leading Culver is businessman Bob Vander Plaats, while state Rep. Rod Roberts trails Culver by just 2 points.

Culver 38 - Branstad 53 - Und 6

Culver 41 - Vander Plaats 45 - Und 5

Culver 43 - Roberts 41 - Und 7

RCP ranks this race as Likely Republican.