Pennsylvania

Rick Santorum, one of the Senate's leading conservative voices, is faltering in his bid for a third term against Democratic state Treasurer Bob Casey. Jeff Miller of the Allentown Morning Call details the latest polling from the race.

President Bush's falling approval ratings are casting a shadow over Republican U.S. Sen. Rick Santorum's bid for a third term, a new Morning Call/Muhlenberg College poll found.

Among the 54 percent of Pennsylvania voters dissatisfied with Bush's job performance, only 9 percent intend to support Santorum while 57 percent back his likely Democratic challenger, Bob Casey Jr.

Overall, Casey leads Santorum, 37 percent to 29 percent, with 31 percent undecided.

[...]

Among Independents, Casey leads 33 percent to 14 percent.

Given that Santorum is down 13 points and 14 points in other recent polling from the state, it would be safe to say he has his work cut out for him. And given his place in the list of Congress' 13 most corrupt, the recent focus on GOP improprieties is not going to help him at all.

New York

The New York Post's Kenneth Lovett reports in today's paper that Sen. Hillary Clinton's top challenger is finding fundraising to be slightly more difficult than one might imagine given the right's hate for the 42nd President and his wife.

Westchester County District Attorney Jeanine Pirro hinted yesterday that she is struggling in her fund-raising effort to take on Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton.
Following an appearance at a fourth round of candidate interviews by GOP county leaders, Pirro sought to downplay expectations of what her Oct. 15 campaign filing will show.

"The real essence, since we've only been in this for about four weeks and we've had [Hurricane] Katrina in the interim, of what we're going to raise, I think, will be shown in [the December filing]," she said.

"You really can't have a test in four weeks."

Democrats were quick to note that neither Rudy Giuliani nor Rick Lazio, his replacement in the race against Clinton in 2000, had trouble raising money straight out of the gate.

"Rudy Giuliani raised $7 million and Rick Lazio $5 million during their first fund-raising periods," said Clinton adviser Howard Wolfson.

This isn't a good start for those who want to damage Clinton in 2006 so she will be weaker in 2008.

Michigan

The latest Republican polling out of the Wolverine state shows the Republicans are going to have to step up their game if they seriously want to challenge freshman Democratic Senator Debbie Stabenow. The data from Strategic Vision:

17. If the election for United States Senate was held today, whom would you vote for, Debbie Stabenow, the Democrat or Keith Butler, the Republican?

Debbie Stabenow 48%
Keith Butler 27%
Undecided 25%

18. If the election for United States Senate was held today, whom would you vote for, Debbie Stabenow, the Democrat or Jerry Zandstra, the Republican?

Debbie Stabenow 51%
Jerry Zandstra 21%
Undecided 28%