CQ Politics

1. New York Times Endorses Johnson Over Rangel - The New York Times on Saturday endorsed one of Rep. Charles B. Rangel’s four opponents in the Sept. 14 Democratic primary over the embattled veteran incumbent who is facing a House ethics trial later this month.
2. Prospects in Ohio Looking Better for Senate GOP - Former Rep. Rob Portman (R) and Lt. Gov. Lee Fisher (D) have been engaged in a spirited race for the open Ohio Senate seat since emerging from primaries in May. The contest has long been seen as a tossup, but with the trend lines having shifted toward Portman, CQ Politics is moving the race to the less competitive rating of Leans Republican.
3. New Fundraising Reports Give Latest Snapshot of N.Y. Races - Pre-primary fundraising reports filed Thursday with the Federal Election Commission provided fresh evidence that New York is a state to watch this cycle, with competitive primaries coming up Sept. 14 and the potential for Republicans to pick up a handful of seats in November.
4. Sloan Wages Quixotic Campaign Against Norton - Doug Sloan wants the microphone.
5. Gibbs Defends Obama’s Efforts to Help House Democrats - White House spokesman Robert Gibbs on Thursday defended President Barack Obama’s track record of campaigning for House Democrats as new polling shows their party taking a nose dive.
6. GOP Committees Look to Outside Groups to Fund Fall Ground Game - Republican strategists wary of relying on a Republican National Committee beset by controversy are relying on third-party organizations to fund and manage crucial ground game operations for the midterm elections.
7. Some Democrats See Competitive Opportunity in Alaska - With Sen. Lisa Murkowski conceding the Alaska GOP primary Tuesday night to lawyer Joe Miller, some Democrats now believe they have a chance to pick up a seat in a state no one thought could be in play in a cycle where Democrats are facing a significant loss of seats.
8. Congress May Miss Chance to Fix Schools - The prospect of finally fixing America’s public schools looks better now than ever, but there’s still a chance that this golden economic and moral opportunity could slip away.
9. Republicans Eye McCain’s Millions in Excess ’08 Funds - Sen. John McCain’s victory in the Aug. 24 Arizona Republican primary was fueled partly by transfers of $7.5 million from his 2008 presidential campaign compliance fund — an account GOP Congressional strategists are now eyeing as they look to finance a growing list of competitive midterm races.
10. Party Label Is Kissell’s Biggest Liability Against Local Sportscaster - LOCUST, N.C. — Between meeting donors in the back room at a fancy downtown Charlotte restaurant and greeting spectators at the front gate of a local high school football game, it’s clear where Harold Johnson — the Republican challenging Democratic Rep. Larry Kissell — feels more comfortable.