Daily Political Wire

George Wenschhof

Lieberman Makes Third Senator Not To Run in 2012 - Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.) will announce today he is not running for reelection. The NY Times has more here. The former Democratic Vice President candidate was forced to run as an Independent when he was defeated in the Democratic primary.

He joins Senators Kay Bailey Hutchinson (R-Tex.) and Kent Conrad (D-N.D.) as Senators who have already announced they are not running in 2012.

Republicans need to have a net gain of 4 to gain a majority in the Senate. Democrats have 23 seats up for reelection in 2012 and Republicans have 10.

---

What's Up Doc? - is the question many are asking after the surprise return to Haiti by former dictator Jean Claude "Baby Doc" Devalier. He had been in exile in France. No explanation has been given for his return and he has since been charged with corruption, theft and abuses of power. Although, he was not incarcerated, he will not be allowed to leave the country until a judge makes a decision on the charges. Reuters.com has more here.

---

Hu Arrives in Washington - Chines President Hu Jintao will join President Obama for a news conference at 1:05 PM ET today after the two have held meetings earlier this morning. Tonight, Obama holds a state dinner for Hu Jintao at the White House. FirstRead.com has more here.

---

Hillary Clinton May Not Stay as Secretary of State After One Term - much speculation surrounds Clinton as the reelection campaign nears for President Obama. Some have said she may replace Joe Biden as Vice President, a rumor that has been beaten back by President Obama. She has indicate it is unlikely she will serve as Secretary of State longer than one term and would return to private life.

A more likely scenario is for her to replace defense Secretary Robert Gates, who is retiring this year. TheHill.com has more here.

---

House to Vote on Health Care Repeal Today - both sides of the debate have been hitting the airways promoting their position as the vote nears. The mostly symbolic vote will most likely take place early evening. While, the repeal is expected to pass easily in the House, it is not expected to receive a vote in the Senate. Politico.com has more here.

recent polls show the public remains split on full repeal, with a majority supporting fine tuning the bill. The Washington Post has more here.

---

Palin's Unfavorable Rating Hits 56% - in a poll conducted by CNN following the tragedy in Tucson. CNN.com has more here.

Only 38% of the respondents had a favorable opinion of former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin who has been widely rumored to be a Republican presidential candidate for the 2012 election.

---

To receive "Daily Email Updates" from Air-it-Out with George Wenschhof, click on "Subscribe to this feed" below or use the sign up box located in the upper right hand margin.