Political Potpourri: News and notes from the campaign trail

So many political stories ... so little time to read them. This by-no-means-thorough digest reviews some of the stories that may have flown under the radar and includes a sample of polls as Nov. 2 draws closer.

And the rumor mill keeps on turning

A U.S. House Democratic lawmaker says he heard that Rep. Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., won't seek another term as House speaker.

That's probably OK with Rep. Mike McIntyre, D-N.C., who said he heard the news -- and says he wouldn't have backed her again as speaker, The Hill reported.

"From what we're hearing, she's probably not going to run for speaker again," McIntyre told a local radio station. "And if she does, I'm confident she's going to have opposition, and I look forward to supporting that opposition."

McIntyre, a seven-term congressman considered a centrist, is one of a growing number of Democrats who say they won't support Pelosi as speaker -- if the Democrats retain the House majority after the Nov. 2 midterm elections, which prognosticators say isn't likely. Several independent monitors say the Democrats could lose 40 to 50 seats; the Republicans need a net gain of 39 seats to reclaim the House majority.

For her part, Pelosi has been playing her congressional future close to the vest. Traditionally, speakers step aside and perhaps resign if they lead their party to major losses in elections.

Do as I say, not as I do

Rep. Michele Bachmann, R-Minn., locked in a vitriolic fight to retain her congressional seat, sought out stimulus funding for projects in her district -- despite her loud criticism of the spending package.

The St. Paul Pioneer Press reported Bachmann sought stimulus funding on at least seven occasions last year as indicated by the investigative journalism site Center for Public Integrity.

The requests included funding for a $150 million expansion of a commuter rail line to St. Cloud, something the congresswoman declined to back months earlier.

The Center for Public Integrity said Bachmann was among nearly 2,000 Republican and Democratic stimulus opponents who wrote letters requesting funds for projects.

Bachmann defended her request for money from the $787 billion stimulus package, saying in a statement, "It is my obligation as a member of Congress to ensure stimulus dollars are spent on the most worthy projects. I did just that when I supported applications for the (stimulus) grant program."

In her latest ads Bachmann calls the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act "the failed (House Speaker Nancy) Pelosi trillion-dollar stimulus."

In her statement, Bachmann also attacked the package, which she voted against, saying it has been misspent, the Pioneer Press said.

RealClearPolitics.com rates Bachmann's tilt with state Sen. Tarryl Clark as "likely GOP," and shows the incumbent with an average lead of 9 percentage points. The race has been marked by a series of attack ads from both candidates.

Can the Tea Party become a third party?

Conservative darling Sarah Palin -- former Republican vice presidential candidate and Alaska governor, author and Fox News commentator -- hinted the Tea Party movement could morph into a viable third party.

"Some in the GOP -- it's their last shot. It's their last chance," Palin said on Fox News. "We will lose faith, and we will be disappointed and disenchanted from them if they start straying from the bedrock principles ... if they start straying, then why not a third party?"

Palin said she expects the Tea Party movement to have a great impact on the 2010 midterm elections Nov. 2 and even more relevant in the 2012 presidential election.

"We know that the impact is going to be even greater, come Nov. 3, because people then will be focused on the 2012 election," Palin said, "and the need then for an even more aggressive movement to stop what President Obama is doing to this country."

Tea Party-backed candidates could be addressed as senator

As many as eight Tea Party-backed candidates could be sworn in as senators come January -- several of whom won party primaries despite the lack of support from the Republican establishment.

Sharron Angle of Nevada, Ken Buck of Colorado, Rand Paul of Kentucky, Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania and Marco Rubio of Florida -- all holding leads or making their Democratic opponents very uncomfortable -- claimed the GOP mantle by defeating the establishment-preferred candidate. Ron Johnson of Wisconsin was supported by the Washington crowd and two -- Mike Lee of Utah and Joe Miller of Alaska -- defeated incumbents.

Christine O'Donnell, the GOP candidate for the U.S. Senate race in Delaware, also stunned the establishment-backed candidate, but trails the Democratic hopeful by double digits.

If they win, the senators likely would align with South Carolina's Sen. Jim DeMint, who opposed his GOP colleagues and helped long-shot conservatives win their primary contests, CNN reported. They also would become part of an influential voting bloc with other similarly-minded GOP senators.

Polls, polls and more polls

U.S. Senate:

A Public Policy Polling survey in Pennsylvania shows Democratic Rep. Joe Sestak has pulled ahead of Republican Pat Toomey, 46 percent to 45 percent. In August, Sestak trailed by 9 percentage points.

A New York Times poll indicates incumbent Democrat Kirsten Gillibrand, once considered vulnerable, holds a huge lead over GOP challenger Joseph DioGuardi, 50 percent to 25 percent.

In New York's other U.S. Senate race, Sen. Charles Schumer is swamping Republican challenger Jay Townsend, 61 percent to 21 percent.

A Suffolk University poll in Florida indicates Republican candidate Marco Rubio ahead of incumbent and independent candidate Charlie Crist, 39 percent to 31 percent. U.S. Rep. Kendrick Meek had 22 percent.

Governors:

A Gonzales Research poll in Maryland finds Gov. Martin O'Malley, a Democrat, ahead of former GOP Gov. Bob Ehrlich in their rematch, 47 percent to 42 percent.

A Quinnipiac University poll in Ohio finds Republican challenger John Kasich maintaining his lead over Gov. Ted Strickland, a Democrat, 51 percent to 41 percent.

A Wisconsin Public Radio poll indicates Scott Walker, the Republican candidate, has a 9 percentage point lead over Democrat Tom Barrett, 50 percent to 41 percent.