Early Thursday Morning Briefs

Forty-six percent of those questioned in a Diageo/Hotline survey released Wednesday say they would support the generic Democrat in the 2010 elections for the House of Representatives, with 22 percent backing the generic Republican candidate. That’s a 24 point lead for Democratic congressional candidates in the so called “generic ballot” question, which asks voters their preference for the U.S. House without naming the candidates running in each district.These results are in line with a CNN/Opinion Research Corporation poll conducted two weeks ago that found that 56 percent of those questioned think the country would be better off if Congress was controlled by Democrats. That 25 points higher than the 31 percent who said the nation would be better off if Republicans controlled Congress.

But that’s not all.  When Republicans try to suggest that Americans disapprove of Congress in general, keep this point in mind:

Forty-nine percent of those questioned in the Diageo/Hotline survey approve of how the Democrats in Congress are performing, with 38 percent disapproving. As for the GOP minority: Disapproval jumps to 62 percent, with 26 percent approving of how congressional Republicans are handling their jobs.

Let the GOP be the GOP.  And let the nation keep getting bluer.

A day after Sen. Jim Bunning insisted he would seek a third term, the chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee said he still wasn’t sure whether the Kentucky Republican would actually run.”I don’t think he’s made a decision on whether to run,” said Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas), head of the NRSC. “We’re working with Sen. Bunning now to provide him all the information he needs in order to make that decision.”

Bunning’s response: “he’s either deaf or he didn’t listen very well.”

The issue is extraordinarily sensitive for Republicans. They fear that Bunning’s erratic behavior and his poor fundraising could imperil the party’s chances to hold onto the seat, as Politico reported last week. But they also don’t want to be seen as trying to push the senator to step aside. …

When pressed if he’d endorse Bunning if he runs for reelection, Cornyn said: “I have to say, if he does, we’re going to support our incumbents.”

Very smooth, Cornyn.  I hope Bunning runs for re-election, if only to spite the Republicans trying to push him out the door.  I may even have to add Bunning to the Expand the Map! ActBlue page.

State Republican Party Chairman Dick Wadhams said Republicans considering a run for the Senate include former congressman Bob Beauprez, former state Senate majority leader and state treasurer Mark Hillman, KHOW-AM talk show host Dan Kaplis and Aurora City Councilman Ryan Frazier.

Hillman served as Treasurer for a short stint in 2005-2006, appointed by then-Gov. Bill Owens (R) when then-Treasurer Mike Coffman was called to duty in Iraq.  Hillman ran for a full term in 2006 and lost by 40,000 votes to now-Treasurer Cary Kennedy.  That margin of defeat was nothing compared to Beauprez’s 2006 loss against Bill Ritter for Governor, a 213,000 vote Republican loss.  And these are the CO-GOP’s top prospects.