Poll Shows Wakim Within Striking Distance

A new poll in the congressional race between embattled Congressman Alan Mollohan, D-Fairmont, and Delegate Chris Wakim, R-Wheeling, shows Wakim within striking distance, trailing by just 10 points, 52-42. Additional data in the polling results show that among likely voters who are firmly committed to a candidate, Wakim & Mollohan are in a virtual dead heat, with Mollohan leading this group by only 4 points, 46-42.

Detailed polling results are available here (PDF). Additional polling by Constituent Dynamics is available here.

Does Mollohan Have a Protege?

New York TV station WNBC reports today that federal prosecutors in New Jersey have opened a criminal probe of the financial relationship between U.S. Senator Bob Menendez, D-NJ, and a nonprofit organization to which he steered millions of dollars of federal funds. Does this sound familiar to anyone?

Menendez, a former congressman who was appointed to the Senate earlier this year by Governor Jon Corzine, who previously held the Senate seat until he bought the governorship last year, is locked in a tight battle for reelection this fall with state Senator Tom Kean, Jr., son of former New Jersey Governor Tom Kean. Recent polls on this race have been trending in favor of Kean; click here for polling data on the NJ Senate race.

UPDATE: With hat tip to Don Surber, Senator Menendez argues in his defense that his arrangement with North Hudson Community Action had received the blessing of the House ethics committee--at the same time Congressman Mollohan was the top Democrat on the ethics committee, the only House committee evenly divided between the two parties.