Sen. Mitch McConnell’s (R-Ky.) early ads in his reelection campaign scored a solid 6.0 among Republicans and 5.0 among Democrats. The ads focus on McConnell’s ability to deliver for his state as Senate minority leader.

An anti-McConnell MoveOn.org ad earned decent marks among Democrats but fared poorly overall. Democrats have not yet recruited a candidate against McConnell.

Senate Republican reformers left Washington for their Thanksgiving recess furious with Minority Leader Mitch McConnell for allowing the Defense Department appropriations bill to pass by voice vote this month without challenging any of its earmarks -- including one helping re-elect Louisiana Sen. Mary Landrieu.

Landrieu is one of the rare Democratic senators seriously challenged in a difficult 2008 for Republicans. Her earmark would reduce an estimated $3 billion to $4 billion shortfall in post-Hurricane Katrina housing rebuilding. The Road Home program needs money because it defied the Bush administration and offered huge federal wind damage payouts for homeowners holding federal insurance that was intended to cover only flooding.

Anti-earmark Republicans say the Road Home is really Landrieu's ''Road to Re-election.'' They wanted to kill it by using the parliamentary procedure that had been employed to separate veterans funding from a pork-laden appropriations bill.

Since taking over the governor's mansion in Kentucky earlier this month, Democrats are increasingly excited about the idea of targeting Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R.-Ky.). State Atty. Gen. Greg Stumbo (D) is the likely Democratic nominee at this point. This could just be wishful thinking for Democrats, but it could also develop into a race.

Republican Senate leader Mitch McConnell, of Kentucky, says that US troops will have the money they need by the time Congress breaks for Christmas.

McConnell blocked a war funding proposal that would have required President Bush to bring home American troops next year.

House leaders passed the $50 billion measure last week.

Democrats say they will not provide any more money unless the president accepts a withdrawal timetable.

Although the unanimous consent request said that Reid had proceeded “after consultation with the Republican leader,” Democrats did not appear to have struck a deal with Republicans on an AMT bill by press time.

There were discussions between leaders of both parties on Friday about moving the legislation, but the talks did not progress to the point where Republicans were likely to support the unanimous consent request. Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) told reporters that he hadn’t seen any Democratic proposal on AMT.

According to a GOP Senate tax aide, Democratic members of the Finance Committee unanimously agreed to the proposal described in the amendment triggered by Reid’s maneuver — a one-year AMT patch not offset by tax increases and a two-year fully offset extension of the expiring tax breaks.

However, when they were briefed on the Democratic proposal, staffers for several panel Republicans said their bosses prefer attaching no offsets at all to the legislation, the aide said.

The split-the-difference idea appears to be gaining traction among Senate Republicans, who from the start have appeared more amenable to compromise than their more militant House counterparts.

"We are exploring our options," said Senate Appropriations ranking member Thad Cochran, R-Miss., leaving a meeting with Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., Thursday night.

"I think the president is quite serious about his number," McConnell had told reporters earlier, but Cochran said it was his impression upon leaving the meeting that McConnell would take up the issue with the White House.

House Appropriations ranking member Jerry Lewis, R-Calif., who thus far has sided with Bush in voting against most of the spending bills, also said "I think we'll be back to the negotiating table" after the Labor-HHS override vote. The override attempt failed, 277-141.

Senate Democrats and Republicans have been battling for more than a week over how to move forward with the bill. Harkin and other Democrats on Friday blamed Republicans for tying up the process by offering amendments to the farm bill that are not relevant to U.S. agricultural policy, such as a measure related to providing driver’s licenses for illegal immigrants.

GOP senators countered that a procedural move by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) prevented them from offering amendments to the bill. Reid “filled the tree” by offering all of the possible amendments and second-degree amendments possible, which prevented Republicans from offering their own amendments.

In a floor speech before the vote was taken, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) said he was disappointed by the process surrounding the farm bill, but insisted one would still move through the Senate.

“The Senate will pass a farm bill — that is certain — but only after an open and fair debate on the Senate floor,” McConnell said. He noted that the 2002 farm bill passed after about a week on the floor after attempts to limit amendments on that bill failed.

Senators were heading home for Thanksgiving Friday without any progress to report on a five-year farm bill that is important to many of their constituents.

An effort by Democratic leaders to limit debate on the Senate version of the measure fell five votes short of the 60 needed.

The vote was a last ditch effort by Agriculture Chairman Tom Harkin , D-Iowa, and Majority Leader Harry Reid , D-Nev., to block non-germane amendments to the sweeping farm policy bill.

Harkin charged that Republican leaders were trying to kill the bill in Congress so that President Bush is not put in the awkward position of vetoing a measure crucial to traditionally conservative rural America in the runup to the 2008 elections. The White House has lodged a veto threat against both the House-passed version of the farm bill and its Senate counterpart.

“I think some of their political people have told them, ‘you can’t veto a farm bill.’ So what the White House has done is say ‘kill the bill here, kill it.’ . . . I see the heavy hand of the White House behind what’s going on,” Harkin said.

Minority Leader Mitch McConnell , R-Ky., dismissed such claims, and said Republicans merely were insisting on an opportunity to offer amendments of their choosing, including some that address taxes, immigration and other issues unrelated to the farm bill.

“We all know we’re going to pass a farm bill, and any statement to the contrary is laughable,” McConnell said.

“In 2002 we went through a somewhat similar dance . . . and when the games stopped, we went back to the farm bill, had an open process for a week, and passed it.”

The GOP leader added, “The farm bill has not passed today because the games have not stopped. But I will confidently predict that at some point the games will stop, and we will pass it.”

10. Kentucky: OK, we admit we're intrigued by the prospect of a serious race in the Bluegrass State. While we believe Democrats are trying to read too much into how Ernie Fletcher's loss in the governor's race last week impacts Sen. Mitch McConnell's (R) reelection chances, there is clear evidence that the Senate minority leader could be in for a real race next fall. McConnell's decision to hit the television airwaves this month with ads touting his leadership role and what it means for the state is a tacit recognition on the part of his campaign that this race could be real. Much depends on the identity of the Democratic nominee. State Auditor Crit Luallen is the first choice of national Democrats, and a recent poll put her well within striking distance of McConnell. If Luallen decides against the race, Democrats will have to turn to a second-tier of candidates, including including state Attorney General Greg Stumbo, 2006 congressional candidate Andrew Horne and wealthy businessman Greg Fischer. Regardless of who Democrats nominate, McConnell will be ready. He is as tough a campaigner as they come, and this race will likely be expensive and bloody. (Previous ranking: N/A)

Minority Leader Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., said, "We should not leave our forces in the field without the funding that they need to accomplish the mission for which they have been deployed."