George Washington University | No Author Listed

The latest edition of The George Washington University Battleground Poll finds a majority of voters (51%) believing that the country is on the wrong track. Their top areas of concern are the economy and jobs, health care costs, the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and the federal budget deficit.

Looking ahead to the 2010 Congressional Elections, the Democratic Party enjoys a three point advantage (43%-40%) on the Congressional generic ballot. However, voters are closely divided on their preference for a divided government (41%) or for a unified government (39%). In addition, a majority (57%) of voters disapprove of the job performance of Congress.

In contrast, President Obama has a job approval rating of 53%, a personal approval rating of 72%, and a 61% favorable rating on name identification.

AHN | Kris Alingod

The Iowa caucuses in next year’s mid-term elections will be held on a Saturday for the first time, according to the Hawkeye State’s Democratic and Republican parties.

In a joint statement, Democratic chairman Mike Kiernan and Republican chairman Matt Strawn said they decided to schedule the caucuses for Jan. 23 to “encourage greater participation in an off-year caucus and get more Iowans actively involved with the work of our Parties.”

“Getting more Iowans involved in their local precinct caucuses is good for Democrats, good for Republicans, and good our political process. Iowans will be making some critically important decisions in 2010 and the more people actively involved in the process the better for Iowa,” they added.

Rep. Mark Kirk (R-IL.) says he isn’t running for President Obama’s former Senate seat, now he is, now he isn’t…oh, I don’t know…I give up.

From the blogs.

538 | In Illinois, Dems Dodge Bullet; GOP Shoots Selves in Foot

American Spectator | Is Kirk In or Out?

Swing State Project | IL-Sen: Kirk Waffles, Then Re-Waffles

Politics Nation | Kirk Won’t Run for Senate

Eye on 2010 | Kirk Not Withdrawing From Race For Burris Seat

Michelle Malkin | GOP Cap-and-Tax 8 Watch: Rep. Kirk reportedly out of Senate race; Update: Still waffling

CQ Politics | Greg Giroux,

Few House members seeking re-election next year will be as vigorously targeted for defeat by the opposing party as freshman Reps. Walt Minnick of Idaho and Anh “Joseph” Cao of Louisiana.

Minnick is a Democrat who represents a rural and strongly conservative district that gave Barack Obama just 36 percent of the vote in the 2008 presidential election. Cao is a Republican from a heavily black district in and around New Orleans that gave just one in four of its votes to GOP presidential nominee John McCain .

NECN | No Author Listed

President Obama is one step closer to fulfilling his promise to reform the nation’s energy policies.

In a close vote on Friday, the House of Representatives passed a climate bill containing wide-ranging proposals to curb greenhouse gas emissions, and move the country away from fossil fuels toward the use of alternative forms of energy.

USA Today | John Fritze

House Republican leader John Boehner of Ohio is threatening that cap-and-trade energy legislation picking up steam again in Congress will be “one of the defining debates of the 2010 election cycle,” in a memo sent from his outside political arm, Freedom Project. The memo, sent today to the Republican caucus, says “the American people will remember this debate and will remember who stands up for them.”

TPM | Eric Kleefeld

Former Rep. Pat Toomey (R-PA), whose conservative primary challenge against Sen. Arlen Specter triggered the incumbent’s shocking party switch, is building up further momentum towards the GOP nomination, with this campaign announcing the endorsement of Congressman Joe Pitts.

“Pat Toomey is the right candidate. No one else comes close,” Pitts says in the press release, later adding: “A lot of politicians have lost credibility in recent years. Pat Toomey isn’t one of them. Pat has good ideas that he actually believes in, and he will work hard to make people’s lives better.”

The Politico | JOSH KRAUSHAAR

Florida state House Speaker Larry Cretul is seriously considering a challenge to Democratic Rep. Alan Grayson, a development that could shake up the race and provide the outspoken Orlando-area freshman with a top-tier GOP opponent in one of the nation’s most competitive House seats.