N.J. Sen. Frank Lautenberg has stomach cancer

By GottaLaff

Let's hope the "curable" part is accurate:

The office of New Jersey Sen. Frank Lautenberg says the 86-year-old Democrat has stomach cancer.

Spokesman Caley Gray says doctors for the nation's second-oldest U.S. senator found B-cell lymphoma of the stomach. His office says the tumor is "curable" and will require treatment over the next few months.

Fingers crossed, toes crossed, eyes crossed.

New Jersey Lautenberg senator suffers fall

Oh c'mon already, stop messing with the damn Democrats. The odds of an 86 year old actually leaving a hospital under any circumstances is iffy at best.

(CNN) - Sen. Frank Lautenberg, D-New Jersey, was hospitalized Monday after taking a fall, his spokesman said.

The 86-year-old Lautenberg, who is in his fifth term in the Senate, was taken to the hospital as a "precautionary measure," spokesman Caley Gray said.

"The senator is in great spirits and joking with the doctors," Gray said.

He will remain at the hospital overnight for observation, Gray said.

Poll-itics: Senate edition

By GottaLaff

Taegan Goddard brings us more good news. First, Joisey:

According to a new Public Mind Poll, Sen. Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ) is way ahead of rival Dick Zimmer (R) in the New Jersey U.S. Senate race, 44% to 29%.

Key finding: "Even among self-identified Republican voters, Zimmer is not known: A majority (62%) say they don't have an opinion of him or have never heard of him at all."

Said pollster Peter Woolley: "If three quarters of the public know nothing about the Republican nominee for the United States Senate, then he's certainly got a long climb."

Next, a very competitve Oregon race:

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce -- a group philosophically allied with Sen. Gordon Smith (R-OR) -- released a survey warning that Smith "is clearly quite vulnerable" in his re-election race against Jeff Merkley (D), according to the Oregonian.

Smith currently leads Merkley, 38% to 34%.

We need to have a solid majority. We're on our way.