With the U.S. jobless rate climbing to 9.8%, there's speculation that the sputtering economy will give the Democrats problems in the 2010 elections. Columnist Ezra Klein doesn't think so, saying that however bad the Democrats may look, Republicans look much worse to the public.

David Paterson is the current Democratic Governor of New York and for now that means squat with only 1 in 5 New Yorkers approving of the job he's doing. The White House has taken interest in the issue, going so far as to have its political director meet with Patterson and assigning local volunteers to head up his campaign.

Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison (R) officially kicked off her bid for Governor of Texas in the 2010. While not a surprise, her first attack on current governor Rick Perry was interesting:

“Now he's trying to stay too long — 14 years, maybe longer,” Hutchison said. She accused Perry of leaving the state with record-high property taxes, spiraling debt, excessive school tuition and dropout rates and the largest number of uninsured children in the nation. “Ten years is enough. We can do better."

“We need results, not politics. And that starts with term limits for Texas governor. For any governor, eight years is enough,” Hutchison said. “We can’t afford 14 years of one person appointing every state board, agency and commission. It invites patronage. It tempts cronyism. And it has to stop, now.”

If she's elected, would the 3 term Senator stick around for more than two terms as Governor, would she really push that hard for term limits?

It's official, Joe Sestak will be challenging Republican-turned-Democrat Arlen Specter. The Fix takes a look at key factors in the race.

In the wake of Mark Sanford and John Ensign hiking off their political careers, the GOP ship appears rudderless and lost. As to the Captain's chair, South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham and Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty have been seen in the area, though of course it's nothing official.

PA Congressman Joe Sestak seems intent on getting into the 2010 Senatorial race, never mind that Specter fellow who switched from Republican to Democrat a few weeks ago.

Sestak is former Navy Vice Admiral who's short political career has proved him to be a formidable oppenent and excellent fundraiser. Despite or perhaps because of threat to Specter, members of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee are planning to visit Sestak in Pennsylvania in order to convince him from running.    Continues...

So Arlen Specter switched parties, going from Republican to Democrat, because polls showed him getting beat in the Republican primary by Pat Toomeny. After the switch, polls showed Specter the Democrat beating the hell outta Toomey, 53-33.

But what if former Pennsylvania Governor Tom Ridge ran for the Republican spot? He'd trounce Toomey in the primary and give Specter a run for his money in the general (46-43). Could be interesting, if Ridge decides to be a resident of Pennsylvania again.

Speculation, there and there, about the 2010 elections in the House and Senate and whether the Democrats can keep their majorities.