The Republican Party’s research group today put out a long (more than 1,900-word) post today with the headline: “Obama’s in North Carolina, but Kay Hagan is nowhere to be found.”
Republicans are arguing that the North Carolina Democratic senator, who's in a tough re-election race, is ducking out on the president’s speech in Raleigh because she doesn’t want to be associated with him now that his approval rating has fallen. (A new poll puts it at a new low of 40 percent). RNC Research’s posting links to news stories about Hagan and Obama, interspersed with the GOP’s interpretation. “Hagan hopes North Carolinians will forget that she has been a close Obama ally and rubber stamp,” it says, and “Hagan also doesn’t want voters to recall that she was a key vote for Obamacare and echoed Obama’s ‘Lie of the Year’” (according to Politifact) that people could keep their health insurance if they liked it.
Hagan said in an interview on Tuesday morning that she'd remain in the Senate to be on hand for important votes. The Senate later Tuesday, though, didn’t have the 60 votes needed to proceed on extending federal unemployment insurance. The bill included Hagan’s provision that would restore the federal funds to North Carolina. The state was cut out of the federal jobless benefits program last summer when it reduced state benefits.
The Senate on Wednesday morning began debate on a bill that would freeze federal flood insurance premium increases. In the afternoon senators are scheduled to consider a short-term spending bill.