The Fix - Chris Cillizza's politics blog on washingtonpost.com - May 3, 2009

Rank	Race	Current Party	Change
1	Connecticut	Democrat	Up
2	New Hampshire	Republican	Up
3	Missouri	Republican	Up
4	Kentucky	Republican	Down
5	Pennsylvania	Democrat	Up
6	Ohio	Republican	Down
7	Colorado	Democrat	Down
8	Illinois	Democrat	Up
9	Louisiana	Republican	Up
10	Delaware	Democrat	None

Rank	Race	Current Party	Change
1	LA-02	Republican	None
2	ID-01	Democratic	None
3	DE-AL	Republican	Up
4	NH-01	Democrat	None
5	MD-01	Democrat	Down
6	NY-23	Republican	Up
7	PA-06	Republican	Up
8	AL-02	Democrat	Down
9	MS-01	Democrat	Down
10	CA-44	Republican	None

Rank	Race	Current Party	Change
1	Kansas	Democrat	None
2	R.I.	Republican	None
3	Hawaii	Republican	Up
4	Nevada	Republican	Down
5	Tennessee	Democrat	Up
6	Michigan	Democrat	Up
7	Oklahoma	Democrat	Down
8	Virginia	Democrat	Up
9	Florida	Republican	Down
10	N.J.	Democrat	Up

Rank	Race	Primary	Change
1	Texas Gov.	Republican	Up
2	Pa. Senate	Democrat	Up
3	Calif. Gov.	Republican	None
4	N.Y. Senate	Democrat	Down
5	Fla. Senate	Republican	Up
6	Michigan Gov.	Republican	Up
7	Ky. Senate	Democrat	Up
8	Utah Senate	Republican	Up
9	S.C. Gov.	Republican	Down
10	Kan. Senate	Republican	Down

Twittering Nerd Prom

Tonight is the biggest annual event of the year in Washington: the White House Correspondents Dinner!

All sorts of celebrities turn out and reporters and politicians gawk at them. And, armed only with an iPhone and our wits, the Fix will be doing some twittering from tonight's dinner -- trying to give Fixistas the sights, sounds and smells (you never know) from the event the incomparable Ana Marie Cox has dubbed "Nerd Prom".

The Fix Personality Page

It's confirmed: the Fix has a personality. A personality page, that is -- the latest creation of the tech wizards at the Post to feature tours truly.

The Line: The Republican Influencers

Former Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Ridge's no-go Senate decision on Thursday robbed Republicans of a potentially appealing face to lead their party back to relevancy in 2010.

The Fix Chats Live

Always wanted to give the Fix a piece of your mind? Now's your chance. We'll be chatting live online starting at 11 a.m. You can submit questions in advance or just follow the chat in real time.

White House Cheat Sheet: Obama's Latino Courtship

Today's Spanish-language town hall meeting hosted by Labor Secretary Hilda Solis is the latest evidence of the White House's active courtship of Latinos -- the nation's largest minority group and a (still) sleeping giant in electoral politics.

Ridge: "We Have To Be Less Judgmental"

Fresh off his decision not to run for the Senate in 2010, former Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Ridge told Philadelphia-based radio talk show host Michael Smerconish this afternoon that the GOP needs to be "less judgmental" in order to reclaim their majority status in the country.

Ridge Out, Democratic Prospects Brighten

Former Gov. Tom Ridge has removed himself out of consideration as a challenger to Sen. Arlen Specter (D) next fall, a decision that significantly brightens Democratic prospects of holding the seat.

McConnell's Stealth Gitmo Campaign

As the Republican party continues to struggle to find a voice to match that of President Barack Obama, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell is doing everything he can to elevate the president's decision to close the Guantanamo Bay prison facility into a winning issue for the GOP.

White House Cheat Sheet: Sifting Through the Specter Damage

A series of odd incidents that have proceeded from Pennsylvania Sen. Arlen Specter's party switch last week have raised questions about whether the newest Democrat has permanently damaged himself in the eyes of the state's voters.

Wag the Blog Redux: Do Primaries Help or Hurt?

Yesterday's announcement that former Florida state House Speaker Marco Rubio will challenge Florida governor Charlie Crist, if, as expected, Crist runs for the state's Senate seat, opened the door for discussion about the nature of political primaries.

Polling the Torture Debate

New poll data out of CNN suggests that most Americans believe the harsh interrogation techniques used by CIA interrogators was torture but are far more divided about whether or not they approve or disapprove of those techniques.

Arlen Specter and the Perils of Party Switching

Pennsylvania Sen. Arlen Specter's first week as a Democrat can't have gone as he had planned it.

White House Cheat Sheet: Republican Recruiting Recovering

Republicans, out of power in Washington and struggling badly to find new leaders to match President Barack Obama at the national level, are on the verge of a series of recruiting successes in the early days of the 2010 election that suggest their electoral prospects may be -- slowly -- improving.

Huntsman Rising, Weaver Advising

Less than 24 hours after Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman's national profile received a nice -- and unexpected -- boost from the man who managed President Obama's 2008 campaign, comes words that John Weaver is providing strategic guidance to the governor.

Wag the Blog: Do Primaries Help or Hurt?

Today's announcement by Florida state House Speaker Marco Rubio that he will challenge Gov. Charlie Crist for the Republican Senate nomination is the latest in a series of terrific primaries on tap for next year.

Conservatives Move To Set Tone on Court Fight

With recent news reports suggesting that President Barack Obama is moving quickly to fill the vacancy created by Supreme Court Justice David Souter's retirement, a leading conservative legal group has released a memo suggesting that the process be slowed down.

Rubio's Running in Florida Senate

Former state House Speaker Marco Rubio (R) will run for the open seat being vacated by Sen. Mel Martinez (R), setting up a near-certain primary fight with popular Gov. Charlie Crist next year.

White House Cheat Sheet: Confirmation Politics 101

The search for the man (or woman) who will replace retiring Supreme Court Justice David Souter began in earnest Monday as President Barack Obama placed calls to Sens. Arlen Specter (D-Pa.) and Orrin Hatch (R-Pa.) to sound them out on the process.

Palin To Be Part of National Council

Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin will be part of the National Council for a New America, an attempt by leaders in Congress and potential 2012 presidential candidates to rebrand the struggling party.

The Rise and Fall of John Edwards

The news that former Sen. John Edwards is under federal investigation for the possibility that campaign dollars were used as hush money for his mistress is simply the latest blow to a politician who rose faster and fell harder than almost anyone in recent history.

The Fix: May 3, 2009 - May 9, 2009