Granite Status: Bill’s NH blast included golf

Various final-week internal polls back up what the Magellan Data and Mapping Strategies poll reported last week, that GOP U.S. Senate candidate Binnie, after saturating (some would say over-saturating) the airwaves with negative advertising, has turned off voters and is in free fall.

Updated, 2:33 p.m. A Colorado pollster has a new poll suggesting Lamontagne could be emerging as front-runner Kelly Ayotte's prime challenger in the Republican U.S. Senate primary race.

►Click here to view the Magella Data survey.
►nashuatelegraph.com: In ’09, Ayotte OK’d settling abortion case
►concordmonitor.com: Charged business gave to Ayotte

Updated, 4:11 p.m. After donating thousands to the state Republican Party and some of its candidates, the former Massachusetts governor and likely 2012 presidential candidate has been named to address a key meeting of the party's activists..

►NH candidate apologizes for Sarah Palin death wish post on Facebook (69)

Updated, 12:18 p.m. A new Rasmussen Reports poll shows Republican John Stephen much closer to incumbent Democrat John Lynch than a recent UNH-WMUR survey.

Updated, 4:08 p.m. A senior vice president of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce will visit New Hampshire Wednesday to campaign in Manchester and Nashua with GOP candidate for governor John Stephen.

Updated, 7:16 p.m. Push polling is back; that nasty practice of one political campaign or group calling you, the prospective voters, and, under the guise of impartial polling or information gathering, give you negative, sometimes inaccurate, information about another political entity, usually a candidate.

►Politico: Supporting Ayotte follows Palin's pattern of backing high-profile women in GOP primaries

Updated, 5:35 p.m. The state's two leading news organizations are again joining forces to produce a series of nine candidate debates in September and October. The 2010 "Granite State Debates" will be held at the New Hampshire Institute of Politics at Saint Anselm College.

Updated, 3:58 p.m. U.S. Senate candidate Kelly Ayotte's campaign raised more than more than $720,000 in the second quarter, the Status has learned. It is Ayotte's biggest quarter yet.

Updated, 2:56 p.m. The New Hampshire Democratic Party says that "even the conservative Union Leader editorial board" acknowledges that Carol Shea-Porter did nothing malicious in sending congratulatory letters to the homes of high school seniors.

Updated, 3:50 p.m. The self-described entrepreneur and Tea Party activist has decided that too many conservatives in the 2nd District pot will spoil the proverbial stew.

Updated, 1:25 p.m. Republican U.S. Senate candidate Kelly Ayotte will be endorsed later today by all nine of the state's county sheriffs.

WEDNESDAY UPDATE: UnionLeader.com has learned that Andy Leach will be promoted to be the Republican State Committee’s new executive director, replacing Paul Collins.

With third quarter federal fundraising reports now public, details are now emerging and charges are flying.

Updated, 3:07 p.m. The congresswoman has $295,957 on hand. Would-be opponents Bob Bestiani and Frank Guinta released their numbers today.

Updated, 2:25 a.m. A new ad from FixItNowNH says it's time for expanded gambling.

Updated, 1:34 p.m. Also, a UNH poll shows that most New Hampshire men aren't pleased with the President.

TUESDAY UPDATE: Nashua Republican Jennifer Horn is expected to run for the 2nd Congressional District seat in 2010.

The moderate Republican represented the 2nd District for six terms until his ouster by Paul Hodes in the Democratic landslide of 2006. Among the big names on his exploratory committee: Tom Rath, Chuck Morse and Scott Hilliard.

►Foster's: Former state Supreme Court justice won't seek U.S. Senate seat
►Gatsas, Roy will debate on October 7 (7)

Updated, 2:19 p.m. The congresswoman says she's under fire from FOX News, Glenn Beck fans and Tea Party protesters.

Laura Van Hove has worked for Bob Dole, Steve Forbes and Rudy Giuliani.

A key senator has high praise for the former attorney general -- but stops short of an endorsement.

Kelly Ayotte already finds herself on the defensive, mostly over her "relationship" with the Washington-based National Republican Senatorial Committee.

The Devine Strategies director says Lamontagne will decide on a U.S. Senate candidacy by the end of the year.

What do they say Charlie Crist, Sarah Palin and Kelly Ayotte have in common?

Outgoing Attorney General Kelly Ayotte continued to attract much political attention in New Hampshire and Washington yesterday.