Lisa Lisa And The Cult Of Obama Jam

It's been a topsy-turvy week for Dem SEN recruiters. To wit:

-- In IL, Gibbs shoots down talk that Madigan's WH meeting means an Obama endorsement. But doesn't an invite to the WH alone signal his leanings? Alexi's strongly worded criticism suggests he hasn't been invited to sit down with his b'ball bud.

-- Will Madigan decide that a GOV race is easier? She's got $5M in the bank. Plus, Quinn's ongoing struggles to pass a budget in a Dem-controlled legislature (run by her dad, of course), are sure to hurt his standings. Meanwhile, dragging this out isn't such a bad thing for Dems. It only keeps Kirk on the fence a little longer - ensuring that the GOP field stays frozen.

-- Meanwhile in LA, Melancon's likely decision to challenge Sen. Vitter plugs what was a glaring gap in the Dems' recruiting map. Was news of the Ensign scandal enough to push Melancon off the fence? Or was it the recognition that his district was a goner in post-redistricting '12? While the scandal-tainted Vitter is vulnerable, GOPers like to point out that the Blue Dog's voting record has been 100% w/Obama and Pelosi.

-- In the end, Dems would love to pick up LA, but from a PR standpoint, an IL SEN sideshow is much more problematic. But if Obama can't clear the primary, can we expect Menendez to do any better?