Sens. Pat Toomey, R-Pa., and Claire McCaskill, D-Mo., led an unsuccessful, 40-59, bipartisan effort to try to permanently ban congressionally directed spending known as earmarks.

Eight Republicans from the Appropriations Committee joined all of the panel’s Democrats to oppose the measure. The conservative Club for Growth said they consider this a "key vote."

STAND-OUT VOTES:

Yes:

Bill Nelson, D-Fla. 

Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich.

Mark Udall, D-Colo.

Mark Warner, D-Va.

Kay Hagan, D-N.C. 

Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., Senate Republican leader, Appropriations Committee member

No:

Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn., Appropriations Committee member

Roy Blunt, R-Mo., Appropriations Committee member

Thad Cochran, R-Mo., Appropriations Committee member

Susan Collins, R-Maine, Appropriations Committee member

John Hoeven, R-N.D., Appropriations Committee member

Kay Bailey Hutchison, R-Texas, Appropriations Committee member

James Inhofe, R-Okla. (read more)

Pennsylvania Governor Ed Rendell, a former Chairman of the Democratic National Committee, told Fox News today he thinks Democrats have acted like "a bunch of wusses" when it comes to selling the health care bill to voters, but still sees some of the key races tightening in his state, and suggests that's true of other races across the country.

In the race for U.S. Senate in Pennsylvania, Democrat Joe Sestak has closed a wide gap and finds himself now in a virtual dead heat with Republican Pat Toomey with 10 days to go. The Real Clear Politics average has Toomey maintaining a 2% lead, down from a 10% lead in September.  Rendell says the difference is Democrats have decided to vote.

"They are no longer questionable, they are likely voters," Rendell said. "They've decided even though things aren't perfect, there is a choice here and the choice is to support Democrats who generally are proponents of their values much more than the Republican candidates."

While Rendell is optimistic about Democrats' chances in Pennsylvania, others aren't so sure. Larry Sabato, director of the Center for Politics at the University of Virginia, still gives a "fingernail's edge" to Toomey. (read more)