U.S. Rep. Mike McIntyre has acknowledged his association with a secretive Christian group in Washington that seeks to influence national and international political figures.

The group, alternately known as The Family, The Foundation or The Fellowship maintains a three-story house called The C Street House that hosts prayer meetings and receptions and is where several Washington lawmakers live, The Wilmington Star-News reports.

The house is registered with the IRS as a church.

McIntyre, a Lumberton Democrat, was responding to press queries following a Salon.com article that named 23 senators, representatives and previous political leaders who have been associated with the C Street House or counseled by the organization.

Though the group says it exists to help lawmakers better understand the teachings of Christ, recently the group has been associated with the sex scandals of three elected officials - Sen. John Ensign, R-Nev., South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford and former Rep. Chip Pickering, R-Miss.

McIntyre's Washington office sent an email statement about his association with the C Street House: "For several years, I have attended a one-hour weekly Bible study lunch at the C Street House with other Members of Congress who do not live there. This time has always been an opportunity to share our faith and discuss Scripture over a meal. I have never sought counsel from any group associated with or that happens to meet at the house, nor have I been lobbied by any such group."

Presidential candidate and former U.S. Senator John Edwards is facing the election of his life, or at least of the weekend.

Edwards has the dubious distinction of being nominated for The Fix's "Worst Political Sex Scandal" weekend poll. Edwards and his former mistress Rielle Hunter are are listed as one of four scandalous couples.

The Washington Post's Chris Cillizza has nominated Edwards, although is fellow nominees may have the inside track since their ballot entries are written with a little more zing (e.g. John Ensign, his best friend's wife and $96,000 from his parents).

Polls are still open, so Dome deems it unfair to the integrity of the election to give a running tally of votes. Let's just say, there's still a chance Edwards can win this race.

Hat tip: RTB 

President Obama's handshake with Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez during a summit of Western Hemisphere leaders left many Republicans steaming.

Republican Sen. John Ensign of Nevada called it "irresponsible for the President to be seen kind of laughing and joking with Hugo Chávez," Jim Morrill reports.

But eight years ago this week, it was a Republican laughing and joking with Chávez — in of all places, Hickory.

It was the only U.S. stop Chavez made on his way back from a Summit of the Americas in Quebec. He spent two days with then-GOP Rep. Cass Ballenger, who hosted a barbecue dinner for the leftist leader at his home.

The two also toured several businesses, including Ballanger's, and visited a day care center.

Ballenger, chairman of the Western Hemisphere Subcommittee of International Relations, had met Chávez on a trip to Venezuela and said the two "hit it off."

Chávez took home a pair of baseball socks made for him at Catawba County Community College and a favorable impression of at least one corner of America.

"We've seen Cass' business, we spoke with his workers," Chávez said at the time. "This should be the idea of capitalism."

A Republican group says it may also spend millions in North Carolina.

U.S. Sen. John Ensign, chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, said today that it will match "dollar for dollar" the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee in at least eight states, including here.

The DSCC has indicated that it may spend as much as $6 million on the race between U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Dole and Democratic rival Kay Hagan.

According to the June campaign finance reports, the NRSC is about $20 million short of the amount it would need to match the DSCC's $45 million in ad buys.

In a statement, Ensign challenged his colleagues to make up the difference.

"While I am aware we do not currently have the funds to match the DSCC, I am giving our (independent expenditure group) this budget on faith — faith that my Republican colleagues will step up to the challenge and transfer the funds necessary to remain competitive with the Democrats," he said.

At least one U.S. senator has already transferred campaign cash to the group in response.

Elizabeth Dole may have taken Jesse Helms' seat, but Richard Burr took his place.

According to rankings by a University of California at San Diego professor, Burr has occupied the same place in the political spectrum since joining the Senate in 2005.

Developed by political scientist Keith Poole, the rankings are based on an analysis of every roll call vote in the Senate since 1937, a method that he says better captures the ideological consistency of Congressional lawmakers than cherry-picking certain issues.

In the 2005-2006 and 2007-2008 sessions, Burr was ranked the sixth most conservative senator. He is currently ranked as less conservative than only Sens. John Ensign of Nevada, Jon Kyl of Arizona, Jim DeMint of South Carolina and Jim Inhofe and Tom Coburn of Oklahoma.

Helms was ranked the sixth most conservative senator in the 2001-2002 session.

Dole, who took Helms' seat in 2003, has become more conservative during her tenure. She was ranked the 30th most conservative senator in the 2003-2004 session, the 27th most conservative in the 2005-2006 session and the 16th most conservative in the 2007-2008 session.

Sen. John Edwards was the 38th most liberal senator in the 2001-2002 session and the 20th most liberal senator in the 2003-2004 session.

The head of the National Republican Senatorial Committee called North Carolina's race "competitive."

In a lunch sponsored by the Christian Science Monitor in Washington, Sen. John Ensign listed Sen. Elizabeth Dole's re-election bid against state Sen. Kay Hagan here as among the 10 most competitive races in the country.

The New York Times reported that he was hopeful, however:

And while Mr. Obama's popularity in North Carolina may alter the landscape there and that its Senate race is definitely on his "watch list," he praised Senator Elizabeth Dole's re-election bid and cited her new commercials. 

The Politico adds that Ensign also said "Obama's liberal agenda might help politically vulnerable GOP senators such as Elizabeth Dole."

Ensign replaced Dole as the chair of the senatorial committee.

Sen. Elizabeth Dole is feeling generous.

The North Carolina Republican is the only member of her party in the U.S. Senate who wrote a personal check to the National Republican Senatorial Committee.

Roll Call, a Capitol Hill newspaper, reports ($) that Nevada Sen. John Ensign is meeting with senators one-on-one to push them to help the committee catch up with its Democratic counterparts.

Though a few GOP leaders have given from their leadership committees, Dole was the only one to write a personal check, which was for $28,500.

Perhaps it's because she still doesn't have a Democratic opponent.