The Note: Results Matter

— -- WASHINGTON, Sep. 13

With a hot-off-the presses ABC News poll showing that terrorism has inched up in importance in the 2006 midterm elections (raise your hand if you are surprised), here's what you need to know about Tuesday's primary results:

Rhode Island GOP Senate primary - 99% reporting

Lincoln Chafee 54%
Stephen Laffey 46%

New York DEM Senate primary - 99% reporting

Hillary Clinton 83%
Jonathan Tasini 17%

Maryland DEM Senate primary - 93% reporting

Ben Cardin 46%
Kweisi Mfume 38%

AZ-08 GOP primary - 99% reporting

Randy Graf 43%
Steve Huffman 37%

AZ-08 DEM primary - 99% reporting

Gabrielle Giffords 54%
Patty Weiss 31%

Rhode Island:
Sen. Lincoln Chafee's (R-RI) win over Cranston Mayor Steve Laffey dealt the Democrats a setback in their uphill climb to take back control of the Senate. Whereas the NRSC was prepared to concede Rhode Island to the Democrats if Laffey had prevailed, polls show Sen. Chafee running about even with Democrat Sheldon Whitehouse. If nothing else, Tuesday's results showed that the RNC's 72-hour program is alive and well. It also showed that Dan Ronayne can sell anything -- even an anti-Bush, anti-tax cut, anti-Iraq war, anti-Alito, anti-putting-Osama-Bin-Laden-to-death Senator. Rhode Island voters: get ready for a steady diet of 41, FFLOTUS, Sen. McCain, and FLOTUS.

New York:

Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-NY) nearly cleared the 85.3% anti-anti-war bar set by The Note yesterday. Having vanquished Jonathan Tasini, she now faces the equally daunting task of defeating former Yonkers Mayor John Spencer in November. The question that answers itself: how much will the New York and national media give a megaphone to any outrageous charge Spencer makes, by web video, press release, or carrier pigeon?

Maryland:
Rep. Ben Cardin's (D-MD) win over former NAACP head Kweisi Mfume should strengthen the Democrats hand in November against the GOP's candidate, Lt. Gov. Michael Steele (R-MD).

AZ-08:
NRCC Chairman Tom Reynolds (R-NY) has identified Arizona's eighth congressional district as one of the three toughest seats for Republicans to hold onto in 2006--and that was before immigration hard-liner Randy Graf beat Steve Huffman, the NRCC's preferred candidate.

Minnesota:
By winning the Democratic nomination for an open House seat in a reliably Democratic Minnesota district, state Rep. Keith Ellison is expected to become the first Muslim in Congress.

Big picture:
Democrats need to worry that low-turnout in a lot of places suggests that there may not be a tsunami building for November. And in New York, can a likely top of the ticket sweep help Democrats put more U.S. House races in play?

President Bush attends an RNC fundraiser at the Evermay mansion in Georgetown which is expected to raise $850,000. The President will be introduced by RNC Chair Ken Mehlman.

According to one House Democratic official, Rep. Murtha today plans "to speak on the war's negative impact on military readiness and will announce plans to introduce a no confidence resolution on Rumsfeld."

At 10:45 am ET, House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi and Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid hold a press conference with national security experts following a meeting at the U.S. Capitol. Former Clinton Secretary of State Madeline Albright, former Supreme Allied Commander Europe of NATO and retired U.S. Army General Wesley Clark and former Carter National Security Advisor Zbigniew Brzezinski will speak to the group and make remarks to the media following the meeting.

Providing a convenient peg for anyone to look at the Connecticut House races, Rep. Chris Shays (R-CT) holds his second hearing on "Iraq: What Will It Take to Achieve National Reconciliation?" in Rayburn 2154.

Meanwhile, the DCCC's A-list is coming to DC for a "March to the Majority" reception at the Sewall-Belmont House on Capitol Hill. They will also be meeting with the House Democratic caucus, DCCC staff, and the AFL-CIO.

Rep. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) unveils a new progressive vision on "Health Care for All," Washington, DC.

Former Gov. Mark Warner (D-VA) hosts a fundraiser for his Forward Together PAC, in New York, NY.

All the "Mortgage Moms" out there will want to keep an eye on a 10:00 am ET "Housing Bubble and the Economy" hearing being held by the Senate Banking Committee in Dirksen 538.

An 11:00 am ET rally is planned on the West Front of the Capitol with members of Congress, business leaders, and others to demand that border security be paired with immigration reform. Commerce Secretary Carols Gutierrez and NALEO officials hold an 11:00 am ET press conference on immigration reform on the Cannon Terrace.

Earlier today, NRSC Chair Elizabeth Dole (R-NC) was slated to address Women Impacting Public Policy at the Hyatt Regency in Washington, DC. Amy Walter of the Cook Political Report speaks to the same group at 10:15 am ET.

The New America Foundation holds a 2:30 pm ET discussion with George Soros on "The Age of Fallibility."

The Georgetown University Law Center holds an address, "The Feminist Case Against Abortion." Serrin M. Foster, president of Feminists for Life of America participates.

Gubernatorial candidate Phil Angelides (D-CA) will be Sam Donaldson's guest on ABC News Now's "Politics Live" at 1:35 pm ET. The Schwarzenegger campaign is charging "improper and unethical behavior" on the part of the Angelides campaign in its role in obtaining and leaking to the media a controversial audio recording of Gov. Schwarzenegger. How will Angelides respond to those charges? Be sure to tune into ABC News Now's "Politics Live" at 1:35 pm ET. LINK

The Senate resumes consideration of the port security bill (HR 4954). The first vote will occur at 12:15 p.m. Further votes are possible throughout the day.

The House meets at 10:00 am ET to consider HR 4893 to amend Section 20 of the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act to restrict off-reservation gambling, to consider:

ABC News poll:
ABC News is out with a new poll this morning that will likely bring smiles to (or at least ease the grimaces and furrowed brows of) the faces of those Republican donors the President plans to address at Evermay today. The new poll numbers should also provide some good fodder for the President when he heads to the Hill tomorrow to pump up the Republican conference.

"Terrorism has inched up in importance in the 2006 midterm elections and Republicans have regained an edge in trust to handle it – helping George W. Bush's party move closer to the Democrats in congressional vote preference," writes ABC News' Polling Director Gary Langer.

"The Republicans lead the Democrats in trust to handle terrorism by 48-41 percent among registered voters in this ABC News poll, a flip from a seven-point Democratic advantage last month. And 16 percent now call terrorism the top issue in their vote, a slight five-point gain."

"The Republicans' edge on handling terrorism is still vastly below their 35-point lead on the issue heading into the 2002 midterm elections. But it's still their best issue – the one Bush rode to re-election. And part of their gain is among independents, the key swing voters in any election: They now split between the parties in trust to handle terrorism, after favoring the Democrats by nine points last month."

Tuesday's primaries: overview:
On "Good Morning America," ABC News' Jake Tapper said, "A few weeks ago the political landscape looked a lot scarier for Republicans and incumbents, but two things have changed. One, voters have started paying more attention after Labor Day --