Obama's Approval Rating Inches Up

President Barack Obama’s approval rating has seen a slight increase, according to a new Gallup poll.

The survey shows that the President now stands with 43 percent approval, a 5 percent increase from the 38 percent he charted just earlier this month.

The polling agency says that the increase could be attributed to the death of Libyan leader Moammar Gaddafi, the new plan to remove U.S. troops from Iraq by year’s end and improvements in the stock market.

The poll was conducted October 24th through the 26th among 1,565 adults.

Gingrich: Early Days Of Campaign Weren’t Fun

While on Capitol Hill Wednesday evening, 2012 hopeful Newt Gingrich acknowledged the struggle his campaign went through during its early days.

“As some of you know, we had a fairly tough couple months this summer,” Gingrich said, quipping, “The campaign wasn’t as much fun as we had planned.”

Gingrich has had a steady rise in popularity since the campaign’s start, which was marred by reports that a large portion of his staff abandoned the campaign and that the Gingriches owed over a quarter of a million to jewelers Tiffany & Co.

Massachusetts Dem Calls It Quits After Two Decades In Office

The following statement was released Wednesday by Rep. John Olver (D-Mass.):

“Since 1991, I have had the privilege and great honor of representing the people of the First District of Massachusetts in the U.S. House of Representatives. The district has grown much larger from the district as it was in 1991, and these twenty years have been tumultuous years for America. Last December, I announced that I intended to seek to continue my congressional service beyond 2012.  Over the past six months, circumstances within my family have substantially changed, and I now find I must reconsider my earlier decision. Therefore, I will retire from the House of Representatives at the conclusion of the current (112th) Congress.”

House Minority Whip Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) called Olver a “tireless fighter for the people of Western Massachusetts since he was first elected to the House in 1991.”

Joe The Plumber Announces House Run

Sam Wurzelbacher, more popularly known as “Joe the Plumber” has announced plans to run for the Congressional seat currently held by long-serving Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur.

In a video released online, Wurzelbacher told reporters in an Ohio restaurant that he will run as a Republican but added “by god, that does not encompass who I am since I’m going to represent all Americans.”

Wurzelbacher became a fixture of Sen. John McCain’s (R-Ariz.) 2008 presidential campaign as a symbol for average voters. There was speculation that Wurzelbacher could make a run for office in 2010, but he ultimately declined.

Earlier this month, Wurzelbacher filed paperwork for a House run with the FEC.

Cain Gains Name Recognition

Presidential hopeful Herman Cain has had a 28 percent spike in name recognition among Republicans since last month, according to a new Gallup poll.

Cain, is now considered a top tier GOP candidate after failing to garner much attention for the bulk of the campaign season, went from 50 percent name recognition in September to 28 percent. In March, only 21 percent of Republicans recognized the former Businessman’s name.

The new poll was conducted Oct. 10 through 23rd among random samples of Republicans and Republican leaning independents.