Sen. Hagan distances herself from Obama, hides out in DC, while Obama visits North Carolina

Democratic Senator Kay Hagan is a facing a tough re-election campaign in North Carolina, which apparently has compelled her to remain in Washington DC on Wednesday and to distance herself from President Obama when he arrives in her home state.

The LA Times notes that, "the notable absence at Obama's first trip outside the Beltway in this election year highlights a perennial quandary for embattled candidates and less-than-popular presidents. With a battle for control of the Senate looming and the president's approval rating deflated, Democrats and the White House will spend much of this year grappling with whether their most vulnerable candidates will be helped or harmed by a visit from Obama and how to keep those candidates some distance — but not too far — from the president."

Apparently, Sen. Hagan is of the opinion that standing beside Obama when he addresses North Carolina audiences is not in her best interest - not during a re-election campaign.

The Cataret County News Times reports:

She’s remaining in Washington, D.C., where her spokesman said she had to because the Senate was in session.

But on Oct. 17, 2011, even though the Senate was in session, Sen. Hagan was in Asheville with Mr. Obama as part of his bus tour to push his jobs plan... Senate records, said Andrew Johnson yesterday on National Review’s “The Corner,” show Sen. Hagan was still able to make it back to Washington in time to cast votes on Oct. 17, 2011, at 5:31 p.m., after which she was interviewed by MSNBC’s Chris Matthews.

But that was then.

This is now!

Obviously Sen. Hagan doesn’t want to appear with Mr. Obama because … well … she obviously believes he would be a drag on her re-election chances.’

The White House Dossier blog notes

Sen. Kay Hagan will remain in Washington, where she supposedly needs to work on her important Senate stuff.

But the Senate isn’t expected to take up any serious legislation until “late in the day,” according to The Hill’s Floor Action blog, when it “may” begin work on a wide ranging spending bill. Obama will be back from North Carolina by 3:15 pm ET.

Hagan has been roundly criticized for parroting President Obama's infamous lie that people who like their health insurance plans and their doctors will be able to keep them after the passage of Obamacare.

However, the Senator, in recent months, has distanced herself from the disastrous rollout of Obamacare, and, it seems, she is now distancing herself from Obama whose poll numbers, in recent months, weeks and days have plummeted to new lows.

Hagan's decision to distance herself from the President prompted Americans for Prosperity to release a video on Thursday criticizing the Senator for "hiding out" in Washington, "while her buddy Barack is in North Carolina." Heh.