>> possible senate votes gave vulnerable fresh monica hagen an alibi from being in her home town where the president poses a threat to her at-risk re-election. they have targeted her seat as one of six needed to claim the majority. >> senator hagen is nowhere to be found where her buddy barack is in north carolina, she's in washington hiding out. >> at the white house, spokesman jay carney attacked the media when asked if the white house worries that mr. obama's growing popularity hurts democrats and if hagen wasn't blowing off the president with a lame excuse. >> i understand having been there, the urgent desire to turn every story ten months out into an election story. i promise you this is not one. >> my question is this, does the president worry that he is a drag at this point? in a time where he needs to maintain the senate so -- >> all i can tell you is the president is traveling to north carolina.