The latest Rasmussen poll has incumbent Sen. Pat Roberts, R-Kan., ahead of his Democratic challenger, former U.S. Rep. Jim Slattery, 55 percent to 36 percent with “leaners” included.The telephone poll was conducted Aug. 11 in a survey of 500 likely voters.The Slattery camp could spin this as slightly good news because a July poll had Roberts up by 27 points. But in a June Rasmussen poll, the gap was only 9 points.According to the same poll, Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama picked up five points on Republican Sen. John McCain, who still leads 52 percent to 37 percent in Kansas. McCain had a 20-point lead in a July poll.In other news, several media outlets are making a big deal out of congressional incumbents and their challengers in Kansas likely skipping their national conventions to campaign here. The list includes Democrats Slattery and U.S. Rep. Nancy Boyda, and Republicans Roberts and State Treasurer Lynn Jenkins, Boyda’s opponent for the Second District seat.KWCH in Wichita reports that Republican U.S. Rep. Jerry Moran says he would “take a look” at a Senate bid in 2010 for the seat Sam Brownback is vacating. But Moran says it’s too early for him to put in a lot of effort and attention to the race.