Bargain hunters helped push the Dow back above 11,000 briefly Tuesday. The Dow Jones industrial average rose 193 points, or 1.8 percent, to 11,003 in morning trading. On Monday, the Dow had its worst day since 2008. It plunged 634.76 points as fear coursed through global markets. Investors worried about the first-ever downgrade to the U.S. credit rating, the slowing U.S. economy, debt problems in Europe and rising inflation in less-developed countries. Hope that the Federal Reserve may announce more help for the economy in the afternoon also lifted stocks/Stan Choe, AP. More here. (AP photo)

Question: How worried are you about the current Wall Street meltdown?

Clay Bennett, Chattanooga Times Free Press

Patty Murray kicks off her general election campaign in Spokane at the West Central Community Center on Thursday morning, Aug. 19, 2010.

OLYMPIA, Wash. – Patty Murray was stuck. Down in the polls for months and facing a well-known Republican challenger, the three-term Democrat was finding a difficult market for her hard-working-senator sales pitch.

Then she started bashing Wall Street and saying her opponent is in the pockets of bankers who want to repeal financial regulations.

Now, less than a month before ballots are distributed in Washington’s vote-by-mail election, Murray is apparently benefiting from some old-fashioned class warfare. She has gone from essentially being tied with challenger Dino Rossi to leading in the latest round of polls, proving that the 2010 Democratic campaign theme of linking the GOP to Wall Street greed can resonate with voters. Curt Woodward, AP Full story.

Wall Street bashing seems to be working for Murray. What do you think of the strategy?

Signe Wilkinson/Philadelphia Inquirer

Item: Wall Street tumbles below 7,000/AP

More Info: Investors turned cautious again Monday as a staggering $61.7 billion in quarterly losses at insurer American International Group Inc. touched off fresh worries about the health of the nation’s financial system.

Question: What’s your financial strategy at this point?