GOP Faces Tough Battles In Senate And Congressional Races
Two major reports out today detail the deep trouble Republicans are facing in Senate and House races. Democrats now seriously believe they could clinch the "magic 60" Senate seats that will prevent Republican filibusters. Read below for more doom and gloom.
It's "the perfect storm," said Stuart Rothenberg, editor of the nonpartisan Rothenberg Political Report. "You've got Republican voters angry at Republicans, many Americans just petrified about the future...wanting change. And right now change appears to be coming in the form of Democrats."
Not so fast, say Republicans. And even Democrats admit it's too early to say whether they can pick up the necessary seats.
The New York Times is less generous to the GOP:
Top campaign officials for both parties, pollsters and independent experts say the intense focus on the economic turmoil and last week's bailout vote have combined to rapidly expand a Democratic advantage in Congressional contests. Analysts now predict a Democratic surge on a scale that seemed unlikely just weeks ago, with even some Republicans in traditional strongholds fighting for their political careers, and Democratic leaders dreaming of ironclad majorities.
In North Carolina, Senator Elizabeth Dole, a former Republican presidential contender and cabinet member, is teetering. In Kentucky, the opponent of the Senate Republican leader, Mitch McConnell, has drawn even in some polls, though Republicans say they believe he will win.
CNN has a list - via Senator Chuck Schumer - of the states where Democrats are leading :
• Virginia, where former Democratic Gov. Mark Warner is up by double-digit margins in a bid to replace the retiring John Warner;
• New Mexico, where Democratic Rep. Tom Udall is trying to replace the retiring Domenici;• Colorado, where Rep. Mark Udall is trying to take the seat of the retiring Allard;
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• New Hampshire, where former Democratic Gov. Jeanne Shaheen is trying to oust Republican Sen. John Sununu; and
• Alaska, where Anchorage Mayor Mark Begich is trying to oust Republican Sen. Ted Stevens, who is on trial in Washington on corruption charges.
The Kentucky Courier-Journal points out that Senate GOP Leader Mitch McConnell is facing a new onslaught from Democrats, who now believe they have a solid shot at upsetting him:
The national committee supporting Democratic Senate candidates took the unprecedented step yesterday of launching an attack ad against Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell -- indicating the Kentucky race is one the party thinks it can win.
The move comes after months in which the Democratic Senate Campaign Committee largely ignored Louisville businessman Bruce Lunsford's race against McConnell while sinking money into eight other campaigns across the country.
In Minnesota, the race between Democrat Al Franken and Republican incumbent Norm Coleman is tightening in Franken's favor:
Two new Minnesota Public Radio/Humphrey Institute polls find the state's U.S. Senate race is tightening.
Democratic challenger Al Franken went from 9 percentage points behind to 4 points ahead of Republican incumbent Norm Coleman after congressional approval of the Wall Street bailout plan.
Coleman may sink even further as questions grow about whether he had lavish clothing bought on his behalf by a wealthy businessman and prominent GOP donor. HuffPost's Sam Stein has video of Coleman's spokesman awkwardly pushed into a corner after not being able questions about the issue.
Katharine Zaleski is the Senior News Editor for HuffingtonPost.com. She can be reached at zaleski@huffingtonpost.com
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Huffington Post | Katharine Zaleski
First Posted: 10- 9-08 09:20 AM | Updated: 11- 9-08 05:12 AM