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.

From CNN:

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 [e-mail]

Comments

[cruisepuppy7452a]

Yeah, well I just made thier week a whole lot worse. I reported the electronic touch screen voting machines to be using the same software used in the DIEBOLD machines. This means, no paper ballots and you can have your vote flipped after the fact. Hello. I spoke directly to the Obamma camp to have this checked out to avoid any and all potential theft of absentee ballots in Mo as well as others throughout the country. Guys, I am not going to let this election get stolen too. I gave my name, ect. If they have nothing to hide, let them be checked out. If they balk, we know I was right.

[totaldisbelief]

Turn the Republicans into an underclass.

[BernieBernie]

How Racism Works!

What if John McCain were a former president of the Harvard Law Review?

What if Barack Obama finished fifth from the bottom of his graduating class?

What if McCain were still married to the first woman he said?

What if Obama were the candidate who left his first wife after she no longer measured up to his standards?

What if Michelle Obama were a wife who not only became addicted to pain killers, but acquired them illegally through her charitable organization?

What if Cindy McCain graduated from Harvard?

What if Obama were a member of the "Keating 5"?

What if McCain was a charismatic, eloquent speaker?

What if Obama had an unwed, pregnant daughter?

What if McCain was a Muslim?

If these questions reflect reality, do you really believe the election numbers would be as close as they are?

This is what racism does. It covers up, rationalizes and minimizes positive qualities in a person and emphasizes negative qualities in another. Now ask yourself this question. Is this the way Jesus taught us to treat each other?

[ObamAtomic]

Family Values Republican Way!

[hardlyhikin]

Great post Bernie! So obvious yet how many of us think enough to express the concept so cogently. You've given us some new "talking points", thanks.

[Spesabsquemetu]

It is difficult, after watching the summoning from the bowels of hell by the Palin-McCain hate filled rhetoric, to imagine any republican ever being worthy of the American people's trust - ever again.

If John McCain and Sarah Palin and their hate-filled depraved perverted slanderous commentary is the republican ideal of leadership - GOD HELP AMERICA.

[SilverFoxUna]

We can acknowledge some noteworthy accomplishments and ideologies which have been promoted by decent, ethical members of the Republican Party. Abraham Lincoln immediately comes to mind. What we see in the current administration and GOP is not even close by any definition. Self-respecting Republicans should cringe at the thought of supporting their party's actions and positions as a means to insuring their party's continued control of the White House. Mud-slinging and appealing to hate are not winning. At a time when this country is fearing a financial explosion of nuclear proportions these folks can't see past their nose. And they might be cutting it off to spite their face - a face that looks alot like hypocrisy.

[hardlyhikin]

Historically, Lincoln may have been the father of the Republican party but philosophically they are the old racist Dixiecrats. There are no two ways about it. I'd bet Abe Lincoln would never have been a Republican were he alive at this point in history.

Many of us are too young to remember it but, prior to John Kennedy's presidency, I don't think a single southern state had elected a Republican president or senator since Reconstruction. The exodus of Dixiecrats (conservative, southern Democrats) to the Republican party began with the civil rights movement and became a landrush to the right when the Civil Rights Act was passed in 1964. When Democrats became the party that expanded civil rights to all citizens the modern Republican party was born.

Given the record, I think "decent, ethical members of the Republican party" are a pretty rare breed.

[SoCalM]

Repubs are the ones championing deregulation.

Repubs are the ones filibustering Congress to death.

Repubs are the ones who want to destroy government

Time to get rid of the Repubs in one fell swoop.

[springsm]

Well it hasn't damaged enough of them nearly enough. And do you think the lesser endowed will call the McCain groupies liars for the smut and terror they are raising...NO! They will believe it...so those who don't want more of same had better be urging the vote.

[lisakaz2]

Big Oil can't get 'em outta Dodge this time. Of course, they still could steal the election. Everyone be on alert!

[lornejl]

ALL repubs must GO ! We will work on the treasonous dems in odd 10.

[MIKEBC]

ALL THIS BAD NEWS ON WALL ST. >THIS NEWS IS THE NICE SOUND OF DECADES OF CONSERVATIVE IDEOLOGY COLLAPSING.

[viggoros]

This is about GOP ideology falling apart. They like to have the fox in chart of the hen house. They should not be governing at all. They have no idea how to do it. The democrat with Roosevelt in the 1930's put the economy back on track again. We will have to do it again. And we will have more oversight as a result of what the GOP deregulation has created.

[super]

Get ready the tar and feathers...

[lisakaz2]

Please! I wanna spread on the tar with my cane. I'll make it nice and smooth.

[ADVOCATE4ZPG]

Yes! There hasn't been enough SERIOUS talk about punishment for those dragging the U.S. into this maelstrom: What about a retroactive income tax to recoup some of the 43 BILLIONs in bonuses paid out of "Wall Street" bond traders last year? What about some serious investigations of home price evaluation FRAUD? What about putting the CAPITAL GAINS tax back up to the level of earned income? Plainly, most of the fruits of the present, capital gains lucre has been merely to drive up the PRICE of assets--not job-creating INVESTMENTS as both the McCain and Bush idiots claim?

[SilverFoxUna]

Speaking of home price evaluation fraud - according to McCain's debate statements, he would have home mortgages renegotiated and have them bought out. In other words, his plan would pay 100% of any renegotiated value. The truth is the renegotiation would cut at least 20% of the average home value (although some figures are much higher). and given the volatility of the market, guaranteed loans would pick off devalued homes for a price break. The bank loses nothing because the taxpayers would pay for those losses. Equity?? What equity? No equity in the plan or the value of those homes! We don't need to reward those bad lenders by giving them taxpayer money to offset their bungling of the housing crisis. Don't let the Chameleon Team blur the facts!

[sonoffestus]

Can I operate the guillotine?.............. Please , please.

[tsloan]

Fascism will come to America riding an elephant....draped in a flag and carrying a cross....

[Bluejay00234]

Come on Americans lets get rid of them all.

[ADVOCATE4ZPG]

The stupidiest form of nihilist (albeit unknowing!) venting!

[totaldisbelief]

A gross oversimplification at the very least.

[BlueBoomer]

And the last 4 years has severely damaged the REST OF US!!!

[chickenfeet]

brilliant.
the impressive grassroots network obama's established in all these states will deliver the votes not only to obama but to the democrats down the ticket. then, when he's president, he will actually be able to accomplish something because the bloviating republican minority in congress will be futher emasculated . absolutely brill.
remember wailin' palin belittling obama's community-organizing experiences? let's grind that mudpie in her face.

[Insiteful]

I will everything in my power to have Elizabeth Dole removed from office here in NC. She's done absolutely nothing for the middle-class since she's been in office.

She's a worthless, neo-con, corporatist shill. Good riddance, I say!!

[ADVOCATE4ZPG]

D'accord! She was never anything more than a opportunist and windy echo of Bob; ol' 'SUGAR LIPS' Betty never troubled her self-styled, plutocratic mind with an original idea.....! She deserves to be left batting back the tears of self-pity when she loses!!!

[SilverFoxUna]

I don't live in NC but I remember this woman's nincompoopy incompetence when she headed the Red Cross. There was a man who was imprisoned almost one year by the Mexican government for trying to get medical equipment and supplies to some interior communities. The cargo was confiscated and he was accused of bringing in contraband. He was a representative of the Red Cross, yet she did nothing to help that guy out. Zilch, nada. Public outrage got that guy out of jail. She's bad news.