'Miracle' needed to win back Senate

[ylexot]

http://www.washingtontimes.com/national/20050429-124430-4013r.htm

Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid raised a few eyebrows yesterday on the Senate floor when he said it would take a "miracle" for Democrats to win enough races next year to take back the Senate.

"I would like to think a miracle would happen and we would pick up five seats this time," he said during a floor debate over the filibusters of President Bush's judicial nominees. "I guess miracles never cease."

I love how the spokesman always reverses the story after they realize they said something stupid...

"As a small-town boy from Searchlight, Nevada, who rose to become Democratic leader of the U.S. Senate, Senator Reid has shown that we can overcome the odds and is certain that we can win back the Senate," Mr. Manley said.

...but it's going to take a miracle
(Mr. Manley...must be nice to have that name)

 

[rraley]

There's no way to win back the Senate in the next cycle from a logical standpoint. I'm saying a max of 3-4 pickups.

First of all, Democrats have to defend more seats in the next cycle than the GOP and many of the states where Republicans are running are very red states (except most notably Lincoln Chafee of Rhode Island, who is getting creamed in early polling). Having to defend an open seat in Maryland , Minnesota, and Vermont only worsen the prospects for winning the Senate back.

The three I say Democrats pick-up: Conrad Burns in Montana, Rick Santorum in Pennsylvania, and Chafee in Rhode Island.