Election Roundup -- Senate 2006 (WH worries)

... strategists for the White House and the Republican party are increasingly concerned about losing control of the Senate in this November's mid-term elections -- a worry made more intense this week by continued weak job-approval ratings for President Bush and the GOP. Such a reversal would make it more difficult for Bush to fill any future Supreme Court vacancies with conservatives -- a high priority for Republicans. And loss of the Senate would turn Democrats loose against the White House through endless oversight and investigatory hearings by various committees, which would also be true if the House fell to the Democrats. Finally, loss of the Senate or the House would give anti-Bush legislators more opportunity to level impeachment charges against him for allegedly misleading the country about the need for invading Iraq, for warrantless domestic surveillance, and for other perceived offenses. GOP insiders think chances for impeachment are remote but a debate on such charges would be a huge distraction.

"Eight months before midterm elections, Republican incumbents in Pennsylvania, Montana, Rhode Island, Ohio and Missouri face difficult races for re-election in a noticeably more challenging political environment for the GOP. And the early polls show a competitive campaign in Tennessee, where Majority Leader Bill Frist is retiring." Sen. Charles Schumer said, "We're feeling pretty good. If they did a snapshot today, the Senate would be 50-50."