What do you think will happen with the Senate in the general election?

I think the Dems have burned a lot of their political capital(think of it along the same lines as "consumer confidence") by flailing away and pretending to have no power to change Bushco's Iraq policy.

Had they pushed hard, I would have said many seats gained. Now, I have a feeling many people will not be voting, so the gains may be slight or even a slight backslide.

People are moving the the Democratic side with great speed.

2008 will be a bloodletting at the expense of the Republicans - if they don't impeach Bush soon, the Republicans may become as irrelevant nationally as they are in Massachusetts (there were more Greens than Republicans on the ballot here statewide in 2006).

People are clearly very, very angry. The turnout last week was very pleasing.

"angry populism isn't the right message for this year" as one of them said today, are they in touch with the public at all?

Next year will be the election for the 2nd Class of Senators and it brings forth a perfect storm for Democrats.

Of the 33 Senators up for election 21 are Republicans and 12 are Democrats.
http://www.senate.gov/pagelayout/reference/two_column_table/Class_II.htm

Of the democrats all but one is in a seat that is considered either very strong or strong and should run with little or no opposition and that is Landrieu in LA.

Of the republicans 9 seats are considered contestable. This does not include wild card seats like Craig ID, or Trent MS in which the republicans will have no incumbent.

4 Seats are vacated by retiring Allard CO, Domenici NM, Hagel NE, Warner VA.

4 Seats are held by republicans in democratic states; Coleman MN, Smith OR, Sununu NH, Collins ME

1 Seat is occupied by a republican currently being investigated by the FBI and could be taken if a good candidate runs
Stevens AL.

The Democratic Senate Campaign has been outraising the republicans by a 10-1 ratio.

It is easier for the Democrats to recruit good candidates because 1) Likely presidential coattails, 2)Higher interest in working in the majority party.

And finally we have the 'Macaca' factor. The rest of the republican candidates will say something stupid and Dean's strategy of having a good candidate in every contest will provide some surprises.