GOP Vulnerabilities May Help Dems Hang On To 60 Senate Seats

With the upheavals that have taken place from Democratic retirements in the past two days, are the Dems doomed to lose their 60-seat, filibuster-proof margin in the Senate this year? On close examination, this is not in any way a certain outcome -- because the Republicans have a lot to lose this year, too.

There are of course some seats that Democrats could potentially lose, and we've all heard a lot about them: Blanche Lincoln in Arkansas, Michael Bennet Colorado, the open seat in Delaware, the open seat in Illinois, the open seat in North Dakota, and Arlen Specter in Pennsylvania -- and Republicans even talk about Barbara Boxer in California. Sen. Chris Dodd's seat in Connecticut used to be at the top of this category, but today's events might well have put this seat out of the GOP's reach again.

At the same time there is a comparable number, depending on how liberally you count it, of Republican-held seats that could shift to the Democrats. Keep in mind that 2004 was a very good Senate cycle for the Republicans, with them winning nearly every state they possibly could. Now, six years later, they have a lot of territory where they have to play defense, and a wide variety of outcomes are possible.

http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2010/01/will-the-dems-lose-their-60-seat-edge-not-necessarily----gop-could-lose-seats-too.php?ref=fpa

That year, the Democrats had a number of southern seats to defend that only were retained in 1998 due to an exceptionally good Democratic year. I think that we are graced with a good set-up for later this year in the senate. The next two cycles will be more challenging perhaps.

Independents. Refusing to cooperate on ANYTHING in the last year has to have ticked off some. I wonder how many? I wonder if there are also Pubs who arent happy with the Party of NO? There have to be some Pubs who are suffering because of lack of health care. They may no be the vocal ones, but I have to believe there a lot of them too.

... past the graveyard.

If you don't see the anger and frustration at what the Dems have done by turning the REAL OPPORTUNITY to REFORM health care into a giant WELFARE PAYDAY for greedy corporate fatcats, then you are just plain blind.

You DON'T fuck over your base and walk away unscathed. The Dems are toast in the midterms and beyond. You heard it here first.

:wtf:

...that will help the whole Dem ticket.

but I get the point. ;)