GOP Senate hopes lie in Virginia, saving George Allen from himself

[DeepModem Mom]

TIME: How Republicans Hope to Hold the Senate
Posted by Mike Allen
By holding their breath, for starters. With party strategists increasingly afraid the Senate is slipping away, Republican officials are moving money around in high-stakes triage.
BY MIKE ALLEN/WASHINGTON

Republican officials are trying to project confidence about keeping the Senate by spending heavily, and forcing Democrats to do the same, in blue states like Michigan, Maryland and New Jersey. But: Florida in 2000. Ohio in '04. Virginia in '06?

Strategists in both parties tell TIME that they now believe control of the Senate could turn on a race that wasn't on anyone's toss-up list two months ago -- the Democratic challenge by former Navy Secretary Jim Webb (D) to Senator George Allen, a once-popular Republican who has suffered an epidemic of self-inflicted wounds.

Top GOP officials deny they are depending on any one state, or that an implosion in any particular state such as Ohio necessarily means disaster on Nov. 7. "We've always had a couple of scenarios for keeping the Senate -- I think that's the best way to play it," said a Republican Party decision-maker who spoke on condition of anonymity in order to be more candid. "I'm not saying this is a great year. It is possible."

The National Republican Senatorial Committee, which had once hoped the son of the legendary Washington Redskins coach would be able to fend for himself, is having to spend $900,000 on radio ads and mailings in Virginia to try to shore up Allen, a boot-wearing, tobacco-dipping conservative who once hoped to fill the Ronald Reagan niche in the '08 presidential field. The committee had already spent $450,000 there, but decided this week that it would have to spend the maximum it can, doubling its investment.

"Senator Allen has to make sure his margins are high in Southwest Virginia, and then he has to neutralize somewhat Northern Virginia," the Republican official said. "He's focused on both of those, but the environment's tough." President George W. Bush is appearing Thursday at a fund-raising reception at the Science Museum of Virginia, in Richmond -- a telling sign of how critical the race has become....

http://time-blog.com/allen_report/?cnn=yes

[badgerpup]

1. Well, that should be the Kiss of Death...

You'd think, with Repub candidates all of a sudden not listing their party affilitation, and suddenly discovering 'scheduling conflicts' or not wanting to be seen on the same side of the state having to wash their hair when it comes to appearing with Bush they'd figure that just maybe Chimpy McFlightsuit isn't the best person to have at a fundraiser...

I love it when our opponents make STOOO-PID mistakes...:evilgrin:..
except my head's going fall off from shaking it in disbelief. :spray:

[williesgirl]

3. This is NOT a mistake in Richmond - they'll eat it up.

[williesgirl]

2. Everyone at DU please donate what you can to Webb - this will

help turn VA blue and teach those rednecks in central/southern VA that our votes count too. For too long, they haven't. Recommended

[Eurobabe]

4. Remove Macawitz, donate to WEBB -- NOW!