Keeping in mind thereisnospoon's
diary on 06 and 08 elections, this latest Cook Political Report, per this Times
article, seems to point to extreme public anger and outrage being enough for Dems to win the House in 06 but thereisnospoon's argument that Dem politicians need to put their money where their mouth is would likely be valid for a more subdued 08 voting landscape since the public outrage of the smug Rovian tactics should have subsided with his removal from the scene per his likely indictment/ conviction/ imprisonment (I don't believe for a minute that Fitz can indict Libby but not Rove).
Anyhow, the Cook Political Report should further raise our hopes for this November but, I believe, only if we can get some international monitors to observe the election this time... otherwise, the Republicans will rig yet another election by having those votes "accidentally" flip to the Republican candidate, as per widespread reports nationwide, entrance/ exit polls be damned.
Excerpts of the NY Times Cook Report article below:
For months, even in the face of an avalanche of bad news for Republicans, Democratic ambitions for capturing Congress have collided with an electoral map created to protect Republicans from ouster. Despite polls showing rising support for Democrats and scorn for Republicans, analysts have said Democratic hopes for big gains remain remote, because so few seats are in contention.
That appears to be changing.
Over the past week, a handful of once-safe Republican Congressional seats have come into play, and other Republican incumbents are facing increasingly stiff re-election battles, according to analysts, pollsters and officials in both parties. The change amounts to a slight but significant shift in the playing field, and a potentially pivotal change in the dynamics of this midterm election.
[snip]
The nonpartisan Cook Political Report, which tracks Congressional races, increased the number of Republican seats viewed as competitive on Friday to 36 from 24, said Amy Walter, an analyst there. Democrats seem to be in increasingly good shape to pick up seats in bands of districts across Pennsylvania, Connecticut and New York, as well as districts throughout Ohio, North Carolina, Arizona, New Mexico, California and Florida. Democrats need to pick up 15 Republican seats to take control.
"The playing field is certainly expanding," Ms. Walter said. "Clearly what we are seeing is that the political environment is taking a toll and dragging down Republican incumbents; it's dragging down their polling numbers. The question is, What will the environment be in November?"
That is indeed the million dollar question. After Israel basically gave Bush the green light to invade Iran with their unsubstantiated comments that Iran's nuclear program is "measured by months rather than years" and that Bush "will lead other nations in taking the necessary measures to stop Iran from becoming a nuclear power" despite experts saying otherwise, like more in the range of 10 years.
You get my drift. Bush and the maddingly smug little shit Karl Rove have some plans to deal with these abysmal poll numbers...
...if the Rove Republican criminals are stopped from launching WWIII, Congress should go to the Democrats even if we try to screw it up with our typical infighting.