The
GOP's efforts:
Republican insiders say their fears have been realized that Sen. Elizabeth Dole of North Carolina would not be sufficiently aggressive as Senate Republican campaign chairman in recruiting candidates for 2006.
Rep. Candice Miller, the strongest Republican to challenge Democratic Sen. Debbie Stabenow in Michigan, has ruled out making the race. No strong candidate has been found to challenge Democratic Sen. Ben Nelson in overwhelmingly Republican Nebraska. Sen. Hillary Clinton appears uncontested in New York. The Republicans face potentially messy primary races in Florida and Tennessee without a winner in sight.
Dole's Democratic counterpart, Sen. Chuck Schumer of New York, has guaranteed a virtually uncontested primary in Pennsylvania for the strongest Democratic candidate, state Treasurer Bob Casey Jr., against Senate Republican Conference Chairman Rick Santorum.
The
Dem efforts:
In just a few months since taking a key leadership post in the Democratic Party, Sen. Charles Schumer has quietly but forcefully emerged as one of the most powerful players in national politics.
With all eyes watching the other New York senator, Hillary Rodham Clinton, as she prepares a possible White House run in 2008, it is Schumer who has begun wielding enormous power inside Democratic ranks -- raking in untold millions of dollars, making controversial decisions about who will and who won't run for Senate around the country, and even instructing colleagues in his specialty -- the art of getting media attention.
When Schumer speaks to Democratic senators during their regular private lunches, his enthusiasm and determination to take the fight aggressively to Republicans in the 2006 elections has gone over well, congressional sources told The Post.
I'm glad they chose that empty suit slacker Dole to run their efforts. We'll take every advantage we can get.
(Via Political Wire.)