More Dick Morris

Morris wrote another column in The Hill that is available here.

This one isn't as outright wrong as the previous one on which I commented. In fact, I agree with most of what he says. The article is about what the Democrats would have to do in order to gain control of the Senate in November. Trailing 55-45, the Dems need to win 6 seats to get to the magic number of 51 and make Harry Reid the Majority Leader.

Morris correctly points out that five of these seats are certainly winnable. Rick Santorum (PA), Mike DeWine (OH), Conrad Burns (MT), Jim Talent (MO), and Lincoln Chafee (RI) are all in trouble and could conceivably lose (although my suspicion is that Talent, Burns, and Chafee will all survive). Morris then nominates the Tennessee seat being vacated by current Majority Leader Bill Frist as the sixth seat which Democrats may win, thanks to a popular candidate in Harold Ford, Jr.

I don't disagree with this assessment; it's a suitable roadmap for what the Democrats need to do if they are going to take back the Senate. Morris correctly points out that Democrats also face problems in NJ and WA, although he fails to mention what I consider the most likely Republican gain in November, that being Mark Dayton's open seat in Minnesota, which should go to Mark Kennedy.

Overall an interesting assessment of the Senate race in November, but I think written with a little too much optimism from the Democratic side.