It is no secret the GOP expects losses in both the House and Senate. Two weeks ago, some Republicans were fretting that the Democrats might get to sixty seats in the Senate. That magic number would allow the Democrats to move forward overriding any and all Republican filibusters.
Two weeks is a long time in politics and Republicans are seeing resurgent numbers in three seats the Democrats must win to get to sixty.
North Carolina
In North Carolina, RedState broke two stories on Kay Hagan, the liberal Democrat running against Elizabeth Dole. First, RedState obtained video of Hagan attending a Massachusetts fundraiser held on her behalf. The fundraiser was held by a board member of Godless America PAC, an organization seeking to eradicate all references to God from the Pledge of Allegiance and American money and, no kidding, ending Christmas as a federal holiday.
Woody Kaplan, a co-host of the Hagan fundraiser, is an advisory board member of Godless Americans PAC and Chairman of the Advisory Board for the Secular Americans Coalition. The Executive Director of the Godless America PAC, Ellen Johnson, is also President of American Atheists. Kaplan and Johnson intend to find candidates receptive to Godless Americans PAC and have, in Kay Hagan, found someone they like.
More troubling, RedState uncovered evidence that liberal Kay Hagan and her husband have been longtime members of a segregated country club in Greensboro, North Carolina. The Hagan home is on property near the main entrance to the club and Mr. Hagan is a “legacy member” of the club. Earlier this year, Hagan told a North Carolina reporter that the country club was integrated. She forgot to mention that African-Americans were not allowed through the front door until after 1995.
Hagan and her husband were members well before 1995. They moved into their house in 1984, and were members of the club around the same time. I’ve been unable to find any records anywhere of Hagan ever publicly calling on the club to change its segregationist policies.
Georgia
Despite reports of a close race in Georgia, Saxby Chambliss has consistently outpolled liberal Jim Martin. As the race draws to a close, Martin continues to make significant missteps.
Two days ago, at the close of an Atlanta area debate, Martin said, “We need someone in Washington to stand up for the middle class. Saxby will, I won’t!” At the same time, Martin has been running away as fast as possible from a national Democrat attack ad against Saxby Chambliss.
The ad goes after Saxby for supporting the Fair Tax, a national sales tax in lieu of the income tax. The Fair Tax is extremely popular in Georgia with local celebrities Neil Boortz and Herman Cain championing its adoption. If it wasn’t bad enough to attack Saxby on the Fair Tax, the Democrats blatantly misrepresented key facts.
A lot of Georgians who are not too keen to support Saxby Chambliss leapt to his defense after the ad, forcing Martin to demand the ad be taken down.
Kentucky
In Kentucky, the Democrats thought they were going to be able to do to Mitch McConnell what the Republicans did to Tom Daschle. It looks less and less likely.
McConnell is polling below fifty percent, which is always a troubling sign. Nonetheless, he is and has been consistently leading Bruce Lundsford. Of benefit to McConnell, he has toured the state surrounded by both Democrats and Republicans talking about how McConnell takes care of Kentucky in the Senate. The message has resonated with independent voters.
Kentucky, like North Carolina, will be a close race, but it looks like the Republicans will win. The Democrats will have to try again in two years to get to sixty seats.
