VA-Sen: More Trouble for the GOP

This speculation is nothing new, but clearly the signs point to 80 year-old John Warner retiring instead of running for another term in 2008, and his stalling tactics are a way to get Tom Davis into the Republican nomination instead of a hard-core conservative:

Virginia Sen. John W. Warner has said little about whether he will run for re-election, but the 80-year-old Republican is giving clear indications that he will not return for another term and that his coyness is merely an attempt to help Rep. Thomas M. Davis III, a fellow Republican, replace him.

"There has been considerable discussion about the possibility that [Mr. Warner] might delay an announcement of candidacy, then announce he wasn't going to run, to allow Congressman Tom Davis to build up at the beginning of the campaigns, which would give Davis an advantage," said Morton C. Blackwell, chairman of the Virginia's Republican National Committee and leader of the conservative Leadership Institute.

If their Warner steps down, it's entirely possible that our Warner, the former Viriginia governor Mark, will run. And he is very popular, and would be a considerable favorite.

With Jeanne Shaheen being wooed to run in what would be a very good chance in New Hampshire, and Bob Kerrey possibly making a comeback in Nebraska, in addition to the good chances by Mark Udall in Colorado and Tom Allen in Maine, the Democrats look good to pick up some Senate seats in '08. Recruitment has taken a hit in Oregon and North Carolina, as popular Representatives like Peter DeFazio and Brad Miller didn't want to give up their new-found power in the House to take the step up and make a Senate challenge. Still, we're in decent shape.