Sen Dole Vulnerable Over Attempted Naval Airfield Siting...LINK

[Blackhatjack]

Senator Elizabeth Dole of NC is regarded as one of the best financed Republicans to hold a seat in the US Senate, and because of that has discouraged a number of Democrats from running against her in the upcoming elections.

However, she is the most vulnerable in North Carolina this election cycle with the change from a Red State to a Purple(and maybe even Blue) State in the next election. She is getting a lot of criticism here at home from locals over the Navy's attempt to site a landing strip in an environmentally fragile area, which is not breaking into the MSM.

If the Democrats can attract a strong candidate to run against her, we may get her seat back into the Democratic column.

http://www.charlotte.com/breaking_news/story/363943.html

Easley attacks Dole over airfield

Governor singles out the senator, says she is letting down people in Gates and Camden counties who oppose the Navy's plans

Wade Rawlins
(Raleigh) News & Observer

"Gov. Mike Easley on Wednesday said U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Dole is failing residents of two counties where the Navy is considering building a jet landing strip by not speaking against the project.
In an unusually sharp exchange, the governor -- who had worked with the Navy to find the sites -- urged the state's congressional delegation to heed local opposition to the so-called outlying landing field in Eastern North Carolina."

"The people in Gates and Camden Counties do not want the OLF, therefore I do not want the OLF in Gates and Camden," Easley said in a prepared statement. ...Wednesday, the governor released a letter to the state's congressional representatives, noting that local opposition to the airfield was overwhelming and calling on them to have the Navy look at more alternatives."

The Democratic governor's letter drew an immediate and negative response from the state's two Republican U.S. senators,...The senators' response drew an even sharper reply from Easley, and he focused on Dole, who sits on the Senate Armed Services Committee.

"The U.S. Navy is funded by the U.S. Senate, therefore it responds and reports to the Senate," the governor said. "I hope Sen. Dole will accept her responsibility and speak for her people."

MORE

[gateley]

1. "If the Democrats can attract a strong candidate to run against her,

we may get her seat back into the Democratic column."

I have a good feeling we'll be kicking her out next time around. Her time has passed.

[Captain Hilts]

4. She's got the double whammy: elderly AND ineffective. I think she's vulnerable. nt

[gateley]

7. This is not meant as a snark (though I'm not above that) but last time I saw her

in the Senate (recent vote) she looked eerie - like an out-of-place artifact. Right off the set of Dynasty or something. Disturbing.

[Captain Hilts]

8. Yes. And she presided over the foul up of the blood supply as RC chair and as NRSC chair...

the loss of the senate, sort of.

what's she done?

[gratuitous]

2. Republicans are at a distinct disadvantage

Besides being in the minority with a bunch of lame candidates and incumbents, they don't have a lot of money to throw around. The more dough Sen. Dole has to use to try to save herself, the less she'll have to pass through to other candidates.

And any political missteps, like this one, will further endanger her already troubled re-election campaign. Go North Carolina Blue!

[Blackhatjack]

5. If you don't live in NC you would not know how 'Blue' NC has been turning....

...Bush is not popular here. Just check out the missing Bush/Cheney bumper stickers. And you never hear a Repub even mention Bush's name.

So many troops and their families cannot speak out, but you notice that Bush is not travelling here very 2 weeks to do another photo-op with the troops.

THe tide is definitely turning here.

[gratuitous]

9. I don't live in NC

But thanks to DU, I'm hearing a LOT of positive things about how the electorate is trending there!

[Blackhatjack]

10. I do live in N.C. and it is definitely trending 'blue'....

[Tarheel_Dem]

3. Yeah, but the question is whom?

Would someone currently in Congress be willing to give up a safe House Seat to take a chance? Poor Erskine Bowles has been rejected so many times before. Who in the state could take her on? I'd support a shiny doorknob over Liddy Dole.

[Blackhatjack]

6. There are quite a few still 'mulling' a run... the big question is raising enough $$$

This is going to be one heck of a race in 2008, and huge sums of $$$ are already being committed on the national and statewide level.

Whoever gets in is going to have to raise a lot of money from many sources which have already committed funding in other races.

Of course this is exactly how John Edwards entered politics. He ran against an encumbent Repub Senator with deep pockets and the Jesse Helms machine behind him.

It might be the year for another up and coming trial lawyer to step out and beat Dole.

However, there are not many John Edwards-type candidates out there.