Can the Dems take back the Senate

I don't know if I totally agree with Chuck Todd analysis that the Democrats can take back control of the Senate next fall. There is 18 months to go until the mid-term elections and alot can happen between now and then but I see his point.

Iraq, the number one issue for voters, is devouring the Republican Party. And with no new moment to look for that doesn't have the word "withdrawal" in it, it's hard to see how the situation improves before next November. We've caught Saddam Hussein, we've turned over power, we've held elections and the level of violence appears to be the same to the lay voter. We've been writing for months that at some point, Iraq was going to hurt the Republicans as much as it helped them in 2002. They lucked out in 2004, but 2006 is a whole new ballgame

Iraq is a HUGE problem for the Republicans and the Bush Administration. The Downing Street Memo confirms what we already knew which is this administration did not properly plan for post-war Iraq and it's really pissing people off right now. All of the resent polls show approval for Bush and the Republican controlled Congress are at a all-time low and for good reason. The wingnuts have shown in the last six months that they care more about Terri Schiavo, flag burning, and gay bashing than issues that really affect Americans such as the economy, health care, and the enviroment.

As Todd says, all of the ingredients are there for a major upset next fall but can the Democrats do it, well, I'm not that sure because the Democrats simply don't have a backbone and love to eat their own.

Where were the Democrats when Senator Durbin needed support? (I still can't believe he appoligized). You don't see Republican not supporting Tom Delay and Bill Frist or demanding that they appoligize for their comments regarding The Terri Schiavo case.

Where were the Democrats when Howard Dean was being criticized by the right? Instead of showing support for him, people like Joe Biden and Joe "Sean Hannity is my best friend" Lieberman publically criticized Dean. When is the last time you saw anyone from the GOP criticize the RNC chairman?

Why aren't the Democrats supporting John Conyers and his crusade to hold the Bush administration accountable for their misleading and false claim about Iraq before the war started? Where is the outrage from the Democrats over the contents of the Downing Street Memo?

Unless the Democrats (and liberals in general) step up and fight back, they'll continue to lose elections and the repsect of the people.