Senate Shortfall?

It looks more and more like the Senate will stay Republican red after the midterms. All of the races are no doubt very close, but some last-minute gaffes seem to have cost the Dems any chance for a clean sweep. Even the two main GOP duds in the Senate races, Allen and Burns, have pulled themselves out of their respective holes and are now neck-and-neck with their Dem challengers.

The Senate was always a stretch for Democrats, only being mentioned after the implosion of the Foley scandal. None of the top Dems ever even talked about gaining the Senate, with Chuck Schumer saying to FOX News today that he'll be happy with "whatever" the Dems can get. He also predicted that the Democrats will only get "3-to-5 seats", short of the six that they'll need. Even though Democrats are downplaying the Senate, they have put big bucks and lots of effort into those races, sensing an opening after the GOP travails in September. But have they tried a gamble for the Senate at the expense of an easy victory in the House? Polls are all over the place but do show a GOP resurgence. Are the Dems overextended?

Some good news on the Senate front for Dems comes from Tennessee and Virginia. In Tenn., Harold Ford is closing in on Bob Corker after Ford's free-fall in October. One new poll shows a tie. The huge effect of that nasty Corker "Playboy-Ford" ad appears to be wearing off. Why did Corker unleash that winner so early? That's an ad for 11/1.

In the Virginia Senate race, Jim Webb has once again taken a slim lead over the resilient George Allen. That one's about to turn into litigation central after the vote. Close...