Three senate races reproductive rights activists should care about

Rhode Island Senate: Whitehouse (D) 50%; Chafee (R) 42%

Pennsylvania Senate: Casey (D) 54%; Santorum (R) 41%

And just because the headline reads, Senate balance of power -- Montana now a "toss-up" :

Montana Incumbent Conrad Burns (R) has closed the gap in the Treasure State and Rasmussen Reports has moved this race from "Leans Democrat" to "Toss-up" status in our Senate Balance of Power Summary. Rasmussen Reports now rates 48 seats as Republican or Leans Republican and 47 Senate seats as Democrat or Leans Democrat and (see State-by-State Summary). In addition to Montana, four other states remain in the Toss-Up category: Tennessee, Virginia, New Jersey and Missouri.

In mid-September, Montana shifted from "Toss-Up" to "Leans Democrat." Of the 47 Senate seats in the Democratic column, four are listed as "Leans Democrat." This includes Rhode Island, Ohio, Washington, and Maryland.

Democrats have to win eight of the nine races classified as "leaners" or "toss-ups" to regain control of the Senate. While that's a tall order, recent history shows that it is quite possible for one party or the other to sweep all the close races. The Democrats did so in Election 2000 and the Republicans returned the favor in 2002. If the Democrats win all those seats but two, there would be a 50-50 tie. In that circumstance, Vice-President
Dick Cheney would cast the deciding vote in his Constitutional role as the presiding officer of the Senate.

Oh. Wow. Indeed.

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