"If you have an R in front of your name, you better run scared"

The overall political climate, shaped by the sluggish economy and President Bush's low approval ratings, is souring many voters on Republicans. The party has been hobbled by a stampede of retirements by senior Republicans, including Mississippi Sen. Trent Lott. After Lott quit in 2007, Wicker was appointed to replace him.

Barack Obama's presidential campaign has generated a big boost in Democratic voter registration, especially among African Americans, who make up more than a third of Mississippi's population. Other quirks, such as ethics scandals, are putting more Republican Senate seats at risk than seemed likely a year ago.

In June 2007, the nonpartisan Cook Political Report identified only one race for a Republican Senate seat as a real tossup. Now it identifies seven Republican seats as at risk.

About three months ago I wrote a letter to the editor in our local newspaper making the same prediction concerning our local Senate race between Republican incumbent Ted Stevens and Democratic challenger Mark Begich.

It looks like this article agrees with me.

Another improbable battleground is Alaska, which has not elected a Democratic member of Congress since 1974, and which gave Bush 61% of its vote in the last presidential election. This year, GOP Sen. Ted Stevens is facing a tough reelection fight, shadowed by ethics questions concerning his ties to an oil field services contractor.

Democrat Mark Begich, the mayor of Anchorage, is leading in some polls. He also is expecting to benefit from a surge of Democratic activism organized by Obama, who won the state's caucuses by a landslide.

I just received a phone call from the Obama campaign inviting me to the opening of their campaign headquarters here in town. I think I will have to make sure to be there.