Charlie Cook of the Cook Report Sees Grim Future for Democrats in Senate in 2012 and 2014

Grim future for Democrats in the US Senate …

Charlie Cook of the famed political Cook Report states that Democrats have a tough row to hoe in 2012 and 2014 in the US Senate. With the large amount of seats that Democrats have to defend in 2012 and 2014, holding power in the Senate is pretty much a lost cause. Presently, Democrats have control of the Senate 53 – 47.    In 2012 Democrats have to defend 23 seats (21 Democrats & 2 Independents who caucus with Dems) while Republicans only have to defend 10. In 2014, Democrats have to defend 20 seats, while the GOP only has to defend 13.

US Senate Democrats seats up for election in 2012. We would say that there is a bulls-eye on some of the following seats, but that would be uncivil.

Akaka, Daniel K. – (D – HI)
Bingaman, Jeff – (D – NM) – RETIRING [seat in trouble]
Brown, Sherrod – (D – OH) [state trending GOP]
Cantwell, Maria – (D – WA)
Cardin, Benjamin L. – (D – MD) 
Carper, Thomas R. – (D – DE)
Casey, Robert P., Jr. – (D – PA) [state trending GOP]
Conrad, Kent – (D – ND)  - RETIRING [seat in trouble]
Feinstein, Dianne – (D – CA)
Gillibrand, Kirsten E. – (D – NY)
Klobuchar, Amy – (D – MN)
Kohl, Herb – (D – WI)
Lieberman, Joseph I. – (ID – CT) – RETIRING
Manchin, Joe, III – (D – WV) [if Manchin does not vote as a Republican, seat in trouble, state trending GOP]
McCaskill, Claire – (D – MO) [seat in trouble, state trending GOP]
Menendez, Robert – (D – NJ)
Nelson, Ben – (D – NE) [seat in trouble]
Nelson, Bill – (D – FL) [state trending GOP]
Sanders, Bernard – (I – VT)
Stabenow, Debbie – (D – MI)
Tester, Jon – (D – MT)
Webb, Jim – (D – VA) – RETIRING  [seat in trouble]
Whitehouse, Sheldon – (D – RI)

Democrat seats up in 2014. Keep in mind, these Senators were elected in the 2008 Obama promise of “Hope & Change” election.

Baucus, Max – (D – MT) – [GOP state, Obamacare could come back to haunt Baucus]
Begich, Mark – (D – AK) [heavy GOP state]
Coons, Christopher A. – (D – DE)
Durbin, Richard J. – (D – IL)
Franken, Al – (D – MN) [MN may want to correct the mistake they made in 2008]
Hagan, Kay R. – (D – NC) [heavy trending GOP state]
Harkin, Tom – (D – IA)
Johnson, Tim – (D – SD)
Kerry, John F. – (D – MA) 
Landrieu, Mary L. – (D – LA)
Lautenberg, Frank R. – (D – NJ) [he will be 90, probaly will retire ... will NJ trend GOP with Chris Christie wave?]
Levin, Carl – (D – MI)
Merkley, Jeff – (D – OR)
Pryor, Mark L. – (D – AR)
Reed, Jack – (D – RI)
Rockefeller, John D., IV – (D – WV)
Shaheen, Jeanne – (D – NH) [state trending GOP]
Udall, Mark – (D – CO)
Udall, Tom – (D – NM)
Warner, Mark R. – (D – VA) [state trending GOP]