Jim,

So once again, will we have the national GOP spend all its money trying to save this RINO's seat in hopelessly blue Maine?

Obviously, I realize we can't lose more seats - and we need to fight to keep Collins.

However, I would be shocked if she does not move hard left on us over the next several months, while at the same time holding her hand out for money that might otherwise go towards competitive, conservative challengers in red states.

Actually a loss by Collins would be a win for conservatives no matter who she loses to. The democrats will, like they are doing now, destroy America and the people will wise up and dump them one final time. Then they will done forever as a major factor, a new party will emerge.

From Political Wire:

"A new Critical Insights poll shows Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) with a commanding lead over Rep. Tom Allen (D-ME), 57% to 30%, who just announced he would challenge the incumbent senator . . . .

While it is noteworthy that Tom Allen garners support from a majority of the Democrats polled (54%), an overwhelming majority of Republicans (85%) claim that they would support Senator Collins in the 2008 election."

The Republican Senate Campaign Committee will indeed support Collins, because that is what they do: support incumbents. Part of the explanation is how they get people to run for these seats in competitive states: "We'll raise money for your reelection as part of our party operation."

Of the seats up in 2008, we will be defending 21 while the Democrats hold only 12 up this time, so the odds are strongly against us. Our opportunity should have been 2006, when the Democrats had 19 to defend against our 15, and we saw how that turned out.

In the Senate, our next best chance will come in 2012, with all the weak first-term incumbents the Democrats got in last cycle up for reelection.

Collins may be swamping in the polls right now, but name recognition is a strong factor there. If the public perception of Iraq stays the same or deteriorates further, she could be in trouble. Success, of course, works against the antiwar candidates - which is why the Democrats are so desperate to sabotage the war effort right now.

Maine isn't as hopelessly Democrat as you'd think. As it stands, it's the only state in New England that is the closest to a GOP legislative majority. The State Senate is only 1 seat away from being Republican-controlled. Not even New Hampshire is that currently Republican. Absent the '06 Democrat landslide helping a weak Governor and state party (as it did with a whole plethora of weak Democrats nationwide), the GOP likely would've captured both the ME Governorship and the legislature.

The Democrats haven't knocked off a GOP incumbent Senator in ME in 36 years (as of 2008) when the legendary Margaret Chase Smith was caught off-guard by Democrat Congressman Bill Hathaway. Unlike in 1972, Sen. Collins will be far more prepared for the challenge. Though she's too liberal for my tastes, she's infinitely preferable to Tom Allen, a Portland off-the-horizon leftist moonbat of the reddest variety.