Things do look bleak now for the GOP . . . or do they?

Remember the ports deal? No one else does either, because the real national security issue in this country is immigration, and that's all that anyone is talking about now. The democrats step up in the ranks, but I suspect it's a short term arrangment. Most of them are not in the mainstream on the immigration issue.

Russ Feingold is emerging as a candidate who at least has a coherent voice and guts, and his call for censure of Bush resonated in some important Democratic circles.

Barack Obama and Tom Daschle enter the index; sources tell me Obama wants the White House in 2008, and Tom Daschle has publicly said he has considered it. Gore is on more for fun than anything else, but there has been some talk of it in less responsible media. He's even got a movie coming out. Why not?

On the GOP side, Tom Tancredo and - I can't believe it - Bill Frist have benefited from the immigration fracas. Hagel remains stable because of his compromise solution to the Senate immigration impasse but will catch hell in the primaries for it.

Giuliani, Rice and Barbour stay in good shape too, because each is percieved as having strong national security credentials. McCain is usually strong here too, but has really damaged himself with his lack of leadership on this issue.

Don't believe the hype that the GOP is dead in the water either in 2006 or 2008. Whoever wins, there won't be any blowout victories.

See you next month.



DEMS

Barack Obama (IL) 90 (enters index)
Mark Warner (VA) 89 (+1)
Wes Clark (AR) 80 (+1)
Hillary Clinton (NY) 47 (+2)
John Edwards (NC) 43 (+1)
Bill Richardson (NM) 37 (+1)
Tom Vilsack (IA) 34 (+1)
Russ Feingold 23 (+2)
John Murtha (PA) 21 (+1)
Al Gore (TN) 11 (enters index)
Tom Daschle (SD) 10 (enters index)
John Kerry (MA) 5 (+1)


GOP

Condoleeza Rice (CA) 82
Haley Barbour (MS) 79
Mitt Romney (MA) 71 (-1)
Tim Pawlenty (MN) 70 (-1)
Tom Tancredo (CO) 45 (+1)
Rudy Giuliani (NY) 30
John McCain (AZ) 25 (-1)
Fred Thompson (TN) 23 (-1)
Chuck Hagel (NE) 22
Sam Brownback (KS) 20 (-1)
Mike Huckabee (AR) 20 (-1)
Tom Coburn (OK) 17 (-1)
Bill Frist (TN) 12 (+1)