Big Dems may duck Dole race

North Carolina Sen. Elizabeth Dole must feel this summer as though she is experiencing Lingchi, the Chinese name for a death by a thousand cuts.

As chairwoman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, Dole is responsible for keeping the U.S. Senate in GOP hands. Her Republican critics have been circling overhead.

She is criticized for allowing the Democrats to accumulate a bigger Senate war chest. She is castigated for not recruiting top Republican choices in such states as Florida, Washington, Nebraska, Michigan, West Virginia and Vermont.

The poster girl for Dole's recruitment failures? How about Florida candidate Katherine Harris -- she of the mascara and chads -- who is given little hope of knocking off Democratic Sen. Bill Nelson.

Dole has spent August campaigning around the country. Among other things, she has been trying to clean up the mess left by endangered Montana Sen. Conrad Burns, who has a penchant for putting his foot in his mouth.

"A silly thing," was Dole's response after Burns referred to his house painter as "a nice little Guatemalan man" who, he suggested, might be in the country illegally.

Heaven knows what will be said about Dole if the Democrats take over the Senate in November.

To add insult to injury, Dole turned 70 in July, although, like Dick Clark and John Edwards, she seems ageless.

But if you think North Carolina Democrats are salivating at the chance to take on Dole in 2008, think again.

Dole's struggles in Washington may be the talk in Capitol Hill watering holes, but there is little evidence that she is in any difficulty at home. A SurveyUSA in August found her with a 54 percent approval rating and a 40 percent disapproval rating -- about average for a senator.

Ask North Carolina Democrats whom they might field against Dole, and you are met with an awkward silence.

Gov. Mike Easley, who is ineligible to seek a third term in 2008, would likely be the strongest Democrat. But he has shown no interest. Neither has Attorney General Roy Cooper.

In fact, there are no names out there of Democrats looking to run.

Two years away from her next election, Dole looks like a formidable candidate. She defeated a high-powered, well-financed Democrat in 2002. Her support among women presents special difficulties for Democrats. She has solid issues to run on, including her critical role in the tobacco buyout and helping protect North Carolina's military installations during the most recent round of base closings.

Tar Heel Democrats have difficulty winning Senate races in presidential years. The last time that occurred was in 1968, when Sen. Sam Ervin Jr. was re-elected for the last time.

A serious candidate -- one of the Democratic congressmen, for instance -- might still emerge.

But the more likely scenario is that the Democrats will put up an underfunded B-Team or C-Team candidate and focus most of their energies on retaining the governor's mansion and winning the White House in 2008.