The American Spectator

held a party fundraising lunch in which he promised that the GOP would retake the majority. In tow, according to a Senate source, Lott brought along a pollster (who shall go unnamed) who backed up Lott’s predictions. One problem: despite several weeks of positive news, many Republicans inside party headquarters and in the Senate campaign committee remain uncertain that they can win enough seats for a clear majority. This, because of remarkably close races in Texas and New Hampshire, both seats Republicans expect to hold, but which remain too close for comfort. /p>

And then there is Colorado, where Republican Wayne Allard is said to be struggling mightily. “That’s one state we weren’t expecting would be trouble, and it is,” says a GOP strategist. “If Allard loses in Colorado, and we don’t pick up a Democrat seat somewhere along the line, then we’re back to where we started: Democratic control.”

Those who are less excitable than Lott say they are becoming increasingly annoyed by the former University of Mississippi cheerleader’s cheerleading. “He shouldn’t be pushing this too hard. He won’t look good if his guarantees don’t hold up,” says a U.S. senator.

p> DOOM DATES br> Two dates that may play out for the November elections: October 11, when retail sales figure for September are scheduled to be released, and October 21, when the index of leading economic indicators for September is made public. These, along with unemployment figures, are stats the White House is hoping will reveal at the least a stable economy leading into a period when voters most likely will be just beginning to seriously look at races in which they will pull the lever. /p> p>”The numbers don’t have to be great to create the impression that things are on the uptick,” says a Commerce Department source. “We just need them to be solid.” You figure out what that means. br> /p>