A.K.A. The Crying Game…

Inspired by the bravery of my erstwhile editorial colleague, Robert George, I am going to offer some predictions as to today’s midterms.

(In the future, I plan to be inebriated while making these types of predictions … thus, I will be able to forswear responsibility for them later on. Like Mel Gibson.)

Anyway, here goes …

SENATE

Maryland: Steele (R) beats Cardin (it’s everyone’s pick for “upset of the night,” making it the new CW)

Missouri: McCaskill (D) beats Talent

Montana: Tester (D) beats Burns (my least confident prediction — Burns could ride an infusion of money and anti-tax ads to an undeserved reelection victory)

New Jersey: Menendez (D) beats Kean (corruption be damned — this is Jersey)

Ohio: Brown (D) beats DeWine (no Blackwell coattails, I’m afraid — or, at least, they’re going the wrong way)

Pennsylvania: Casey (D) beats Santorum (good riddance)

Rhode Island: Whitehouse (D) beats Chafee (OK riddance)

Tennessee: Corker (R) beats Ford (southerners come home)

Virginia: Webb (D) beats Allen (Virginians come home … but black Virginians find a severed deer head in their mailbox)

Dems net +5. Cheney rules the roost.

HOUSE

This is where I just make up a number and pretend I know more than anyone else. 38.

Rep. Mike Pence (R-Ind.) becomes minority leader.

GOVERNORS

Colorado: Ritter (D) beats Beauprez (this hardly counts as a prediction)

Nevada: Titus (D) upsets Gibbons (based on the scandal surrounding Gibbons — I promise not to take credit for this as part of my interior West thesis)

Idaho: Brady (D) stuns Otter (couldn’t tell you why, but this seems to be how the polls are moving)

Dems hold seven of eight interior West governorships … up from four in 2004 and zero in 2000.

HOUSE SURPRISES OF THE NIGHT

House enters court-mandated rehab for prescription-drug addiction. (GOP House enters rehab for Medicare-prescription-drug addiction.)

Also…

Idaho 1: Grant (D) upsets wacko Sali (niiice)

Wyoming at large: Nutty Rep. Barbara Cubin (R) loses (very niiice)

The GOP’s losses out West pile up.

SENATE NON-SURPRISE OF THE NIGHT

Connecticut: Lieberman (Independent Democrat) crushes Ned Lamont like a bug

Will he cross the aisle of a 50-50 Senate?

Tune in next week …

(P.S.: AZ will be closer than the polls have shown. Kyl still wins.)