INTEREST IN U.S. SENATE RACE SINKING LIKE A ROCK

It wasn't that long ago that political pundits were actually looking forward to watching the Florida U.S. Senate race, most likely between Democratic incumbant Bill Nelson and Congresswoman Katherine Harris. Sarasota Herald Tribune political columnist Jeremy Wallace has been checking out the word among the national watchers, and notices that things have changed rather quickly.

The Hotline, a Washington insiders' newsletter which ranks the nation's 33 U.S. Senate races, once had the Florida contest among the top ten (seventh, to be exact). Now, with three other Republicans challenging Harris in a primary showdown, it's interest level has dropped to 17th. Also, University of Virginia political scientist Larry Sabato's Crystal Ball, which had the race "leaning Democratic" only a short time before, now says it is "likely Democratic"

And the editors of Cook's Political Report seem to agree with the other pundits, changing their assessment of the likely Nelson-Harris contest from "leaning" to "likely" Democratic.

It seems at this point that only the truest believers give Ms. Harris any reasonable shot at defeating Nelson.