Ken Mehlman

Sen. Elizabeth Dole's unpopularity within the national Republican Party continues to build. It has been a year with more than its share of reasons for GOP failure at the polls; the war in Iraq, Congressional scandals and George Bush's unpopularity among them. However, within the party hierarchy primary blame for the loss of the Senate is now being placed at the feet of the National Republican Senatorial Committee and most especially its chair, Elizabeth Dole.

Frustration with Dole's incompetence took form as the NRSC fell $30mm behind the Democrats in fund raising, and then burned through $4.8mm with television ads in New Jersey and Michigan probing for weakness in a strong field of Democratic candidates. Meanwhile Republican candidates like Sen. George Allen in Virginia and Sen. Conrad Burns in Montana were starved for advertising in ultimately tight races because Dole believed Allen couldn't lose and Burns couldn't win.