“I’m an eternal optimist and things have gotten a little better this week.” “I think the range is holding it by a seat or two, to being down in the neighborhood of 5 or 7 seats.” “If you list the seats we’ve written off, combined with open seats that we don’t think we can win, that adds up pretty quickly.” But turn-out is key. “Mehlman is better than anyone at micro-targeting.” “Techically, he’ll perform better than the Dems. The questions are will it be enough and will our base come home?” “Since our enemy is us [i.e., getting out the base], I hold out hope that we can hold it together.” Iraq is a problem, however: “It’s killing us with the independents.” With Foley, Ney et al, “there are so many self-inflicted losses, it should bode well [should Republicans lose] for taking it back in two years.” Also, “what if the Dems take it by two seats, what about the guys who say they’re not going to vote for Nancy Pelosi for speaker?” If I’m her, “I’m not sure I’d want it by two seats.”