Midterms are a-comin'

Top 5 races I'll be watching this year:

• Connecticut US Senate - Lieberman defending against a double-threat of Lamont in the primary and the general election in November. As Jon Stewart eloquently put it, upon presenting a video clip of a puttering, pandering Lieberman in 2004, "Where's your Joe-mentum?!"
• Virginia US Senate - Incumbent Senator George Allen (R) is challenged by former Secretary of the Navy Jim Webb, recently victorious from a hotly contested primary. Webb is an interesting candidate in that he represents the Democrats' recent drive to recapture the white, moderate, middle-class male vote that largely shifted to red in the post-Reagan years.
• Pennsylvania US Senate - Everyone's favorite ultra-conservative-douchebag-turned-Urban-Dictionary-legend is up for re-election, and Democrats want that seat bad.
• California Gubernatorial - Arnold's numbers have been down for as long as I can remember, but Democrats have yet to rally convincingly around Phil Angelides. Arnold has been particularly inept at the job since he took over in 2003, so I'm hoping he gets replaced soon.
• Pennsylvania Gubernatorial - Ed Rendell is a good guy, and I'm rooting for him to keep his seat in November. This race might be an important preview to Pennsylvania's electoral race in 2008.