Baked Alaska

DENVER -- Just as DCCC Chair Chris Van Hollen (MD-08) and several of his cmte's top candidates were parading out onto the convo floor last p.m., NRCC Chair Tom Cole (OK-04) must've been just hoping to avoid disaster in AK-AL and FL-16. On that score, Cole batted .500.

-- If his 145-vote lead holds, (and with thousands of absentee ballots potentially still out there, that's a big if), Don Young (R-AK AL) will have staged one of the cycle's biggest comebacks. But a harrowing repeat performance in the fall against well-funded '06 LG nominee Ethan Berkowitz (D) doesn't look likely. As we learned last p.m., never count out Young (or Sen. Ted Stevens). But how willing will the NRCC be to shovel money to the cash-strapped Young?

-- Conversely in FL-16, many GOPers throughout FL and DC got their candidate in Steelers heir/atty Tom Rooney (R). Palm Beach Gardens Councilor Hal Valeche (R) may have been able to finance part of his campaign, and state Rep. Gayle Harrell (R) may have a good profile. But Rooney's the one who many felt had the best shot at knocking off Rep. Tim Mahoney (D). He'll get help in the form of NRCC TV ads, unless he quickly rebuilds his coffers. But he'll face a very difficult race this fall.