Domenici Adds to GOP's Woes in West

The growing U.S. attorneys scandal, where eight former U.S. attorneys are claiming that resisting political pressure to go after Democrats led to their dismissals, is not just a problem for the Republican Party at the national level, adding to President Bush's headaches and hurting the party's image. It also adds to the Republican Party's setbacks out West, where it has a number of Senate and House seats up for grabs in 2008 — in political territory that is increasingly unfavorable to Republicans.

Particularly worth watching as the scandal unfolds is whether Senator Domenici of New Mexico, a Republican, is forced to retire or is weakened so much politically that a serious Democratic challenger takes the stage when Mr. Domenici's seat is up in 2008.

I just got finished chatting with an expert on New Mexico politics, and the prospect isn't so distant.

Read the rest of the story at NYSunPolitics.com.