Which of these Senators are vulnerable in '06 on minimum wage votes?

[AirAmFan]

Senator Ted Kennedy's proposal to raise the Federal minimum wage just went down by a vote of 47-51, with all but 4 of the 55 Senate Republicans voting against it.

According to http://www.senate.gov/pagelayout/reference/two_column_table/Class_I.htm , Senate seats up for re-election in 2006 currently are held by 16 Democrats and 15 Republicans. The Republicans are

Allen, George
Burns, Conrad
Ensign, John

Frist, Bill
Hatch, Orrin
Hutchison, Kay

Kyl, Jon
Lott, Trent
Lugar, Richard

Snowe, Olympia
Talent, James
Thomas, Craig

Chafee, Lincoln
DeWine, Mike
Santorum, Rick

According to http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=103&topic_id=168142&mesg_id=168154 , only the last three on the list, Chafee, DeWine, and Santorum, voted in favor of Kennedy's proposal to increase the Federal minimum wage for the first time in 9 years. All the other Republicans except Arlen Specter (R-PA) voted to keep the minimum wage at $5.15 an hour, rather than raise it to $6.25. All Democrats voted for raising the minimum, except for Corzine and Inouye, who did not vote. Thus the measure lost by a vote of 47 yeas to 51 nays.

Which of the dirty dozen whose terms are up do you think may be vulnerable in the next election? An increase in the minimum wage polls best among Democratic issues, with 86 percent of the public in favor, though only 4 out of 55 Republican Senators in favor.

[Chan790]

1. Well...

Santorum, Frist are DOA for re-election (Frist IIRC isn't even running) and their stances on minimum wage are not going to change that. DeWine and Chaffee are going to have fights on their hands and are vulnerable regardless of their minimum wage stance.

Of the GOPpers left, the only ones that I could see being vulnerable to the issue are the ones that I'd consider to be the least ostentatious, the ones that we least need to get rid of:

Lugar, Richard

Snowe, Olympia

[AirAmFan]

3. Lugar & Snowe voted against Kennedy's MW increase, didn't they? Why

shouldn't Democrats try to get rid of them? Even with the advantages of incumbency, Lugar and Snowe might get a shock from Democrats if we jump on affronts to working people like this one. And IMO even if Lugar and Snowe don't outright lose, the party will have gained increased appeal to the people we need to turn out in 2008.

[Chan790]

4. I'm not saying we shouldn't

I'm saying if you asked me to rank on that list who I think we most need to get out of the Senate, they'd be #11 and #12. I still want them gone, but not nearly as much as the rest of those piss-ant GOPpers.

[LaPera]

2. None. If the the dems don't keep the heat on. They have to make it an...

issue, and never stop pounding away, as Clinton did both times he ran.