A bad week for Republican Party

WASHINGTON, Sept. 1 (UPI) -- The impending retirement of U.S. Sen. John Warner, R-Va., and resignation of Sen. Larry Craig, R-Idaho, have added to the GOP's troubles in the 2008 election.

Warner’s departure means an open Senate seat will be contested in Virginia, and Craig’s Idaho seat will be filled by a gubernatorial appointee. This comes at a time when the party must defend 22 Senate seats in 2008 and is having trouble raising money.

"It's always darkest right before you get clobbered over the head with a pipe wrench. But then it actually does get darker," an anonymous Republican pollster told The Washington Post.

Virginia has been trending Democratic, with Sen. Jim Webb defeating incumbent Republican George Allen by a handful of votes in 2006. The state also has a Democratic governor.

Idaho may still be fairly safe for the Republicans. But Craig’s departure means the party may have to invest effort and money in hanging on to the seat -- resources the GOP might prefer to use in other, more competitive races.