WHY I WORRY ABOUT '08

A Democrat barely wins a special election in Massachusetts:

Democrat Niki Tsongas of Lowell defeated Republican James Ogonowski of Dracut today to capture the 5th District congressional seat vacated by Marty Meehan earlier this year.

With 195 of 195 precincts reporting, Tsongas captured 54,363 votes, or 51 percent compared to 47,770 votes, or 45 percent, for Ogonowski....

So who's the Republican who came within 6 points of beating a Democrat in the bluest of blue states?

Ogonowski is a hay farmer who served in the Air Force and Air National Guard. His brother, John, was the pilot of American Airlines Flight 11, which was hijacked and crashed into the North Tower of the World Trade Center on Sept. 11, 2001.

Hmm, let's see: Tsongas is a Democrat previously known as the wife of a much-admired politician. Ogonowski is a Republican who became a viable candidate because of his link to 9/11. Sound familiar?

If a race like this can be close in Massachusetts, then there's no reason to believe a Clinton-Giuliani race would be a Democratic cakewalk.