Congressional Quarterly: Klobuchar now favored in US Senate race

Congressional Quarterly this morning confirms what the polls have been telling us for weeks, Amy Klobuchar is leading in her race against Mark Kennedy for US Senate. This morning CQ officially changed its rating of the race from "No Clear Favorite" to "Democrat Favored".

CQ says Kennedy's perceived alignment with the Bush administration is dragging Kennedy down.

CQ interviewed Lawrence R. Jacobs, director of the Center for the Study of Politics and Government at the University of Minnesota, which released a poll a few weeks ago showing Klobuchar with 52% to 36% lead.

“Minnesotans, in thinking about the Senate race, are thinking about what’s going on nationally, and they’re really upset with the president and the direction the country’s heading, and it’s really just hammering Mark Kennedy,” Jacobs said. “He just cannot get out from this hail of anger and disappointment.”

Right now CQ says the balance of power in the Senate for 2007 looks like this:
Democrats 45
Republicans 49
No Clear Favorite 6
(CQ counts the Independents in Vermont as Democrats)