Who will control the Capitol Building next January?  AP Photo

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Last week was generally not seen as a good week for Democrats as they try to ramp up their efforts for the upcoming midterm elections.  The news cycle was dominated by stories involving Shirley Sherrod, the Arizona immigration law, and the scandal involving Rep. Charlie Rangel (D-NY).  All of those stories tend to have a negative tone either for Democrats, or their most public leader, President Obama. 

Sensing the problem with the Rangel story, Democrats seem to be pressuring him to accept some kind of serious punishment or face sanctions from the Ethics Committee.  Democrats are trying to argue that they are providing a higher level of accountability for their members than when Republicans were in charge.  It has yet to be seen whether that will play well in November.

Republicans are now feeling so confident in their chances of taking back the House that they are already selling a future "Speaker Boehner" months before the election.  Some polls tend to confirm their optimism.  As polling data in the slideshow below reveals, Republicans have generally gained on the "generic ballot," which asks people if they plan to vote for a "generic" Republican or Democrat this fall.  Democrats can only hope that their individual candidates end up polling better than the generic candidate.

There are some bright spots for Democrats.  Republicans ended up nominating some candidates who make them vulnerable in many key races.  Most notable is Nevada, where Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D) continues to poll well against challenger Sharon Angle as the poll below shows.  Republicans were thought to have a very good chance at that seat, but Angle's various positions and comments have given Reid a new life.

Many Democrats still believe they can hold on to both the House and Senate, despite the Republican tide and anti-incumbent mood of the country.  If they are to stand a chance, they must avoid weeks like the last one and begin to focus more intently on weaknesses in the Republican message and candidates.