WASHINGTON (AP) - The head of the Senate Republican committee paints a dire picture of Democratic congressional control, warning that the opposition party would "put the war on terrorism on the back-burner" and maybe even impeach President Bush. In a fundraising appeal this week, Sen. Elizabeth Dole, R-N.C., asks for immediate financial help "to prevent the most left-wing Democrat Party in history from seizing control of the United States Senate" in the November elections.
Democrats dismissed the letter as hyperbole.
"Senate Republicans are in panic mode, making accusations that are so hysterical they're actually making the case for electing more Democrats to the Senate," said Phil Singer, a spokesman for the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee.
Senate Democrats have maintained a 2-to-1 advantage over Dole's campaign committee in money raised for the midterm contests. Senate Democrats have $32.1 million cash on hand and the National Republican Senatorial Committee has $16.5 million, according to the most recent filings.
In the fundraising letter, Dole rails against liberal Democrats in the Senate and warns that if they prevail, "our worst fears" will be realized. She argues that empowered Democrats would "increase your taxes, call for endless investigations, congressional censure and maybe even impeachment of President Bush, put the war on terrorism on the back-burner" and "Take over the White House in 2008!"
She assured the recipients of the fundraising letter that she was working around the clock "to help our country avoid this disaster."
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The Republican and the Democrat in the New Jersey Senate race are arguing over who has done more to end the genocide in Sudan's war-torn Darfur region. Neither, say Sudan experts, who contend that credit should go to three other state's lawmakers.
Democratic Sen. Robert Menendez hailed passage of his amendment to provide $60 million for a U.N. peacekeeping mission in the region. After Menendez's announcement, Republican Tom Kean Jr. argued that he was one of the leading state lawmakers on divesting state pension funds from companies doing business with Sudan.
Experts said former Democratic Sen. Jon Corzine, now the state's governor, and Democratic Rep. Donald Payne were among the first federal lawmakers to call on Congress to declare genocide in Darfur.
The experts also said state Assemblyman William Payne, brother of the congressman, should get the credit for pushing New Jersey state lawmakers to support the divestment bill.
The bill was signed into law last year, making New Jersey the first state in the nation to divest its pension funds.
"No doubt about it, it was William Payne who pushed that divestment bill through," said Blanche Foster, executive director of the Darfur Rehabilitation Project based in Newark, N.J.
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Associated Press writer Donna De La Cruz contributed to this report.
