Democrats plans for keeping the senate in 2008 look pretty good, but if they want to expand their majority, they definitely need to pay attention to a few seats in particular.

Louisiana's Mary Landrieu, for instance, barely squeaked by in 2002. Her margin of victory was 42,000 votes. Remember that number.

Then, of course, Hurricane Katrina hit. A new survey of current New Orleanians indicates a third of them think they might be leaving in the next couple of years. New Orleans as a population center has already been cut in half, from 450,000 people down to somewhere near 200,000. If those voters go 80% Democrat, which they do, that's 160,000 votes for Landrieu to find somewhere else.

The thing that must be keeping Mary Landrieu awake at night, is how she is going to win with about 200,000 Democrat voters. In 2004 David Vitter became the first GOP senator in LA since the 1860's, indicating that LA was turning red. And that was before Katrina hit.

Regardless of whether it makes sense to locate half a million people below sea level on a hurricane coast, the Democrats are more concerned about rebuilding their political power base in Louisiana, and want federal funds to do so.

Remember that the next time you hear about how compassionate the Democrats are.