Rep. Brad Miller Considers Race Against Dole

The Charlotte Observer reported this morning that Rep. Brad Miller is seriously weighing a campaign for the U.S. Senate against Liddy Dole. Given that Dole is currently losing a hypothetical matchup against Governor Mike Easley and her disastrous 36 percent approval rating, Miller appears to be in very strong position.

Miller, a lawyer just elected to his third term, said he believes Dole is vulnerable.

"I think she will be judged on her record as a politician in 2008 and not judged as a celebrity, as she was in 2002," he said. "And she has simply been a down-the-line partisan Republican on every issue from Iraq to privatizing Social Security to opposing the minimum wage increase and supporting CAFTA [the Central America Free Trade Agreement]."

If Miller were to run, there would be clear differences between him and Dole.

On the war, for example, Dole has generally backed administration policies. This year she offered cautious support for President Bush's decision to send 20,000 more troops to Baghdad.

Miller voted last month for a Democratic bill that would require the U.S. to withdraw its troops by the fall of 2008.