Wash Post: Dole-Hagan race No. 8

The Washington Post's Chris Cillizza has bumped up North Carolina's U.S. Senate race between incumbent Republican Elizabeth Dole and Democratic state Sen. Kay Hagan to No. 8 in his latest ranking, and the Hagan campaign was quick to send it round to the press. Here's what he wrote Friday morning:
8. North Carolina (R): Sen. Elizabeth Dole (R) knows she is in for a very tough race against state Sen. Kay Hagan (D). Witness her decision to begin running ads in recent days that tout her ability to deliver for the state -- ads that never make mention of her party affiliation or President George W. Bush. It's a sound strategy in such a difficult political environment, but you can bet Hagan and the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee will do their darndest to ensure every voter in the state knows Dole voted with Bush more than 90 percent of the time in her first term. Having now met Hagan in person, we can testify that she is a talented candidate and, as a woman, will be in a better position than 2002 nominee Erskine Bowles to attack Dole aggressively. (Previous ranking: 9)
He also quotes National Republican Senatorial Committee Chairman John Ensign of Nevada that a small loss in the Senate would be the "best case" scenario for the GOP this fall. Read more about it here (second item down at the moment).