It's no secret that Senate Republicans have hungrily eyed Delaware's at-large Rep. Mike Castle to pursue the state's open Senate seat in 2010, and there's no doubt that Castle would be a major force to be reckoned with should he enter the race. Susquehanna (not the most reputable GOP polling firm) released a poll in May showing Castle leading Democrat Beau Biden by a 55-34 margin, and the much more reputable Public Policy Polling gave Castle an 8-point edge over Biden, Jr. in March. Republican recruiters have been courting Castle heavily, and one local reporter is breathlessly claiming that a Castle candidacy is as good as gold.
Castle knows his likely opponent would be Biden's son Beau, Delaware's attorney general, now serving as a National Guard lawyer in Iraq.
The Biden dynasty draws national money. Meanwhile, says Castle, "my wife talks about beaches in Florida. I don't know if I want to run for the House again, let alone for the four years of Biden's term."
But Castle's the last proven vote-getter the Republicans have in the First State. If he steps down, Democrats could take both Senate and House posts. "That's the quandary."
It sounds to me like Castle is mulling the Senate race as a courtesy to his friends in Washington... but he clearly would rather be catching some rays with his wife. He says that he'll deliver his final decision "by the end of summer".
