Republicans are aiming to regain control of the U.S. Senate in the upcoming election, with experts predicting that Democrats have the upper hand with only 12 seats to defend compared to the Republicans' 22. Despite the potential for Democrats to succeed, the outcome remains uncertain. "I believe the majority is not up for grabs ... The Republicans are focused on minimizing their losses," she stated. The control of the Senate will be extremely important for the next White House administration, regardless of who follows Bush. A president's proposed policies can be successful or fail in the Senate since significant bills often need 60 votes to pass. According to Anthony Corrado, a government professor at Colby College in Maine, Senate races will be dominated by issues such as the prolonged Iraq war, a weak economy, disagreements on tax cuts, and debates on climate change. He said that the upcoming election will put the Republicans in a defensive position, with the focus of political discussion being on arguments for change. Duffy mentioned that there is no certainty that Democrats will gain many seats. A recent poll by ABC News/Washington Post indicated a 10-point decrease in support for Democrats since April, now at 44 percent. Democrats came into power in 2006 with a promise to start withdrawing troops from Iraq, but have not been able to fulfill this promise. September could be a crucial moment as Congress is set to discuss various anti-war proposals. There are a number of Republicans who are viewed as vulnerable and could potentially be defeated in order to help increase the Democrats' majority. These include Norm Coleman of Minnesota, Susan Collins of Maine, John Sununu of New Hampshire, and the seat being vacated by Wayne Allard of Colorado. However, Democrats also need to defend seats held by Mary Landrieu of Louisiana, Mark Pryor of Arkansas, and Tim Johnson of South Dakota, who is recovering from brain surgery. The Republicans have not yet chosen a candidate to run against Landrieu, and some political analysts are suggesting that former Arkansas Governor may be a contender. Mike Huckabee may choose to abandon his plans to run for president and instead run against Pryor. Senator John Ensign, who leads the National Republican Senatorial Committee, believes that his party will perform better than anticipated. Ensign pointed out that the odds makers were wrong about the Democrats' chances of taking the Senate two years ago, and he stressed the importance of running elections to determine the results. He also mentioned that the Democrats' stance on tax cuts and the Iraq war could work in favor of Republicans, who lost Senate control in 2006 after losing six seats. Senator Charles Schumer of New York, the Democratic counterpart to Ensign, argues that the Iraq war, now in its fifth year, will benefit his party. He believes that Democrats have a track record of budget balance, which will appeal to voters. Schumer, who heads the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, stated that the Republicans have lost touch and that his party will come in with a mandate for change. If senators like John Warner of Virginia and Pete Domenici of New Mexico retire, the Republicans could face an even tougher battle as more seats become up for grabs. Additionally, fundraising is a challenge for the Republicans, as the Democratic campaign has raised double the amount of money in the first four months of 2007, with $18.3 million compared to $9.1 million for the Republicans. In a closely contested election in Minnesota, comedian Al Franken, the top Democratic candidate, has raised $1.35 million in the first quarter. This is a significant achievement compared to the $1.53 million raised by Coleman.