Byrd v. Capito?

A while back I noted that ultra-socially-conservative groups and their allies within the GOP had their sights set on Sen. Robert Byrd (D-WV), pledging to unseat this Senate fixture if he attempted to block conservative Supreme Court nominations.

Well, Mr. Byrd, true to form, is raising hell over Majority Leader Bill Frist's plan to eliminate the filibuster in order to confirm right-wing freako judges. And orneriness has consequences. Our West Virginia correspondent reports that the Republicans may be planning to put some serious resources into running Congresswoman Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV) against Byrd when he comes up for reelection in '06.

Now, it seems as unlikely to me as ever that anyone could defeat Byrd. Not even Capito, who has a little genealogical capital as the daughter of 3-term WV governor (and convicted felon) Arch Moore. My housemate has a theory that all this hubbub is intended to scare the Dems into dropping lots of money on the Byrd '06 race. But why would they bother? Such a mystery.