Santorum no more-um?

Catchy, no?

Anyway, two articles today that hint that Rick Santorum may face defeat in 2006. First, he is in charge of an issue that he has proved vulnerable on in the past - Social Security reform:

Santorum chairs the Social Security panel on the Finance Committee, which has jurisdiction over the program. As the No. 3 Republican in the Senate, he's also the point man for coordinating the Senate GOP's message on the issue with the White House and the House of Representatives.

And, Santorum is preparing to run for a third term in 2006, meaning anything he does with the popular entitlement program could be fodder for his Democratic opponents.

(snip)

But seniors, a dominant voting bloc in Pennsylvania, don't like the idea as much. AARP, the largest lobbying group for seniors, is running ads opposed to the accounts.

Santorum nearly lost his first Senate race in 1994 when he said the retirement age should jump to 70, providing Democratic incumbent Harris Wofford with a devastating video clip for a stretch-drive commercial. But Santorum rallied to win.

Maybe someone should dust that clip off and get an ad on in Pennsylvania right now?

Either way, his support for Bush on this issue should provide key fodder come election time.

Second, incoming state Treasurer Bob Casey Jr. is giving serious consideration to a challenge to Santorum come 2006:

Casey, who will be sworn in today for his first term as treasurer, has long said he would run again for governor. But he is now pondering a path that could take him to the U.S. Senate.

If he does run, said G. Terry Madonna of Franklin & Marshall College's Keystone Poll, "This would be a race of titans. This would pit two of the great heavyweights of Pennsylvania politics in a race that would have national implications."

Casey declined to discuss his exploration of a Senate bid, other than to say, "Some people are talking to us and we are listening. It is something we are looking at."

He said he will dedicate his time and effort to his new job but that it will not stop him from considering what he called "an intriguing possibility," that of running against Santorum next year.

Kos notes:

DSCC polling shows Santorum is extremely vulnerable to a Casey challenge.

It'd be nice to see.