WV Sen: Capito Out

GOP Rep. Shelley Moore Capito bowed out of the race for Robert Byrd's West Virginia Senate seat. The Charleston Daily Mail has a roundup of some of the legal and strategic reasons behind Capito's exit from the race.

Capito's decision opens up the Republican nomination to a variety of possible contenders. A candidate must file by Friday. As I've written before, this is one race that Republicans should not give up. West Virginia is favorable territory for 2010, and a little money could go a long way.

The key thing to remember: likely Democratic nominee Manchin is vulnerable. He supported Obamacare (imagine all the ads that could be put together from this video of Manchin endorsing the health-care "reform"). Manchin may enjoy high numbers now, but an assertive Republican campaign could easily make voters think twice about sending him to Capitol Hill.