Dem chances of a Senate pick-up in Nevada just got slimmer

The front-page story in the New York Times that outlines how Rep. Shelley Berkley used her office to benefit the interests of her doctor husband put a big curve in the road she had hoped to take to become Nevada's U.S Senator. Nationally, Democrats pinned a lot of hope on her being able to beat Dean Heller, which was an uphill climb in the best of circumstances.

Now it's much tougher. It is a year out, of course, but by the time this story runs its course it will undercut one of Berkley's key self-proclaimed planks -- "I care about Nevada; I work tirelessly for Nevadans."

Apparently she works even harder on behalf of her personal interests.

And you can bet the GOP is already mulling ads to exploit this story in the last 60 days of the Senate campaign. It won't go away.

Bottom line: As of this day, chances of Democrats taking a GOP seat in Nevada just got dimmer.