The Beltway is buzzing about the U.S. Senate race between Republican incumbent Elizabeth Dole and her Democratic opponent, Kay Hagan.

Hagan, a state senator, met with Washington reporters and bloggers last week in an effort to raise her profile. Her chat with the Washington Post's Chris Cillizza bumped her up a notch to No. 8 in the competitive rankings on his blog, The Fix:

"Dole (R) knows she is in for a very tough race against state Sen. Kay Hagan (D). Witness her decision to begin running ads in recent days that tout her ability to deliver for the state -- ads that never make mention of her party affiliation or President George W. Bush."

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