Questions still remain about whether Senator Robert Byrd (D-WV) will seek an unprecedented ninth term, but if Barack Obama has anything to say about it, Byrd will be in the Senate through 2013. Apparently, the people of West Virginia agree with the junior Senator from Illinois, as Roll Call's Lauren W. Whittington reports (subscription reqd.):

The National Republican Senatorial Committee on Friday released a new poll that showed the veteran lawmaker just barely above the 50 percent mark.

The survey, conducted by the Anderson Group for the NRSC, showed Byrd leading Rep. Shelley Moore Capito (R) 52 percent to 42 percent in a hypothetical head-to-head matchup.

The real story behind this poll is the fact that the best candidate the GOP can come up with in West Virginia only gets 42% in a skewed poll. When you take a gander at the fundraising totals so far, the real competitiveness of the race -- or rather lack thereof -- becomes apparent. Roll Call has the story (no link available):

Gearing up for a potentially grueling 2006 re-election fight, Sen. Robert Byrd (D) raised almost $1.2 million in the first quarter of the year, his campaign announced Wednesday.

The three-month total is more than the overall amount Byrd raised for his non-competitive 2000 re-election race.

The majority of Byrd's funds were raised through an e-mail solicitation signed by Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) and distributed nationally by the liberal group MoveOn.org.

Published reports have estimated that the group's members pitched in almost $833,000 in less than three days to aid Byrd's re-election.

[...]

[Byrd's potential GOP challenger Shelly] Capito raised $72,000 in the quarter and ended March with $104,000 in her campaign account.

It's sure going to be difficult for a Republican to win with only $104,000, even in a purportedly "red" state like West Virginia. Perhaps Byrd will have a few more years in the Senate after all.