US News & World Report: "The GOP's House Of Cards"

[Hissyspit]

http://www.usnews.com/articles/news/politics/2007/10/05/the-gops-house-of-cards.html?s_cid=rss:the-gops-house-of-cards.html

The GOP's House of Cards
Retirements are curbing Republican hopes for a comeback
By Danielle Knight
Posted October 5, 2007
New Mexico's Pete Domenici last week became the fifth Republican senator to announce his retirement since mid-January. Idaho Sen. Larry Craig, whose arrest in an airport men's room has embarrassed his party, is retiring, too. But Craig announced last week that he would serve out the remainder of his term, infuriating fellow Republicans. And the Senate isn't the GOP's only problem. The situation on the other side of the Capitol has drawn fewer headlines but is no less dramatic. A spate of retirement announcements in the House of Representatives has left the outlook for the Grand Old Party there looking equally bleak.

Deborah Pryce and Dennis Hastert (behind her) are retiring.(Scott J. Ferrell/Congressional Quarterly/Getty Images)Related News
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Within the past three weeks, there have been three retirements, bringing the number of House Republican incumbents jumping ship to nine. That means several districts that very likely would have stayed in GOP hands are up for grabs in 2008. With Democrats outnumbering Republicans 232 to 201, Republicans need to gain 16 seats to take control. But the exodus has dashed GOP hopes because the party will now have to divert its funds toward keeping those seats. "Republicans will have to take a few steps back before they can move forward," says David Wasserman of the Cook Political Report. "Republicans will now be defending open seats."

And the party has other woes as well. The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, which focuses on fundraising for House races, has almost a 14-to-1 lead in cash on hand over its Republican counterpart, and a recent Gallup Poll showed Americans favor Democrats over Republicans by 15 percentage points. Those factors, combined with the new open seats, have Wasserman predicting that Democrats will gain from two to seven seats in the House in 2008.

Contests. The Midwest will be the key battleground. GOP Reps. Deborah Pryce of Ohio and Jim Ramstad of Minnesota will be retiring, as will Republicans like Rep. Jerry Weller, former Speaker Dennis Hastert, and Rep. Ray LaHood, all of Illinois. In fact, at least one third of Illinois's 19 House seats could be up for grabs next year, experts say. Hastert's and LaHood's departures were predicted, but Weller's was a surprise for many, and Democrats have been itching to contest the seat.

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[opihimoimoi]

1. The GOP reaps what they sow...deciet, greed, selfishness, ego, etc all of which,is Party over Nation

Their self centered Philosophy was flawed from the beginning

[yoyossarian]

2. Where will they retire to? Their native earth?

I suppose we should be happy; I mean, I thought we'd NEVER get rid of THIS guy...



Or this one...



Maybe things are getting better... but I can't help but wonder:
Where are all those rats racing to?... and why now?

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http://cafepress.com/laughcity

[Hissyspit]

3. Welcome to DU!

:patriot:

:toast:

[yoyossarian]

4. Thanks, Hissy!

I'm not really new; I've just been away for about 2 years trying to wrangle the rattlesnakes of my life into a tidy pile, and it hasn't been easy... during that time I moved to San Francisco and lost my password and changed email addresses, so I've had to start all over...
And I missed this place; it's fun putting up my little designs for the delight of the few and the cool, and throwing off a rant or two now and again...
I think I remember your name from 'way back then... nice to see you again!

:toast:

:party: :party: :party:

This is hopeful news overall; hope it gets seen more (you've got my nom!)
I doubt it's worrying Bush, though; he's so outta touch..,



T-shirts, mugs, buttons n' cards at
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[yoyossarian]

5. OOPS! No nominating ability yet! Dang it!

This is a good story, too... sorry!
Well, at least I can give ya a lil' bump!



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