The Rothenburg Political Report has two recent columns about close House races. The first describes the
challenges facing Republicans, which include the National Republican Congressional Committee's (NRCC) lack of money, and being on the wrong side of a number of issues:
Given the GOP’s image problem, the party’s failure to accomplish much
of anything during its last two years in control of Congress and the
party’s role in blocking additional funds for embryonic stem-cell
research, immigration and the State Children’s Health Insurance
Program, it will be relatively easy for Democrats to position
themselves once again as the party that is most likely to bring about
change.
The second Rothenburg column is about
Veterans running for Congress, and mentions Eric Massa.
Yesterday's LA Times carried a
story about the consequences of opposing the Iraq War for Congressional Republicans. Using the examples of Walter Jones (NC-3), Wayne Gilchrest (MD-1) and Senator Chuck Hagel (NE), the Times shows that Republicans who opposed the war are now faced with well-funded primary challengers and hostile criticism from the rank-and-file and conservative commentators.