Thursday, January 15, 2009

Republican Desperation

The Republicans are really desperate for 2010. Obama hasn't even taken power yet and the Republican senators are running for the hills. Four Republicans have already decided to retire. Democrats could take all 4 of these seats. 3 are in battleground states--Kit Bond in Missouri, Mel Martinez in Florida, and George Voinvoich in Ohio. Sam Brownback's seat in Kansas might usually be safe for Republicans, but the extremely popular Democratic governor Kathleen Sebelius is expected to run for it.

Now the Senate Republicans are begging Texas senator Kay Bailey Hutchison to not run for governor, as she has been planning. They fear they could lose that seat too and give the Democrats a filibuster proof majority.

I have news for the Republicans. If they lose Hutchison's seat, they are far gone beyond 60. Not only should that seat remain safe for the Republicans for the next several years, but every other open seat is more likely to switch. With the Democrats likely at 59 once this Minnesota mess gets settled, and with only Harry Reid's seat in trouble at this point for the Democrats, the Republicans had better have bigger things to worry about than Texas.