....While Bush and the Democrats fight it out in public, the Republican rank and file have grown increasingly demoralized. Eighteen Republicans in the Senate and 45 in the House abandoned the White House on the children's health bill, and lawmakers expect even more to vote to override his promised veto of a water projects bill as soon as next week.
As Republicans lament life in the minority, many are giving up. Nearly a dozen Republicans in the House and five in the Senate have announced their intention to retire next year. Rep. Tom Cole (Oklahoma), chairman of the National Republican Congresional Committee, said that the party should hold many of those seats, but that some will be tough, such as that of Rep. Deborah Pryce (Ohio). "If Deborah would change her mind, I'd be the happiest guy in the world," he said......
>>> Blog Cleveland:
....(Tom) Cole called Ohio "a challenge state" for Republicans in light of Gillmor's death and recent retirement decisions by Republicans Deborah Pryce of Upper Arlington, Ralph Regula of Navarre and David Hobson of Springfield....
.....Unfortunately we knew all of this, unless the one tidbit is that the GOP has no idea who they're going to put up against Kilroy in 15.....
What have we learned from all of this?
1. The NRCC is having difficulty getting recruits and and money.
2. Republicans are not having fun being in the minority in the House and the Senate.
3. The Republican scandals in Ohio are still fresh in the minds of Ohio voters. Ohioans are very skeptical of any promises made by Republican candidates.
4. The Ohio GOP still doesn't have a candidate to run against Democrat Mary Jo Kilroy in Ohio's 15th district.