John Cornyn, in Roll Call, via TPMDC (we don’t have a subscription to Roll Call):
“I would love to get a Republican majority in the House, I just don’t think it’s feasible this cycle,” said Cornyn, describing the House campaign committee and himself as “friendly competitors.”
Has he fooled himself into believing that it’s feasible to get a Republican majority in the Senate?
There are 17 Democratic Senate seats up for election in 2010, and 19 Republican seats. Because Democrats hold the Vice Presidency, Republicans would need to hold all 19 of their own seats AND pick off 10 of the 17 Democrats (or 9, if they flip Lieberman (of the Independent Asshole Party)).
Good luck with that, Big John.
To emphasize how absurd this is as a possibility it means that Republicans
(a) pick off the pseudo-incumbents Bennett (CO), Burris (IL), and Gillibrand (NY)
(b) steal the DE open seat which will likely be against Beau Biden.
(c) preserve the seats of Bunning (KY), Burr (NC), Murkowski (AK), and Thune (SD) all of whom won by less than 5% in 2004
(d) hold onto Vitter (LA)
(e) not shoot themselves in the foot with Specter (PA)
(f) win the currently-Republican open seats in the swing states of FL, MO, and OH as well as KS.
(g) defeat favorite targets Boxer (CA), Feingold (WI), and Reid (NV)
(h) get Lieberman (CT) on their side
(i) have Coleman magically win his election challenge or force and win a re-vote
ALL OF THAT gets the Republicans to 50. Ignoring the dead-boy-live-girl-level safe seats in CT, HI, MD, NY-Schumer, OR, and VT, the only seats left where they could get to 51 are three beloved Democrats in conservative states Bayh (IN), Dorgan (ND) and Lincoln (AR); or Murray (WA) who won by 12 points in 2004.
Although I almost wish Reid loses so we can get a SML who doesn’t suck balls.