HOWDY DOODY TRIES A LITTLE EARLY SANTA CLAUS CHEER FOR REPUBLICANS MOST IN JEOPARDY OF LOSING THEIR SEATS

I'm certain that DCCC Chairman Chris Van Hollen isn't getting anything out of this he isn't already well aware of, but Florida Rep. H. Doody has a little list, flagging the eleven GOP congressmembers who the Republicans feel are most in jeopardy when they have to face their constituents next year. Congressman Doody handed each of the endangered Repugs, many of whom are under investigation for their criminal behavior, a check for $2,500. What's up with little Doody, you wonder? Well, with Minority Leader Boehner spending most of his time at a tanning salon and trying to keep as far away from anything indictable as possible and with his #2, Roy Blunt practically living on K. Street, the impossible task of protecting the Republicans' scores of vulnerable congressmembers has fallen on the shoulders of poor Doody, chairman of the House Republican Conference.

Paul Kane in today's Washington Post explains that Doody's "Red PAC donations serve as an early window into the thinking of House Republicans in terms of which incumbents are in the most electoral trouble in 2008. The recipients range from ethically challenged incumbents-- such as Reps. John Doolittle (R-Calif.), who still faces questions about his family's connections to jailed lobbyist Jack Abramoff, to Heather Wilson (R-N.M.) who's under fire for allegedly pressuring a prosecutor to bring indictments against Albuquerque Democrats-- to those that are in just difficult races because of political geography. Doody's dozen (and their percentage of votes in the 2006 election) minus one:

Steve Chabot (Ohio) 53%
John Doolittle (Calif.) 49%
Jim Gerlach (Pa.) 51%
Robin Hayes (N.C.) 50%
Joe Knollenberg (Mich.) 52%
Jon Porter (Nev.) 48%
Deborah Pryce (Ohio) 51%
David Reichert (Wash.) 51%
Rick Renzi (Ariz.) 52%
Peter Roskam (Ill.) 51%
Heather Wilson (N.M.) 50%

Presumably he considers Michele Bachmann, Minnesota's secret puker, to be too far gone for $2,500 to have any impact at all. Little Doody is still a little wet behind the ears so he might be interested in knowing that Karl Rove, who's been manipulating politics when Doody was still eating his own shit, has a much wider list of Republicans likely to be defeated at the polls in 2008. According to Rove, the Republicans who will be looking for honest work after the next elections are Gerlach (PA), Bachmann (MN), Hayes (NC), Wilson (NM), Musgrave (CO), Roskam (IL), Shays (CT), Mean Jean Schmidt (OH), Drake (VA), Cubin (WY), Doolittle (CA), Porter (NV), Walsh (NY), Pryce (OH), Kuhl (NY), Ferguson (NJ), Knollenberg (MI), Young (Bridge to Nowhere), Galleghy (CA), McKeon (CA), Lewis (CA), Miller (CA), Castle (DE), Young (FL), Kirk (IL), Hastert (IL), Lewis (KY), Bartlett (MD), Ehlers (MI), Walberg (MI), Myrick (NC), Regula (OH), Dent (PA) and Davis (VA).

The only additions to Rove's list on Doody's handout roster are David Reichert (WA), Steve Chabot (OH), and the much-investigated Republicrook Rick Renzi who went on that p.r. stunt/stroll through "safe" Baghdad with McCain last week. Of course, Congressman Doody was just handing out checks-- which is legal-- while Rove was instructing the General Services Administration to help the re-election efforts of the members of congress on his list, which is illegal. What a team!