Targeting Vulnerable Republicans We Almost Beat This Year

Dan Lungren (R-CA)

Inside the Beltway conventional wisdom states that any member of the House winning their last election with under 55% is vulnerable the following election cycle. Even with it's incredibly gerrymandered districts-- gerrymandered for the protection of incumbents of both corrupt parties-- there were more close calls for California incumbents than there have been in many years. Statewide, of course, Obama completely wiped out McCain 7,342,729 (61%) to 4,501,611 (37%), a percentage of rejection for conservatives and their toxic blend of corruption, reactionary policies and incompetence that was beaten only in 8 states and the District of Columbia (93%)-- Hawaii (72%), Vermont (68%), Rhode Island (63%), New York (62%), Massachusetts (62%), Maryland (62%), Delaware (62%), and Illinois (62%).

The only California incumbents who failed to reach the safety of 55% were 5 right-wing extremists:

Dan Lungren (50%)
Brian Bilbray (50%)
Ken Calvert (52%)
David Dreier (53%)
Dana Rohrabacher (53%)

I don't want to tell Chris Van Hollen how to do his job-- sure, I don't-- but he should be having talks with each of the Democratic challengers, persuading them to run again and helping them plan exactly how to make it work in 2010. One, Bill Durston, has already agreed to take another shot at the clownish Lungren.

Outside California there are now 22 Republicans, either freshmen of vulnerable incumbents who should also be seriously targeted after failing to reach the 55% mark:

Mean Jean Schmidt (OH-02)- 45%
Michele Bachmann (MN-06)- 46%
Erick Paulsen (MN-03)- 48%
Bill Cassidy (LA-06)- 48%
Blaine Luetkemeyer (MO-09)-50%)
Thaddeus McCotter (MI-11)- 51%
Leonard Lance (NJ-07)- 51%
Lynn Jenkins (KS-02)- 51%
Jim Gerlach (PA-06)- 52%
Dave Reichert (WA-08)- 52%
Henry Brown (SC-01)- 52%
Dean Heller (NV-02)- 52%
Lee Terry (NE-02)- 52%
Steven Guthrie (KY-02)- 53%
Mario Diaz-Balart (FL-25)- 53%
Cynthia Lummis (WY-AL)- 53%
Pete Olson (TX-22)- 53%
Judy Biggert (IL-13)- 53%
Bill Posey (FL-15)- 53%
Michael McCaul (TX-10)- 54%
John Shadegg (AZ-03)- 54%
Addison Wilson (SC-02)- 54%

No sense waiting until 2010 but take a few weeks off and let's get right to it.