Cillizza: Abramoff Scandals Put a Few "Safe" House Seats in Play

[DeepModem Mom]

WP, "The Fix," by Chris Cillizza
washingtonpost.com's Politics Blog
Posted at 08:26 AM ET, 01/27/2006
The Friday Line: Scandals Put a Few "Safe" House Seats in Play


....Disgraced lobbyist Jack Abramoff's plea deal with federal investigators could seriously endanger several Republican incumbents. The the scope of the scandal seems likely to grow rather than contract over the next ten months. While no lawmaker has been indicted in the Abramoff scandal, for the moment the lobbyist's cloud is darkening several political futures....

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As always, the ten races below are what The Fix sees as the most competitive at this moment in the 2006 cycle; the races are ranked from least likely to flip party control to most likely. Register your questions, criticisms and kudos in the comments section below....

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3. Ohio's 6th District -- OPEN: State Rep. Chuck Blasdel (R) and state Sen. Charlie Wilson (D) both face May primary challenges but seem very likely to face off against one another in the fall. The southeastern Ohio seat went for President Bush by two-point margins in 2000 and 2004, giving Republicans a slight edge. Republicans are also convinced that their opposition research file on Wilson ensures victory. Incumbent Rep. Ted Strickland (D) is running for governor. (Previous ranking: 3)

2. Iowa's 1st District -- OPEN: All eyes in this race are on the June 6 primaries, the results of which should give us a better sense of where this contest is headed. On its face, the district should be a Democratic takeover -- John Kerry won it by seven points in 2004. Former Iowa Trial Lawyers Association head Bruce Braley (D) and state Rep. Bill Dix (R) seem like the frontrunners at the moment. Incumbent Rep. Jim Nussle (R) is running for governor. (Previous ranking: 2)

1. Colorado's 7th District -- OPEN: Likely GOP nominee Rick O'Donnell tried to put some distance between himself and the House Republicans he is hoping to join recently when he announced his support for comprehensive lobbying reform. O'Donnell's move symbolizes his struggle to hold this seat for Republicans. The current political climate tips toward Democrats and demographically this district is moving away from the GOP. As a result, either former state Sen. Ed Perlmutter (D) or former state Rep. Peggy Lamm (D) will have an edge against O'Donnell in November. Incumbent Rep. Bob Beauprez (R) is running for governor. (Previous ranking: 1)


http://blogs.washingtonpost.com/thefix/

[kurth]

1. People need to be reminded

When extremists run government there are extreme consequences. Elections matter.