With the McCain campaign teetering in the polls and some 30 retirements in the House, the GOP’s hopes to hold the line are bleak.

From the Politico.

An internal document circulating among House Republicans warns of an impending
congressional bloodbath, listing 58 Republican-held House seats being at risk,
and 11 already considered as good as gone. As many as 34 GOP-held seats are in
serious jeopardy of swinging to Democrats, the assessment shows.

The
state-of-the-race update, first reported on by U.S. News’ Paul Bedard, shows the
GOP already writing off the seats of Reps. Tom Feeney (R-Fla.), John R. Kuhl
(R-N.Y.), Don Young (R-Alaska) and Tim Walberg (R-Mich.). It also expects losses
in the seats of retiring GOP Reps. Rick Renzi of Arizona, Jerry Weller of
Illinois, Jim Saxton of New Jersey, Mike Ferguson of New Jersey, Vito Fossella
of New York, James Walsh of New York and Tom Davis of Virginia.

Drafted
by a Republican consultant, the document ranks seats on a scale of 1 to 5, with
5 being the most likely for a Democratic takeover. Eleven members received a 5,
meaning the seat is gone unless “a significant turn of events” changes things in
the final two weeks. An additional seven seats are ranked as a 4, in the leaning
Democratic category, and 16 seats are in the tossup category.

One
well-connected Republican operative told Politico that the list, if anything,
understated the number of members needing a political lifeline. The operative
also said the GOP is all but writing off the seats of Reps. Marilyn Musgrave
(R-Colo.), Joseph Knollenberg (R-Mich.), Michele Bachmann (R-Minn.), Phil
English (R-Pa.), and the open New Mexico House seat of retiring Rep. Steve
Pearce (R-N.M.), who is running for the Senate.

A loss of this magnitude will probably cost John Boehner his leadership post and give new meaning to the word miserable when it comes to describing Congress.

 

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