The GOP Better Pray

So the Senate has decided NOT to debate the Iraq Resolution passed by the House of Representatives on Friday.

That's ok, because there was a vote anyway...it fell short of the 60 votes needed to reach cloture and begin the debate

The vote was 56-34, 10 Senators never showed up the vote, INCLUDING JOHN MCCAIN! Yes, McCain decided campaigning in Iowa was more important than going to, you know, do this job. Tim Johnson of South Dakota was the only Democrat to not show up to vote...but he's still recovering frm brain surgery, so it's cool.

Anyway, 17 Republicans supported the Resolution in the House...7 GOP Senators supported it (while Lieberman of course opposed it).

Sen. Olympia Snowe (R-Maine)
Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine)
Sen. Arlen Specter (R-Pennsylvania)
Sen. John Warner (R-Virginia)
Sen. Chuck Hagel (R-Nebraska)
Sen. Norm Coleman (R-Minnesota)
Sen. Gordon Smith (R-Oregon)

Collins, Warner, Hagel, Coleman and Smith are all up for reelection in 2008 and all, except Hagel, in competitive or Democratic states. An interesting note was the vote of Sen. John Sununu (R-New Hampshire), considered the most vulnerable Republican incumbent in 2008. He voted AGAINST the resolution and the resolution was quite popular with the people of New Hampshire. Look for the Democrats to make an issue of this come next year. Sununu should pray for some miracle in Iraq, otherwise he's toast next November.

In the House, there are a whole slew of Republicans who better hope yesterday's vote doesn't come back to haunt them. I named the 17 Republicans who voted with the Democrats in a previous post, but some of those who did not intrigue me.

Christopher Shays of Connecticut first of all; He barely held onto his seat last year (and largely thanks to Lieberman's independent candidacy). Shays is the only Republican left in New England, look for him to be targeted.

Jim Gerlach of Pennsylvania, Dave Reichert of Washington, Heather Wilson of New Mexico, Jim Saxton and Mike Ferguson of New Jersey, Peter King of New York, Bill Young of Florida, and Jon Porter of Nevada all sit in seats which lean Democratic. Also, Tom Latham of Iowa, Pete Roskam of Illinois, Deborah Pryce and Steve Chabot of Ohio, John McHugh of New York, Chris Smith of New Jersey, Frank Wolf of Virginia, Robin Hayes of North Carolina, Vern Buchanan of Florida, Thad McCotter, Mike Rogers and Joe Knollenberg of Michigan, and Shelly Moore Capito of West Virginia all sit in seats that are VERY competitive.

There is a risk to the Democrats however. If they prove to be wrong here, prominent Democrats such as Jerry McNerney of California, Harry Mitchell of Arizona, Nancy Boyda of Kansas, Stephanie Herseth of South Dakota, Earl Pomeroy of North Dakota, Nick Lampson and Chet Edwards of Texas, Dan Boren of Oklahoma, Charlie Melacon of Louisiana, Tim Mahoney of Florida, John Spratt of South Carolina, Zack Space of Ohio, Baron Hill and Joe Donnelly of Indiana and Carol Shea-Porter of New Hampshire could all be at risk of loosing their seats.

Still, the gamble seems to be worth it with the Democrats. An unpopular war, unpopular president and a public itching to see Congress show some teeth. The GOP better pray the tide turns too, or a Democratic majority of 240-245 seats in the House and 55-60 seats in the Senate may not be far on the horizon.