Top Democrat: We can win back the House this year

Updated: 4:53 p.m. ET

(CBS News) Rep. Steve Israel, chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC), says he believes Democrats are "in range" to retake control over the House of Representatives in 2012, telling CBS News' John Dickerson Wednesday that Americans have "buyer's remorse" for sweeping the GOP into power in 2010.

Israel, a New York Democrat, agreed with House Speaker John Boehner's recent assessment that there are a number of competitive House races in play. He contended that if Democrats win a majority of the districts held by a Republican despite the fact that voters there backed President Obama in 2008 and John Kerry in 2004, Democrats will re-take the House.

"I hate to agree with Speaker Boehner, I don't often agree with Speaker Boehner, but when he says that there are 52 competitive districts in play, I agree with him completely," Israel told Dickerson on CBSNews.com's web show "Face to Face." 

"It's not like I'm ready to hire him as our communications director, but he has acknowledged a reality that deep buyer's remorse is setting in across the country, there are districts that both President Obama and John Kerry won that have a Republican incumbent, those districts are competitive, and the House is in range," Israel said.

Republicans took over the House of Representatives in the 2010 elections and now hold a 242-190 edge over Democrats.  Democrats need a net gain of 25 seats to retake the majority.

Israel argued that 2010 was a "tsunami election" in part because "many of those independent voters supported a Tea Party Republican."

"Now they have deep buyer's remorse. They did not know when they voted for a Tea Party Republican that that Tea Party Republican would spend more time trying to figure out how to shut down Planned Parenthood than how to open up a small business," he said.

Israel also cited the dawn of super PACs as having "changed everything" in modern day politics.

"It's the one thing that does make me toss and turn at night," Israel said. "What's out of our control are these super PACs, these secretive stealth groups that will beam into districts without disclosing where they got their money and say whatever they want to say about candidates."

"They changed the equation in 2010," he added. "John, we did not lose the House to Republicans, we lost it to Karl Rove and the Koch Brothers. We lost it to these super PACs. We didn't have an adequate response to that secret money and that super PAC infrastructure in 2010. I'm told there will be a robust response in this cycle. And I hope there will be."

[skeezix06]

Dream on. Neither party represents my issues any more so I won't be voting for either of you this time around.

Prediction. Expect to lose at least one democratic seat you're now holding. Personally, the "new" democratic party has alienated many of their former voters so I expect them to lose several more seats in November. I think the idea they'll retake the House is wishful thinking. I wouldn't be surprised if they lost the Senate as well in spite of the fact that republicans are running on the same failed policies they've run on for the last 30+ years.

[mars7578]

The outcome of Europe proves that Obama had a better plan.The extreme use of austerity measures only is resulting in a return to recession.If America had followed this plan,the country would be on the verge of another economic collaspe.Only the naive believes that tht GOP plan of massive layoffs and lower wages will turn a short term disaster into long term prosperity.Although the poster child of their economic solution is disintegrating before their very eyes,they still want people to believe in it.And amazing some do ,because they refuse to believe their own eyes.

[haddada-2009]

Romney/ Rubio 2012
That would be a good tune for the president to sing !

[arthanyel]

That would be Obama singing in the White House shower after being re-elected. Marco Rubio is not who Romney needs as a VP, nor is Santorum or Jeb. I won't vote for them anyway, but who Romney needs is Rice or Ryan.

[involved_indi]

sure, they can win back the house and I might have a 10 lb 24 carat gold meteor land in my yard too. The only buyers remorse that I know of is that voters didn't also kick out the do nothing, block everything democrats in the senate as well. Thats the real source of many issues we have now.

[liberalmike]

O'BAMA IN 2012!!!!!!!!!!!!!1

[haddada-2009]

If Obummer thought 2010 was a schalacking just wait till November
If you were informed you would know that redistricting has caused allot of dems to loose their seats and almost all of them fell to states in favor of republicans.
Also since democrats belong to the same looser president's party, people will vote against them since they are in bed with the president
Also independents decide the election. And well if Obummer hasn't got them on board in 3 1/2 years chances are they want be opting for him or any of his comrades
But I guess you can keep dreaming if you want, that is all you have to hang on to

[liberalmike]

Not only wil the repubs lose the house, romney will lose also.
People are having buyer's remorse and they certainly don't want a repub president to bring back the same Bush policies that wrecked the economy and they try to blame O'Bama for it.

[Obama4more]

by DJ332013 April 25, 2012 5:19 PM EDT
Why do you want Nancy do have the Gavel back? She didn't do a good job the first time.
----

Any Speaker that could get the ACA through the House of Hurdling Cats knows what she's doing DJ. I love you...

[Smokey75]

by sjc_1 April 25, 2012 5:27 PM EDT
$2.4 trillion in debt was borrowed during the 2003-2007 period when Republicans ran the House, Senate and White House.
==========================================================================================================================================

2007-2010 it was over 4 trillion So what is your point?

[Obama4more]

Weeper Bone-head is already throwing in the towel... Get ready to give the gavel back to Nancy, Johnny Boy!!!!! OBAMA 2012....take back the House!!!!

[sjc_1]

Nancy drained the K Street Swamp where Republican lobbyists did their evil deeds in league with the party's Senators and Reps.

[Smokey75]

It is funny hearing democrats make excuses for their land slide losses in 2010. I mean it has to be the super pacs fault or maybe bushes fault or maybe the Arab spring, I mean it could have been the democrats did absolutely nothing the 4 years they had their majority aside from passing an extremely unpopular health care bill and running up trillions in debt.

Obama and Democrats have absolutely no ability to take personal responsibility for anything!!!!!!!!

[sjc_1]

$2.4 trillion in debt was borrowed during the 2003-2007 period when Republicans ran the House, Senate and White House.

[involved_indi]

sjc_1 - even if that were true, it kind of pales against the 5 trillion that Obama has added to the debt in 40 months and if ObamaCare gets fully implemented, 5 trillion will be "the good ol days". As a country, we can't afford 4 more years of Obama.