January 18, 2012 3:49 PM

Democrats optimistic they can take control of House in November

By
Jill Jackson
Topics
Congress ,
Tea Party ,
Campaign 2012

Rep. Steve Israel

(Credit: Evan Vucci)

The Democrat leading his party's effort to retake control of the House of Representatives is cautiously optimistic the November elections will make John Boehner a one-term House speaker, telling reporters Wednesday that "we are nipping at (Republican) heels and we have the potential to overtake them over the next nine months."

Democrats do not have the 25 seats needed to take control of the House in November locked in yet, but New York Rep. Steve Israel, who heads the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, said that his candidates are making steady progress with fewer than 300 days until the election.

He also said about 76 of the 435 seats are considered to be "in play" for one party or the other. Boehner and the Republicans took control of the House after picking up 63 seats in the 2010 mid-term elections. There are now 242 Republicans and 192 Democrats in the House. The seat of former Rep. David Wu, an Oregon Democrat, is vacant.

His confidence, Israel said, comes from Democrats faring better than expected throughout the redistricting process, resulting in a wash for both parties despite Republicans controlling the majority of state legislatures this year and he mentioned fundraising numbers, which the DCCC estimates will be greater for Democrats than Republicans when yearly reports are filed at the end of this month.

Israel said that Democrats are also extremely confident in their candidates running for office this year. Israel announced 18 candidates and 18 districts today that qualified for the DCCC's "Red to Blue" program that helps fund and campaign for candidates who have shown the ability to raise money, have crafted a compelling message and show they can strongly compete in districts where winning is possible.

The candidates, who Israel said reflect the American middle class dream, include Ami Bera, a first generation physician who will run against the vulnerable Rep. Dan Lungren (R-CA) in a district that's more blue now after redistricting in California. Val Demings, the first female chief of police in Orlando, Florida, will be running against freshman Rep. Daniel Webster (R-FL). And Jose Hernandez, an astronaut son of migrant workers, will challenge freshman Rep. Jeff Denham in a California district that includes part of San Joaquin County.

And Democrats who lost in the 2010 elections amid a wave of anti-incumbent sentiment are now hoping to turn that anti-incumbent sentiment on their former rivals in 2012. Rep. Dan Maffei (D-NY) and Charlie Wilson (D-OH), who lost their seats to Tea Party Republicans in 2010, bu plan to run again this year, Israel said.

"Even tea party voters have to be disappointed with the hypocrisy they have seen and the gridlock that they have seen by the members of congress they elected" Israel said, slamming votes Republicans have taken to repeal Obama's health care law and privatize Medicare.

The Democrat's strategy, as it has been all year, is to paint Democrats as the party out to fight for the middle class and the Republicans protecting the rich.

"These candidates across the country are going to be aggressively holding Republicans accountable for consistently choosing millionaires over Medicare, for consistently choosing oil company subsidies over middle class tax cuts, for choosing ideology over solutions" Israel said.

National Republican Congressional Campaign Committee Communications Director, Paul Lindsay, said the Democrats' campaign message won't work.

"With Nancy Pelosi announcing this week that Democrats will be running a campaign that takes pride in Obamacare and President Obama's other job destroying policies, the Democrat candidates in these districts are going to find themselves trapped in the very unfortunate situation of being saddled with an agenda Americans have already widely rejected" Lindsay said in a statement emailed to CBS News. "You can't help but feel sorry for the candidates that national Democrats have recruited to run on Obama's failed agenda. They are soon about to find out that Steve Israel's promises of getting them jobs in Congress are as empty as the President's promise to create jobs for Americans."

Israel rejected the notion that President Obama 's race for reelection would have much impact on congressional races. "The battleground to take the House back for us it goes through California and Illinois. I'm not sure that the DNC or the President is going to be investing huge resources in California and Illinois."

"We will win this on the streets and not at the 30 thousand foot level" Israel said though he said they are not advising candidates to seek distance with President Obama.


Add a Comment See all 17 Comments
by MaxPanyagua January 19, 2012 3:14 PM EST
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ynzqyyj6ew4

THis video shows exactly the politicians and government officials real reason they want to censor what is posted on sites like YouTube.

Congressman Howard Berman's Chief of Staff berates and curses at police officer. Then calls in favor and has traffic citation disappear.

If SOPA/PIPA is enacted neither you or the almost 700 viewers could have or would have seen this video about GOVERMENT MISUSE OF POWER, POLITICAL FAVORITISM AND BLATANT CORRUPTION
Reply to this comment
by kryan74 January 18, 2012 5:05 PM EST
Yeah right Democrats. Not only will you not reclaim the House, but you will probably also lose the Senate.
Reply to this comment
by koko98-2009 January 18, 2012 5:25 PM EST
Not if enough Republcian bigots stay home and not vote for a Mormon. Romney will help the Democrats up and down the ticket.
by Tahuaya January 18, 2012 5:02 PM EST
Most of my adult life, I have been a Republican up until about eight years ago. I now consider myself an Independent but am leaning towards voting for President Obama.

President Obama has accepted the fact that our nation cannot be the policeman of the world. We patrol the seas with the world's largest fleet. We have troops stationed on every continent except Antarctica. Recently we were involved in two wars and still are involved in one of them.

The World can get along without our intervention and I believe our military strength actually encourages our leaders to get us into fights we should stay out of. We had no business going into Iraq. It was not our problem.

I was a Marine during Vietnam and have come to believe we did not have to be there. The North Vietnamese eventually won and for some reason, the world never looked back. So 50,000 Americans lost their lives fighting for something that did not matter.

We need a military that can defend the United States and a military that can assist when allies also step up to the plate, such as in Libya. Obama did it right in Libya, he used drones and air support but kept our ground troops out of the fight. If only Bush junior had been so insightful.

More importantly, I am fed up with Republicans always wanting to spend on the military and then turning around and attacking national health care when it would take care of our own people.

If we cannot afford health care for our people, then we cannot afford to police the world either. We have to make choices and I vote for health care and a reasonablly sized military that can defend this country.

I believe President Obama can run with Obamacare as an issue and win. He can also run on his record in foreign policy and win. With the economy turning around, I think his chances are good and after listening to all the Republican candidates for president, I can only say, the more I listen to them, the more I like Obama.

Simper Fi
Reply to this comment
by mryoubrian January 18, 2012 6:15 PM EST
You are right on the money. People, sometimes democrats say that Obama has not gotten anything done. They should look at his record.

Obama Promises
1. End "Don't Ask Don't Tell". Done.
2. End the war in Iraq and bring those troops home. Done.
3. Get Osama bin Laden. Done.
4. Pass health care bill for the first time in 30 years. Done.
5. Implement plan to end war in Afghanistan. Done.
6. Kept us safe on American soil. Done.

Additionally-
1. Saved the Big 3 auto manufacturers and 2,500,000 jobs.
2. Killed 22 of the 30 most wanted terrorists on the list.
3. Made sure 787 billion in TARP money was paid back.
4. Made BP set aside 20 billion for Gulf oil spill.
5. Created Consumer Protection Agency.
6. Deal with Russia to remove 3,000 nuclear warheads.
7. Did not let us get dragged down in Libya but supported getting rid of yet another world dictator with 0 dead American soldiers, 0 severely maimed or wounded U.S. soldiers, and cost us 1/3700 of what Iraq did. And our involvement was 6 months in Libya compared to 10 years in Iraq.
8. Cut taxes for small businesses 16 times in first 2 years.

Of course it has not been a bed of roses as he lost a high secretive drone to Iran and failed to shut down GTMO but you are going to have some misses when you play at these high stakes.

And legally by international law, he will have no choice but to shut down GTMO when the war in Afghanistan ends. You cannot keep POWs after a war has ended.

Overall, I give him a B+ for only 3 years. I will vote for Obama again.
by TerryS1948 January 18, 2012 7:36 PM EST
You are lying. You are and always have been a dumb Dim. Stop trolling and be honest for a change.
by ProgressNow January 18, 2012 5:00 PM EST
America: Just say :"No...no...no....nooooooo...like hell you can!!!!!!!" to the GOP in November.
Reply to this comment
by Tired_of_liars January 18, 2012 7:54 PM EST
No...no...no....nooooooo...like hell you can!!!!!!!" ProgressNow
by involved_indi January 18, 2012 5:00 PM EST
why would anyone be dumb enough to vote the democratic party in power after they had 5 years in control and put abominations like ObamaCare in. They've also added more to the national debt in 39 months than the previous administration did in 8 years. All undisputable facts...
Reply to this comment
by MacDerb January 18, 2012 4:53 PM EST
Do you honestly believe that I give a crap about what this man says about anything? When the Democratic Party threatens the life of anyone that opposes its agenda?

Congress must pay back all of its salary that it robbed American taxpayers for 2011 since it was the laziest Congress on the history books.

What a record to be proud of.
Reply to this comment
by BaselessCritique January 18, 2012 4:45 PM EST
Pelosi's refusal to step aside, as is customary, makes that prospect doubley unlikely.
Reply to this comment
by ProgressNow January 18, 2012 4:31 PM EST
Doable...very doable.
Reply to this comment
by involved_indi January 18, 2012 5:02 PM EST
only if we lose all common sense as a nation.
by TerryS1948 January 18, 2012 4:30 PM EST
When pigs fly, that is when Dims will win back the House. Dims will be saying goodbye to the Senate as well in 2013. They have done enough damage and the American people are slowly realizing it.
Reply to this comment
by BaselessCritique January 18, 2012 4:46 PM EST
What damage? Can you name three things?
by involved_indi January 18, 2012 5:05 PM EST
to BaselessCritique

1. 7 trillion in National Debt added in less than 4 years
2. ObamaCare
3. Squandering almost a trillion on job creation without creating any jobs.

I can actually name about 50 but you only asked for 3
See all 17 Comments
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