Politics

Kaine: GOP in Worse Shape than Dems

By Daniel Carty

January 7, 2010 / 8:17 AM EST / CBS News

Democrats' chances of holding on to a congressional super-majority following the 2010 midterm elections have taken a hit in the last month, but their party's chairman thinks it will be the Republicans left scrambling in the fall.

"There's a huge, corrosive civil war within the Republican party that I think will continue to be a factor that will work in our favor in 2010," Virginia Gov. Tim Kaine, who also presides over the Democratic National Committee, told CBS' "The Early Show"

On Wednesday, surprise retirement announcements came from two longstanding Democratic Senators, Connecticut's Chris Dodd and North Dakota's Byron Dorgan – a development that threatens the Democrats' chances of maintaining 60-40 filibuster-proof majority over Republicans. (The Democrats actually control 58 seats, with two independents caucusing with them).

And last month, the party suffered a defection to the GOP by freshman Alabama Rep. Parker Griffith.

But aside from the recent buzz about potential Democratic losses, Republicans face the real problem, according to Kaine. In the Senate, two Democrats will retire but six Republicans will join them. In the House, GOP retirements outpace Democrats 14 to 10.

"Retirements are really on the other side," Kaine said.

There are also hotly contested primaries in some Republican districts that may hurt party unity.

Kaine also said two of the biggest challenges during President Barack Obama's first year in office – the economy and health care - should become assets for Democrats at the polls.

"I think the president is about to achieve a victory with the passage of a comprehensive health reform bill that has eluded every Democratic president since Harry Truman and that will create a real tail wind for the president and the party when that happens…"

"And the economy does have to prove, but what we've seen is a president who came into office when the economy was in free fall, losing 800,000 jobs a month [and] $10 trillion in wealth destroyed in 2008. The president, by bold action with the recovery, has stopped that. We're starting to see some positive signs. … We've got more work to do, but I think the passage of historic health care and continued improvement in the economy will surprise some people in November in terms of how Democrats do."