GOP losses bode well for Kagen, party says

Washington - After three consecutive special-election losings for the GOP, Democrats are growing more than confident about their opportunities of picking up - and retention onto - a big figure of House seating in the fall.

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They state the triumph this hebdomad by Democrat Travis Childers in a largely Republican congressional territory in Mississippi River is just the up-to-the-minute mark of problem for Republicans across the country.

In Wisconsin, the Republican licking makes not portend well for Republican Toilet Gard, who is challenging Rep. Steve Kagen for the state's 8th Congressional District seat, Democrats say.

"There is no territory that is safe for Republican campaigners because President Bush's failing policies have got ache every community in America," said Rep. Chris Avant Garde Hollen of Maryland, who functions as president of the Democratic Congressional Political Campaign Committee.

In 2006, Kagen narrowly defeated Gard, winning with 51% of the vote.

So far, House Democrats have got a important fund-raising advantage over Republicans, with more than than $40 million on manus for House seating nationwide. The National Republican Political Campaign Committee have about $7 million. The congressional district also looks to prefer Democrats, who have got to support only seven unfastened seats, compared with 25 unfastened Republican seats.

In improver to Mississippi, Democrats won two other particular elections in Republican-leaning territories in Prairie State and Louisiana. Prediction futile, some say

But Republicans state that predicting the result of Wisconsin's 8th District race based on elections outside the state is a stretch. Before Kagen, the last Democrat to throw the place was John Jay Johnson, who was elected in 1996 and served just one term. Before that, Democrat Henry Martin Robert Katherine Cornell served two footing in the 1970s and LaVern Dilweg served just one term in the 1940s.

"Certainly what happened in Pelican State and Mississippi River have small bearing on what haps in nor'-east Wisconsin," said Mark Graul, a political campaign spokesman for Gard.

What matters, he said, is Kagen's record in United States Congress and the failure of lawmakers in American Capital to convey much-needed change for American voters.

"Gas terms are at record highs, authorities disbursement goes on to turn faster than people in Wisconsin River can maintain up with. Congressman Kagen ran on a platform to convey alteration to Washington," he said. "There's a batch more of the same."

Republicans point to a figure of measurements supported by Kagen that would take to higher taxes, including the House budget declaration and a measurement that would raise the federal taxation on baccy products. Defending record

Kagen, however, supports his votes, saying he have voted to equilibrate the budget, cut down taxations on middle-class Americans and abrogation the estate tax. He noted that the baccy taxation addition would have got been used to pay for better wellness attention for children.

"If we can't put in the wellness of our children, what sort of state are we?" Kagen said.

Asked whether he believes the recent Republican Party losings could intend problem for his Republican opponent, Kagen said he'd rather not do anticipations and focusing instead on working for his constituents.

Stu Rothenberg, laminitis of the Rothenberg Political Report, admonishes Democrats against making sweeping abstractions about congressional races based on the consequences of particular elections.

The fact that Kagen is now an incumbent cuts both ways for Gard, he said.

"It's a tough race for him because now he's running against an incumbent who have money," he said. "It's true up he have a vote record. But 95% of members who have got records acquire re-elected."