Dem retirees present GOP with golden opportunities
John Tanner's retirement at the end of his current term makes his House seat a likely pickup for the GOP. Tanner ran unopposed in 2006 and 2008. McCain won the district by 13% in 2008, Bush by 6% in 2004, making this one of the few districts in the country that was more Republican at the Presidential level in 2008, than in 2004 (most of them in the South).
Dennis Moore's announcement that he will not run again in 2010 makes his Kansas City, Kansas and suburban district a top target as well. Obama won Moore'e district by 3% in 2008, but Bush won it 11% in 2004.
Stuart Rothenberg is out with his list of the 12 House seats most likely to switch- 10 of them are Democratic held seats, including Moore's . One interesting note- in prior lists, Illinois 10, Mark Kirk's seat, was right near the top , but now it is not among the top 12.
Rich Baehr is the American Thinker Political Correspondent.