Well... I don't know that but Karl Rove was in the district last week. A couple sightings in the area confirm this visit as well as a sighting of Turd Blossom having lunch with our own Doc Hastings one of which was Jesse Jackson who was here in Richland Washington for an isotope symposium. But the Rove visit came with no announcement, no fanfare, and more importantly, no fundraising.
Not wanting to speculate too much... but considering that rumors have been slowly coming in that Hastings may in fact retire, and current Democratic challenger, George Fearing, is not is not yet a threat in either fundraising or name recognition. While that is swiftly changing (The Fearing Campaign crossed the 100K a few days ago), it certainly wouldn't warrant a visit from Rove this early in the game. So was Rove here to talk him out of it?
A recent article by Benjamin Wallace-Wells noted National Republican Congressional Committee leader Tom Cole's challenges as Republican congressmen are jumping shipfor private shores.
Going into the 2008 elections, Cole faces a daunting list of challenges. To date, 29 of his party’s representatives in Congress have retired, an unusually large number, leaving open politically marginal seats that incumbents might have held but which will be more difficult for challengers to defend — Deborah Pryce’s seat in Columbus, Ohio; Mike Ferguson’s in central New Jersey; Heather Wilson’s around Albuquerque; Thomas M. Reynolds’s in Buffalo. Reynolds, Cole’s predecessor at the N.R.C.C., just narrowly held his seat in 2006. Rick Renzi, a Republican congressman from Arizona, was indicted last month on federal corruption charges, putting what was another safe Republican seat in play. These vacancies mean that in a year when, by historical standards, his party would be expected to win back seats, Cole will have to defend many more seats than he will be able to attack (only six Democratic incumbents have announced they are leaving office).
If Hastings leaves this seat it certainly would change the dynamics. But this is still just throwing the idea up in the air to see where it lands.
More as it comes in...