Cross posted at Calitics

So as we've established by now, Darrell Issa thinks very little of 9/11 rescue workers and would prefer that the federal government not concern itself with their welfare.  Cause according to him, 9/11 is not and presumably was not a national issue.  We've also established that he has no qualms about throwing federal money around on local pork as long as it benefits him directly.  So the next logical question for me is "oh hey, are there any familiar names that don't mind taking Darrell Issa's money?"  As you may or may not know, Darrell Issa is filthy rich.  So he's spread a lot of money around on Republicans and conservative causes.  So as it turns out, there are quite a lot of Republicans currently running around the Capitol funded in part by Darrell Issa (partial list):

Call it bullish for Democrats, or just plain bearish for Republicans, but Bob Noval, in his weekly email reports that Republicans have already given up on the OH-15 seat vacated by retiring Deborah Price and even thinks we have a shot at the now vacant VA-01, previously held by the late Jo Ann Davis.

Still political in nature, but semi personal as well.

The players: me a MoveOn volunteer organizer, Deborah Pryce, Cindy Sheehan, and our children: those here at home who need healthcare, and those in Iraq fighting our war.

The news just keeps getting worse for the Ohio Republican Party. First, Deborah Pryce announced her retirement, them their first choice, State Senator Steve Stivers declined, now, their backup, Jim Petro has said no, according to the Cleveland Plain Dealer as brought to us by the Buskeye State Blog.

Crossposted from original article at www.opednews.com

It's time to target the right wing incumbents who are ready to "fall off the vine" and retire-- to make them so miserable in their job,  that they don't want to come back, that they'd rather sign up for a cush job in the private sector instead.

It's already begun. Denny Hastert is quitting.  Deborah Pryce is quitting. Charles "Chip" Pickering is retiring. Virginia Senator John Warner, 80 years old, is considering retiring.

Do you think a pattern is developing here?

In the wake of the current Republican D.C. mass exodus, that now includes Ohio’s own favorite Bush toady, Deborah Pryce; it appears that former Ohio Attorney General Jim Petro (R) will try his sorry hand at yet another republican political run. This time, for Pryce’s soon to be vacated and soiled congressional seat.

A slew of veteran House Republicans are retiring (US News & World Report)

The most high profile of the retirements is former Speaker Dennis Hastert's, which is slated for a Friday announcement.

Another is Ohio Rep. Deborah Pryce, who was the No. 4 House Republican before the 2006 election, said she'd retire at the end of her term.

The other recent high-profile Republican retirement announcement came from Illinois Rep. Ray LaHood.

"With yet another open seat to defend, this is a significant blow to national Republicans already burdened with a record of standing with George Bush at the expense of a new direction in Iraq and change here in America," said Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee spokesman Doug Thornell.

It did not takew long since Debra Pryce's retirement announcement to watch this race shpae up. On our side, of course, we have Mary Jo Kilroy makig another run at the seat in what we thought was going to be another epic fight in Central Ohio. Now, it appears that the Republicans have their man in former State Attorney General Jim Ptro. But according to Buckeye State Blog, he was not very decisive about it.

(ePluribusMedia OhioNews Bureau)

PRYCE AVOIDING 08 "SLUGFEST" FOR SAKE OF DAUGHTER

News swirled Wednesday first at Buckeye State Blog and then at The Columbus Dispatch that long-time incumbent Ohio Republican Congressman Debra Pryce may consider retirement rather than take on her arch nemesis, Franklin County Commissioner Mary Jo Kilroy, in next year’s election.

Besting Kilroy by only 1,055 votes in 06, and with the tide turning to Democrats in 2008, Pryce's prospect of the tough slog her campaign would be seems reason enough after 15 years in Congress, despite her cover story of a call to duty for family, to call it quits.

Having survived by the skin of her teeth in 2006 (1,000 votes or so), Republican Rep. Deborah Pryce is calling it quits. With her out, and with no one wanting to run on the GOP line, it's looking like perhaps our best pickup opportunity in 2008.

Doug Priese, Chairman of the Franklin County Republican Party, got word of the retirement yesterday from the Congresswoman's office. In a span of 24 hours the GOP has already had it's top two potential challengers declare they wouldn't touch OH-15 with a stick.

The GOP's dream challenger to replace Pryce is State Senator Steve Stivers. Unfortunately for the Republicans, Stivers turned the Franklin County Republican Party down on the spot yesterday when approached with an offer to run. Since Stivers is up for re-election in the Senate, and approaching an opportunity to serve as Senate President, he views a run for Congress to risky in a district clearly trending Democrat.

Additionally, I've heard the GOP approached former Gubernatorial candidate and Ohio Attorney General Jim Petro to jump into the race. However, like Stivers, Petro officially turned the party down for fear of the district and fundraising concerns in a hostile climate.

Whispers persist that House Leader Jon Hustead, a Kettering Representative (located roughly and hour southwest of the district) may have some aspirations to jump into the race. However, more liklely than not Republicans will have to scrape the bottom of the barrel for a candidate in this race, with sources confirming former Franklin County Commissioner Schott, whom Kilroy bested in 2006 to take his seat, is the only Republican warm to a run.

On the web: Mary Jo Kilroy for Congress

Race tracker wiki: OH-15

Taegan Goddard announced via Stu Rothenberg that Deborah Price (OH-15) will not seek re-election.  Winning in 2006 was a very near thing for her, she won by 1055 votes in a hard fought race against Mary Jo Kilroy, who has already announced she's running again.

Pryce is the second Republican House leadership resignation this week.  Anything about rats, ships come to mind?  Due to the lack of cash flowing into the NRCC, Republican incumbents can't expect much except what they can raise on their own.  And Ohio was toxic to the R's in 2006.  With much of the state now in D hands, Kilroy can expect a LOT more help this time.

The news keeps getting better and better for a potential expansion of the Democratic majority in the House.  Several prominent Republicans have recently announced they are retiring, making the Republican National Congressional Committee's ability to avoid greater losses next year even more difficult.  In recent weeks, five seats in Illinois and Ohio have opened up, providing a great advantage to House Democrats.  

These two states play to Democrats' strengths in 2008.  Illinois voted for Kerry in 2004, and Gore in 2000.  Even an unpopular Democratic governor managed an easy win in 2006, making Illinois a reliably Democratic state in 2008.  If that was not enough, one of two candidates with ties to the state (Obama and Clinton) could top the ticket, making odds of an energized Democratic base and depressed Republican base more likely.

Details about Ohio, specific seats that are opening, and more broad analysis after the jump.

Hey Kossacks,

I hope that everyone is enjoying their summer. Later this week I'll have an extended report on my travels with a well-known Congressional candidate who also happens to be a bit misunderstood here at Daily Kos. Today, however there's an urgent piece of news from Ohio that bodes good news for Democrats. Deborah Pryce, who last year stepped down as the Republican Party's 4th ranking Republican in the House of Representatives - after winning reelection by just 1,012 votes - is set to retire from Congress in 2008. Keep reading below for her reason for her (likely) retirement and why the Democrats are in good stead to win the seat in 2008.

According to the Columbus Dispatch, my U.S. representative and one of the worst of the Bushbots may not seek re-election in 2008.

Mary Jo Kilroy nearly won this seat in 2006 (it was in recounts for weeks), and she would be the favorite against anyone the GOP might put up. One possible candidate, Steve Stivers, however is an Iraq veteran. With luck, the GOP will turn instead to former Attorney General and Auditor Jim Petro.

You've probably seen one advertised on a late-night TV infomercial. A can't miss business opportunity-- we have this terrific new [vitamin/health food/line of trinkets]; recruit your friends to sell it, and make big money. Of course most of us immediately recognize the claims as foolish; nevertheless, hundreds of thousands are sucked in by the alluring get-rich-quick promises ever year.

Why are these obvious scams allowed to operate with impunity, brazenly advertising out in the open, seemingly out of the reach of the law? Has it always been this way? And what has our fine Congress been doing about it? The sad truth, past the break...

Ohio's 15th District has been a long and very hard fought race.

Unofficial results announced by Franklin County, the last to finish counting absentee and provisional ballots in central Ohio's 15th District on Monday, show Deborah Pryce's lead over challenger Mary Jo Kilroy has dropped by 2,482 votes to only 1,055.

That margin is so slim that a recount will be required by Ohio Law.

As anticipated, Secretary of State Ken Blackwell ordered counties on Tuesday to recount votes in the closely divided 15th congressional district.

Blackwell told the three counties in the district -- Franklin, Union and Madison -- they must "promptly fix the time, method and place" for their recounts, which must take place no later than December 8.

According to the Columbus Dispatch, Republican Deborah Pryce's narrow victory continues to shrink.

Election officials declared her the winner by a 1,054-vote margin -- close enough to trigger an automatic recount. There's more...

The winner in the race for Representative in Ohio's 15th Congressional District was undecided until today, because the absentee and provisional ballots had not yet been counted in that race. Today, the results have been announced.