Today, the Dean of the Beltway pundits buys NRCC head Tom Cole's spin about how the Republicans are poised for a comeback in the House in 2008:
So how could he be reasonably satisfied with his party's prospects? The answer: The Democrats are also looking like dogs.
(snip)
"There are Democrats sitting in 61 districts that Bush carried; 47 that he carried twice. We are on the offensive in those districts," he said.
That may seem implausible, but Cole has history on his side. In 1992, as he notes, incumbents were hammered, 24 of them losing in November, 17 others failing in their primaries. The Republicans achieved a net gain of 10 House seats that year, a feather in the cap of the executive director of the National Republican Congressional Committee, Tom Cole. Now, no longer a hired staff man but the chairman, Cole faces a familiar challenge. In 1992, the Democrats nominated Bill Clinton for president -- and he won. But his party, nonetheless, lost House seats. Cole is out to make history repeat itself.
Meanwhile, back in the reality-based community, Cole recently almost resigned as NRCC chair:
Lawmakers are frustrated with Cole and his top aides for casting their net too wide by targeting Democratic-controlled seats that Republicans have little chance of picking up next year.
Some also gripe that Cole fails to manage expectations on the Hill when he refuses to acknowledge that the GOP’s chances for regaining the majority fade with every retirement or negative news story about President Bush or scandal-plagued Republican lawmakers.
Despite these complaints, Cole continues to insist that his job is to operate as a cheerleader at times for the beleaguered party.
So let's get this straight. Everyone in Washington knows the Republicans will likely get hammered in 2008 in the House and that Cole is just going around putting a rosy face on things so that he can continue to raise money and recruit candidates. And Broder still takes everything he says at face value? Can you say "gullible"?