Two Texas seats targeted by GOP

AP/Examiner:

Republicans still hot over the loss of two congressional districts to Democrats in 2006 - seats that traditionally have been theirs to hold - are looking to win them back this fall.

But first, they must separate the wheat from the chaff in the March 4 primary. Both seats drew multiple candidates eager to take on incumbent Democratic Reps. Nick Lampson of the Houston suburb of Stafford and Ciro Rodriguez of San Antonio.

Of Texas' 30 other House seats, only 10 will hold contested primaries for one or both parties on March 4. Six incumbents face no challengers at all, and most other incumbents are likely to be safe in the general election.

But the national Republicans have set their sights on finding someone who might toss Lampson and Rodriguez in November.

"These are the ball game, absolutely," said Hans Klingler, state GOP spokesman. "Every congressional district is important, but 22 and 23 right now happen to be the most active challenger races that Republicans are running currently to take out an incumbent Democrat."

Lampson, who won his seat after scandal forced former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay to resign, and Rodriguez, whose district was redrawn to include more Hispanics after a court fight over minority voting rights, routinely appear on a list of House members included in National Republican Congressional Committee press releases headlined "Target Dems ..."

"I think (the seats have) got symbolic value for both parties," said Gary Keith, assistant professor of political science at the University of the Incarnate Word in San Antonio. "For Democrats they're trophies that they won from Republicans. And for Republicans it's Tom DeLay's seat that they've just got to get back."

Lampson's district covers a piece of Houston and the rapidly growing Fort Bend County. Rodriguez's is the largest district in Texas and stretches from San Antonio to the U.S.-Mexico border and west toward El Paso.

Two Republicans are competing for the right to challenge Rodriguez, while Lampson will face one of 10 Republicans vying to be his opponent.

"When candidates can barely contain themselves in getting into a race, that says that there's probably a pretty good opportunity to capitalize on," said Ken Spain, NRCC spokesman.

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Both districts are vulnerable to the GOP candidates. Rodriquez was one of the biggest beneficiaries of MoveOn contributions the last go round. Most of that money came from outside the state to push an anti war puke agenda. The association with MoveOn should hurt him especially after their ridiculous "Gen. Betrayus" ad. The MoveOn movement has been discredited by the success of the surge in Iraq and candidates associated with it in Texas should be in trouble.

Lampson has waffled on the war and has voted with the Democrats on some the votes to lose the war. He has also hung with them on a few other liberal items while occasional throwing a sop to conservatives in his district. I think his chances of holding the seat are remote.