De-Bunking the Myth - Congressional Open Seats in 2010

Hi again -

Another myth is in need of de-bunking this year. More scare tactics by the conservative side need to be clarified. I've heard a lot of hoopla about how many seats in the House and Senate are going to be open this year. They've made it sound like the Democrats have a lot of people retiring and the Republicans have none.
The truth is that it's about even - actually the Republicans have a few more.

Right now, the Senate has 59 Democratic Seats and 41 Republican Seats.

Here's the breakdown. Let's look at Senate Seats first.

Democrats retiring in 2010 are:

Chris Dodd from Connecticut
Ted Kaufman from Delaware
Roland Burris of Illinois
Evan Bayh of Indiana
Byron Dorgan of North Dakota

Republicans retiring in 2010 are:

George Le Mieux from Florida
Sam Brownback from Kansas
Jim Bunning of Kentucky
Kit Bond of Missouri
Judd Gregg of New Hampshire
George Voinovich of Ohio

Then there are the seats up for elections this year. This makes it even as there are 13 Democratic seats and 12 Republican seats up for re-election.

Democratic Seats up for re-election in 2010 are:

Blanche Lincoln from Arkansas
Barbara Boxer from California
Michael Bennet from Colorado
Daniel Inouye from Hawaii
Barbara Mikulski from Maryland
Harry Reid from Nevada
Kirsten Gillibrand from New York
Chuck Schumer from New York
Ron Wyden from Oregon
Arlen Specter from Pennsylvania
Patrick Leahy from Vermont
Patty Murray from Washington
Russ Feingold from Wisconsin

Republican Seats up for re-election in 2010 are:

Richard Shelby from Alabama
Lisa Murkowski from Alaska
John McCain from Arizona
Johnny Isakson from Georgia
Mike Crapo from Idaho
Chuck Grassley from Iowa
David Vitter from Louisiana
Richard Burr from North Carolina
Tom Coburn from Oklahoma
Jim DeMint from South Carolina
John Thune from South Dakota
Bob Bennett from Utah

In the House currently, there are 242 Democratic Seats and 193 Republican Seats.

There are far more retirements happening in the House - 15 Democrats and 19 Republicans. 434 of the 435 Seats in the House are up for re-election in 2010.

Democrats retiring in 2010 total 15.

Artur Davis from Alabama
Marion Berry from Arkansas
Vic Snyder from Arkansas
Diane Watson from California
Kendrick Meek from Florida
Brad Ellsworth from Indiana
Dennis Moore from Kansas
Charlie Melancon from Louisiana
Bill Delahunt from Massachusetts
Paul Hodes from New Hampshire
Joe Sestak from Pennsylvania
Patrick Kennedy from Rhode Island
Bart Gordon from Tennessee
John Tanner from Tennessee
Brian Baird from Washington

Republicans retiring in 2010 total 19.

John Boozman from Arkansas
John Shadegg from Arizona
George Radanovich from California
Michael Castle from Delaware
Adam Putnam from Florida
Lincoln Diaz - Balart from Florida
Mario Diaz - Balart from Florida
John Linder from Georgia
Steve Buyer from Indiana
Mark Kirk from Illinois
Jerry Moran from Kansas
Todd Tiahrt from Kansas
Peter Hoekstra from Michigan
Vern Ehlers from Michigan
Roy Blunt from Missouri
Mary Fallin from Oklahoma
Henry Brown Jr. from South Carolina
J Gresham Barrett from South Carolina
Zach Wamp from Tennessee

Now, the next question what's going to happen in November. I guess it's going to depend on who decides to go to the polls and vote and who stays home. It also depends on how inpatient we are as a whole. Do we decide to vote anti-government and anti-incumbent because we're all just so unhappy with the economy and jobs and the inaction of Congress?

I'd like to think we could all pick ourselves up by our boot straps so to speak. Let's not forget what the previous 8 years were all about. Let's not have amnesia about how bad it was. I don't know about the rest of you - but I still have hope, I still want things to change. I still think "Yes We Can." No one ever said it was going to be easy, no one ever said it would happen in a year or two - Remember! No one ever said we wouldn't have to give up anything.

I still want all those things - Health Care Reform, Climate Change Legislation, more stringent Financial Reform, Green Energy, Energy Independence and Government Transparency. Transparency sure isn't pretty - but what it does provide is insight. It allows us to see whose dirty and unethical. And it allows them to continue to try to lie, to turn tail and "retire" or quit or it allows us to vote those people out at the next election time.

So I say, let's keep moving forward, looking to the future. Let's keep fighting for change. See ya at the polls - I hope !