SEIZING THE INITIATIVE – IT'S ABOUT TIME – AT 8:42 A.M. ET:  Traditionally, one hasn't looked to the Republican Party for a lot of electoral energy.  You sometimes had the feeling that the party needed constant treatment by paramedics, especially right before elections.  But there may be change we can believe in coming.  From The New York Times, which must be experiencing pain in reporting the story:

WASHINGTON — Republicans are luring new candidates into House and Senate races, and the number of seats up for grabs in November appears to be growing, setting up a midterm election likely to be harder fought than anyone anticipated before the party’s big victory in Massachusetts last week.

It's great to have good news on a Monday morning.

Republicans still face many obstacles, not least a number of potentially divisive primaries in coming months that will highlight the deep ideological rifts within the party.

That is correct.  We wrote about it here just yesterday.  Some heads may have to be knocked together.  And the purists may have to be taught some basic math:  In politics, you can get 75% of something, or 100% of nothing. 

But in the days since Republicans claimed the Senate seat that Edward M. Kennedy had held for decades, upending assumptions in both parties about the political landscape for 2010, they have seen not just a jolt of energy and optimism but also more concrete opportunities to take on Democrats.

Just since Tuesday, half a dozen Republicans have expressed interest in challenging Democrats in House races in New York, Pennsylvania and potentially Massachusetts, party officials said.

The bottom line:

Republicans need a net gain of 40 seats to regain control of the House. That still seems unlikely, though hardly impossible.

COMMENT:  It was a pipe dream only two months ago.  But the election isn't being held today, and the White House political team is not dumb.  Much can happen between now and November, which is why the GOP must run as if tomorrow is election day.

The sleeper issue:  National security.  The economy will be the major "talked about" issue, but polling in Massachusetts last week showed that national security was a major factor in Scott Brown's election.

January 25, 2010