Inspired by a couple of special-election wins in South Dakota and Kentucky, Minority Leader Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) has predicted she will be Speaker in 2005, The Hill reported today.
This may be a tall task since Democrats need to pick up 11 seats to take control of the House, meaning they??¢â???¬â???¢d have to win two-thirds of the between 30 and 40 competitive races or upset some seemingly safe incumbents.
Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) Communications Director Kori Bernard said Democrats are targeting veteran Republicans, including: Budget Committee Chair Jim Nussle (R-Iowa); Christopher Shays (R-Conn.), who is seeking his 10th term; and high-ranking Ways and Means Committee members Phil Crane (R-Ill.) and Clay Shaw (R-Fla.). She called this election an "enormous opportunity."