Man, just when you thought the news couldn't get worse for House Republicans, who already have an extremely uphill climb if they hope to retake the lower chamber of Congress this fall, things get a little bit tougher. Josh Kraushaar and Patrick O'Connor have the story for The Politico.

A potential wave of Republican retirements is dimming the GOP's already slim chances of recapturing the House in 2008.

The somewhat surprising announcement Thursday by Rep. Deborah Pryce (R-Ohio) not to seek reelection and the expected retirement announcement of former House Speaker Dennis Hastert (R-Ill.) Friday give Democrats two new opportunities to pick up GOP-held seats.

Rep. Chip Pickering (R-Miss.), who represents a safely Republican seat, also announced his retirement Thursday. And though his decision will not likely alter the political map, it is a little vote of confidence for the GOP's chances to regain the majority.

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Republicans need to pick up 16 seats to win back the House, and every new tight race makes it more difficult for them to do that.

The seats being vacated by Hastert and Pryce will little doubt be home to competitive races this cycle, with the Democratic homing in on just about any opportunity to challenge the GOP in open seat races in districts that are either clearly competitive or marginally competitive. Pickering's district, which is significantly more Republican than that of his two other colleagues announcing their retirement this week, will obviously be more difficult for the Democrats to win next fall but could, nevertheless, require at least some funding and real attention from the National Republican Congressional Committee, neither of which it has much of a surplus of at this juncture.

Kraushaar and O'Connor are correct that the greater concern for the NRCC at this point, however, is not necessarily these three retirements but rather the possibility that they are an omen of times to come: A deluge of retirements from within the House Republicans' ranks. With the NRCC trailing, and trailing badly, both in terms fundraising and cash-on-hand, it's would be mighty difficult for the party to hold its own in the absence of a plethora or retirements. But with a huge financial deficit and an excess of open seats to defend, the Republicans may have to start thinking about how to limit losses rather than how to pick up seats.