The GOP's 10 Most Wanted List

A string of bad polls for President Obama and the Democrats has the Republican Party smelling blood in the political pool. Already, some are predicting major GOP gains in the House and Senate when the November elections take place. But there are several high-profile politicians the Republicans are targeting both for election defeat or just embarrassment. To help follow the action this year, Whispers is highlighting the Top 10 on the GOP Most Wanted List. See a slide show of the most wanted.

1. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid. Republicans feel confident they can defeat him in this year's re-election campaign. Polls seem to agree. But Reid is a battler who likes to come from behind.

2. California Democratic Sen. Barbara Boxer. Less likely that the GOP will knock off the feisty junior senator, even with a well-funded campaign by former Hewlett-Packard boss Carly Fiorina. GOP wants her out because she's leading the climate change effort.

3. Democratic Party Chairman Tim Kaine. Republicans hope to take Kaine down a peg or two as he tries to reach out to red states with his moderate agenda that made him a rare Democratic governor of Virginia. But can GOP Chairman Michael Steele do it with class?

4. MSNBC's Ed Schultz. It's hard to beat up a popular media star, but with rumors that Schultz is thinking about running for the Senate seat being coughed up by North Dakota's Byron Dorgan, Republicans are watching him closely. Reason: They think the seat should be theirs.

5. White House Social Secretary Desiree Rogers. She's at the center of the White House gate crasher story but won't testify to Congress. The GOP has succeeded in getting two other Obama aides ousted, but there's no chance this time because she's a friend of the first family.

6. Potential Democratic Delaware Senate candidate Beau Biden, son of the vice president. They've got a good candidate in Rep. Mike Castle, but a Biden loss would be a major statement nonetheless.

7. Obama healthcare reform. OK, it isn't a person, but GOP-ers are talking as if they might have a chance to defeat the proposal that polls show only a third of the nation supports. They probably won't kill it, however.

8. Pennsylvania Democratic Sen. Arlen Specter. The GOP wants his head simply because he switched parties and gave the Democrats their supermajority of 60.

9. Arkansas Democratic Sen. Blanche Lincoln. Anytime the Republicans can win in Bill Clinton's home state is a victory. Many polls have her trailing the GOP candidates.

10. A bunch of House members, few of whom are known nationally. Among the top targets: Reps. Harry Teague of New Mexico; Tom Perriello of Virginia; Mary Jo Kilroy of Ohio; Vic Snyder of Arkansas; Bobby Bright of Alabama; Travis Childers of Mississippi; Steve Driehaus of Ohio; Betsy Markey of Colorado; and Carol Shea-Porter of New Hampshire. 

• See a slide show of the GOP's 10 Most Wanted.
• See a slide show of the 10 keys to an Obama comeback.
• See a gallery of political cartoons.