"No question, the president's gone through a rough patch. But the central figure for the Republicans next year is not going to be George Bush," said Oklahoma Rep. Tom Cole, chairman of the National Republican Congressional Committee.
Rep. Brian P. Bilbray (R-Solana Beach) described Bush as "a millstone that most members will not have to be carrying around" once the Republican presidential nominee emerges.
Still, some Republicans are wary about 2008, saying that potential candidates and donors are having trouble assessing the landscape.
"It's just a very uncertain environment," said Abrams, the Boca Raton mayor. "One day you'll have the issue with the [Justice Department's firing of eight] U.S. attorneys, which hurts Republicans. The next day [House Speaker] Nancy Pelosi goes off to Syria, which in this district is unacceptable."
The GOP's relatively weak fundraising totals for the first quarter could also complicate the party's reelection effort, wrote Amy Walter of the Cook Political Report in a recent assessment. Though it can be dangerous to read too much into these early signals, she wrote, "a weak bank account doesn't just make a bad headline, it also makes an incumbent more attractive to a potential challenger."
At the same time, she wrote, the recent totals "tell us that Republicans aren't going to be able to count on their traditional money advantage over Democrats," which will limit the number of Democratic-held House seats they can target.
Democrats outnumber Republicans in the House 232 to 201, with two vacancies
In the Senate, the party breakdown is 49-49, but two independents side with the Democrats, giving them control.
The Senate map for the 2008 election is difficult for Republicans. They will have to defend seats in four states that went Democratic in the 2004 presidential election. Those seats are held by Gordon H. Smith of Oregon, Norm Coleman of Minnesota, Susan Collins of Maine and John E. Sununu of New Hampshire.
Moreover, Sens. John W. Warner (R-Va.) and Chuck Hagel (R-Neb.) have not committed to running for reelection. Democrats have shown potential for winning general elections in both states, and the veteran lawmakers' departures could force Republicans to spend money on what otherwise would be considered safe seats.
Last week brought more potential bad news for Republicans:
