Looking at the retirement of Kansas Congressman Dennis Moore, Michael Barone suggests Democrats may be facing a tough year.

2010 undoubtedly looks like an uphill race for Dennis Moore. By announcing his retirement, he is free to vote for House Democratic leaders’ unpopular legislation without political repercussion and is spared the trouble of extensive campaigning. That’s fine for him. But if other Democratic incumbents in marginal districts—and, remember, the 3rd district voted for Obama—choose to follow Moore’s course, that could make it much harder to Democrats to maintain a big majority in the House and could make it easier for Republicans to gain most or all of the 41 seats they need to win a majority there.

The Hill reports today on the passage of “Stimulus II”. The pressure being brought to bear to keep Democrats in line is increasing, as are the huge debt and deficits our children will inherit.

The House narrowly passed Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s (D-Calif.) $174 billion jobs bill Wednesday, only after Pelosi and other party leaders yelled, pleaded and cajoled reluctant Democrats worried over deficit spending.

The vote was 217-212. No Republicans voted for the bill, and 38 Democrats voted against it.

Had 38 Republicans broken with their party to vote for anything, the media would call it “a bipartisan effort”, but of course “bipartisan opposition to the Democrats’ spending plans”is unlikely to get mentioned by the media.