Dem poll: GOP could lose control of House

Growing anger at congressional Republicans over the government shutdown could be enough to push the GOP out of power in the House, according to a new poll. 

{mosads}The poll, conducted by Democratic-leaning Public Policy Polling for liberal advocacy group MoveOn.org, found Republicans in 24 House district are vulnerable to defeat if elections were held today.

The districts polled include areas in crucial election battleground states, like Ohio, Florida and Iowa, while other endangered seats are in traditionally Democratic states, like New York and California.

“Unsurprisingly, majorities of respondents in every poll indicated that they oppose Congress shutting down major activities of the federal government as a way to stop the healthcare law from being put into place,” Jim Williams of Public Policy Polling said in a statement Sunday.

House Democrats need to peel off 17 seats from the GOP to wrest control of the lower chamber from Republicans.

The party’s efforts to leverage the shutdown as a means of drawing concessions from the White House on ObamaCare has also exposed deep fractions within the GOP.

On Sunday, Rep. Pete King (R-N.Y.) accused the Tea Party faction in the House GOP of leading the party on a “kamikaze” crusade to extend the shutdown and force a White House showdown over the debt ceiling.

The New York Republican hammered fellow House Republicans for picking a fight with President Obama on the looming debt ceiling crisis.

“This never had a chance to work … and people are still out of work, and the government is still shut down,” King said during an interview on “Fox News Sunday.”

The United States already hit the debt ceiling in May, with administration officials now telling Congress that on Oct. 17 the federal government will run out of options to continue paying the nation’s bills.

That said, President Obama “has been AWOL” as the White House and congressional Republicans continue to square off over the government shutdown and looming debt ceiling fight, Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) said Sunday.

But Treasury Secretary Jack Lew fired back against those accusations Sunday, saying Obama was open to negotiations with Congress.

But the GOP “has not come forward and made comparable movement” toward a shutdown repeal or debt limit deal, Lew said during an interview on “Fox News Sunday.”

“It is irresponsible, and it is reckless to take that chance” on a debt ceiling crisis, Lew said to congressional lawmakers.