Juliet Eilperin writes in the WaPo that Democrats don’t have much of a chance to retake the House in 2004. While she emphasizes the limited number of seats in play as a result of reapportionment, there is more to it, of course. But note that even Rep. Rahm Emanuel, a Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee vice-chairman, is modest in his expectation: "In terms of basic vitals -- money, recruitment and the message environment -- all the signs are pointed toward a slight gain for us." I think the Demos might be starting to settle into a "permanent" minority status; if not yet, they will after a couple of more elections, they must find their own Robert Michel. There are some useful details on a few races in the article.