Van Hollen to Palin: Bring it on -- no really, please do

Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) Chairman Chris Van Hollen is laying out the welcome mat for Sarah Palin.

In an interview with The Hill on Friday, Van Hollen (D-Md.) said he welcomes Palin to campaign for any and every Republican candidate around the country. The head of Democrats’ effort to keep the House said Palin is marginalizing Republicans who associate with her, which will make it easier for him to hold seats in November.

Palin this week announced her 2010 efforts would focus on 20 House districts, and she is in Arizona today campaigning for her former running mate, Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.).

“We will send her an invitation to campaign in every congressional district on her list,” Van Hollen said with a smile.

Van Hollen dubbed the districts that Palin is focused on as the “Palin primaries.”

“We call them Palin primaries because in these races she’s picked, there are a thicket of Republicans that are competing in the primary,” he said. “Sarah Palin weighing in in some of these races will only create a stampede further to the right.”

Van Hollen cited the recent GOP rush to endorse a repeal of healthcare reform as proof that the party is selling out to its more extreme elements.

The two-term DCCC head declined to go into detail about the role of GOP leaders in the threats being wielded against Democratic members of Congress.

Van Hollen on Thursday accused Republicans of “throwing fuel on the fire.” (House GOP Whip Eric Cantor has lodged a similar accusation against Democrats.) But on Friday, Van Hollen declined to say which Republican leaders were guilty of such an offense, and he was eager to put the statement behind him.

“I issued a statement in response to Eric Cantor yesterday, and I’ll leave it at that,” Van Hollen said. “We want to focus on healthcare reform. We think this has become a diversion and distraction, and I’ll leave it at that.”

At the same time, Van Hollen said it was fair for Democrats to highlight the threatening events.

“Democrats have been pointing to the facts; these are real events that are being covered around the country,” he said.