Key Republican predicts GOP will win back 45 seats

A key Republican congressman predicted Wednesday that the GOP will take back 45 seats in the House during this year's midterm elections, a number that would give them back the majority.

Rep. Kevin McCarthy (Calif.) -- who is in charge of recruiting candidates for the National Republican Congressional Committee -- said that the GOP will pick up enough seats in the fall to give them a small majority.

Asked on ABC News' "Top Line" webcast if the Republicans could win back the 40 seats necessary to win the majority, McCarthy responded "I see 45 seats right today."

Several Republican leaders have said that their party will take back the House in a midterm election historically bad for the party holding the White House in its first term. But McCarthy's estimate is higher than most targets. 

There are currently 256 Democrats in the House as opposed to 178 Republicans with one seat vacant. A party needs 218 seats to hold a majority. Should McCarthy's prediction come true, the GOP would hold 223 seats.

Republian National Committee chairman Michael Steele last week went so far to say the GOP won't win back the House this fall, but later walked back his comments.

UPDATED 2:14 p.m.

Ryan Rudominer, Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee national press secretary, responded to McCarthy's claim:

"House Republicans are living in lala land if they think they will win back the House. Americans are still living the economic nightmare of Bush's failed policies and it was House Republicans that got us into this mess in the first place.

No matter how hard they spin, the facts are that Republicans are in the midst of civil war resulting in more than 50 real Republican primaries – many with Tea Partiers, the NRCC has merely $4 million dollars in the bank, more House Republicans are retiring than Democrats, the Republican brand is still at historic lows, and even RNC Chairman Michael Steele doesn’t believe House Republicans will win the majority.

“NRCC Recruitment Chair Kevin McCarthy should get back to the fresh faced candidates he’s recruited including former-Congressmen Richard Pombo, Bill Sali, and Tim Walberg – all complicit in George Bush's failed economic policies."