Fitzpatrick puts old seat in play for GOP

Former Rep. Mike Fitzpatrick (R-Pa.) on Saturday became the latest former member to suit up for the GOP in 2010.

Fitzpatrick, a one-term congressman who fell to Rep. Patrick Murphy (D-Pa.) by a narrow margin in 2006, will seek a return to public life that he said he didn't anticipate.

"Eighteen months ago, I did not expect to run again for public office," he said. "But I also didn't expect to see the runaway growth in the federal government, our national debt exploding, and so many fine Americans unemployed and underemployed. In short, I did not expect to see our nation heading so fast in the wrong direction."

Fitzpatrick's entry into the race has been expected for a few weeks. It allows the GOP to contest a race that didn't begin the cycle at the top of its target list.

Republicans will try to take out more than half a dozen Democratic incumbents in the Keystone State this year, including Reps. Kathy Dahlkemper, Jason Altmire, Chris Carney, Paul Kanjorski, John Murtha, Tim Holden and Murphy. Four of those seats were held by the GOP as recently as 2006.