Diaz-Balarts to get national party boost

Democrats for months have been amped up about their chances of taking on three South Florida Republicans. Now House Republicans are sending in some support.

A number of blogs are reporting that House Republican Whip Roy Blunt has added Miami Republican Reps. Lincoln and Mario Diaz-Balart as beneficiaries of the GOP's Regain Our Majority Program.

"Regaining our Republican majority is a battle all House Republicans are invested in, and through ROMP we put our campaign dollars where our mouths are," Blunt said in a release. "We can each play a critical role in getting our message out, and ROMP is an important component of helping our members and candidates do just that this fall."

They'll benefit from an upcoming July 16 fundraiser. Rep. Tom Feeney, R-Oviedo, also made the cut. The Hill notes the additions reflect what could be a tough year in Florida, where Republicans lost two seats in 2006.

Lincoln and Mario's Democratic challengers, former Hialeah mayor Raul Martinez and former Miami-Dade Dem party chair Joe Garcia, who in their first quarter of fundraising kept pace $$-wise with the incumbents, last month were added to the Democratic party's Red to Blue program that looks to turn Republican seats Democratic.