Liberal Republican Rep. Jim Kolbe of Arizona – the only out gay Gop in Congress – announced his retirement this week opening up another vunerable GOP seat in the West.

Kolbe’s district includes Tucson, which President Bush carried by only 53 percent, so this is a seat that is a possible pick up for Dems next year.

Other possibly vulnerable seats in the West include:

• CO-4 Musgrave (R) v Angie Paccione
• CO-5 Hefley (R) v Jay Fawcett
• CO-6 Tancredo (R) v Bill Winter (just announced; no official website yet)
• CO-7 Open (Beauprez is running for governor) v Peggy Lamm -or- Ed Perlmutter