Republican Rep. Tom Priceof Roswell earlier this week floated an idea he said would save taxpayers $25 billion over the next decade.

Problem is, the government program Price wants to cut ended two months ago.

In his role as chairman of the conservative House Republican Study Committee, Price suggested the government cut an emergency fund that was part of the federal Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program that helps out-of-work citizens. The emergency fund was authorized under President Barack Obama's economic recovery program.

“In addition to saving taxpayers $25 billion over the next 10 years, cutting the emergency fund from the president’s failed stimulus package will refocus temporary assistance on its rightful role," Price said in a statement.

That would be good -- except for the fact that the emergency fund already expired, pointed out Democratic Rep. Jim McDermott of Washington state.

"Republicans claim to be serious about reducing the deficit, but yet they roll out a proposal to eliminate a program that no longer exists," McDermott said in a statement rebuking Price. "What's next -- claiming savings for cutting New Deal work programs that were terminated over 70 years ago?"

McDermott pointed out that emergency fund, designed to help states struggling with increasing expenditures for helping families in the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program, expired on Sept. 30. The fund received a one-time $5 billion allotment.

A spokesman for Price declined to comment for publication.

For Dems, any victory is a good victory

Democrats could count very few bright spots in the midterm elections. But one of them was in Atlanta, according to an analysis by the University of Minnesota's Center for the Study of Politics and Governance.

The center's Smart Politics blog pointed out earlier this week that Democratic Rep. David Scott of Atlanta was one of just eight Democratic incumbents to win by a larger victory margin during this month's Republican landslide than during the Democratic wave of 2008.

Scott, who represents Georgia's 13th Congressional District, beat Republican challenger Mike Crane by a margin of 41 points to win a fifth term. (That might be based on not-quite-final results. The Georgia secretary of state's site, with all precincts reporting, has Scott defeating Crane by 38.8 points.) Scott's 2010 margin was slightly better than the 38-point margin Scott beat challenger Deborah Honeycutt by in 2008, according to Smart Politics.

Among the other Democrats who won re-election by a wider margin this year than they did two years ago: Much maligned (outgoing) House Speaker Nancy Pelosi of San Francisco, who bested independent anti-war activist Cindy Sheehan by nearly 56 points.

Georgians and House leadership

Democratic Reps. John Barrow of Savannah and Sanford Bishop of Albany say they'll join a growing number of Democrats who won't vote to elect Pelosi the Democratic leader in the House when Congress reconvenes on Monday.

Rep. Price, meanwhile, is facing some competition in his pursuit of a House leadership position: Rep. Connie Mack of Florida also is running for chairman of the Republican Policy Committee.

Party caucuses are scheduled to elect their new leaders in the House on Wednesday.

Happy Birthday, Sen. Chambliss

Republican Sen. Saxby Chambliss celebrated his birthday earlier this week in grand style, at the Country Music Awards in Nashville with wife Julianne.

Chambliss turned 67 on Wednesday. He was born a year and a month or so before Sen. Johnny Isakson (Isakson's birthday is Dec. 28) -- making Chambliss Georgia's senior senator in more than just title.