The Democrats are looking to make gains in the U.S. Senate. Going into the election, Democrats controlled the chamber 51 to 49 (if you include Joe Lieberman).
The Democrats didn’t lose any seats. They gained seats in
Colorado – Mark Udall over Bob Schaffer
New Hampshire – Jeanne Shaheen over John Sununu
North Carolina – Kay Hagan over Elizabeth Dole
New Mexico – Tom Udall (cousin of Mark) over Steve Pearce
Virginia – Mark Warner
Still up in the air:
Minnesota – Al Franken and Norm Coleman
Alaska – Mark Begich and Ted Stevens
Oregon – Jeff Merkley and Gordon Smith
Georgia – Jim Martin and Saxby Chambliss
Based on nothing in particular, I figure the Democrats will pick up Alaska and Oregon, resulting in a 58 – 42 chamber (counting Joe Lieberman.) Republicans will still be able to filibuster, but only if every last one of them resists the pressure to vote for cloture.
The feeling by some Dems ( Begala is one) that Dems may not need 60 Dem votes for cloture because Rep. Senators such as Olympia Snow and Susan Collins will vote with Dems to call for a vote more often than not,depending on issue.
I think (maybe?) it’s safe to say the Dems would rather not count Joe Lieberman as one of their own anymore…having this large of a majority will allow them to kick him out of the caucus for basically being a traitor.
You know, maybe I’m getting a bit soft as I age. But part of me thinks having the filibuster available isn’t such a bad thing. I’m remembering being in the 50% of this country that has been governed down to as if we didn’t exist. Today, the other side (deservedly so) is in the same position, with 46% feeling completely powerless. Maybe one check on overexuberance on our part is a good thing.
Then I look at the remaining contested races… and remember that those four are complete assholes. So nevermind paragraph #1, and hopefully we can retire at least the disgusting Chambliss and the criminal Stevens. And the Franken loss is disappointing, too, if it holds up.
It just depends on how obstructionist the remaining GOP Senators become. If they save their filibusters for life or death situations and are willing to relent with reasonable compromises, the filibuster is a good thing. On the other hand, if they filibuster at even a significant fraction of the rate they have been doing from 2006-2008, it’s going to be frustrating.
If you count Lieberman? Hell, I don’t count Bayh. Or Ben Nelson or Mark Pryor. Or Mary Landrieu. And I’d be keeping one eye on Harry Reid, for that matter.
Seriously, a new, or let’s say real majority leader would be nice, but there won’t be, and the Blue Dogs will have to follow along, at least for the first hundred days. I’ll remind you that it was Democratic Congresses which cut the legs out from both the Carter and Clinton administrations in their first months–though neither of them came to office in a landslide. While everything’s going to depend on how bad the economy gets, and how fast–yesterday capped yet another demonstration of how bad things have to get before your modern Democrat is willing to act like one–this is still a “moderating” influence on a moderate Democratic president, and don’t be surprised if they’re back denouncing MoveOn by September 2010.