WP: Handful of Races May Tip Control of Congress

[kskiska]

Monday, February 6, 2006; Page A01

In Pennsylvania, Sen. Rick Santorum (R) has been running behind his challenger for months. In Montana, Sen. Conrad Burns (R), linked to the Jack Abramoff scandal, is on the defensive. In Ohio, Sen. Mike DeWine (R) is struggling to overcome a toxic environment of scandals that has tarnished the state Republican Party.

Not since 1994 has the party in power -- in this case the Republicans -- faced such a discouraging landscape in a midterm election. President Bush is weaker than he was just a year ago, a majority of voters in recent polls have signaled their desire for a change in direction, and Democrats outpoll Republicans on which party voters think is more capable of handling the country's biggest problems.

The result is a midterm already headed toward what appears to be an inevitable conclusion: Democrats are poised to gain seats in the House and in the Senate for the first time since 2000. The difference between modest gains (a few seats in the Senate and fewer than 10 in the House) and significant gains (half a dozen in the Senate and well more than a dozen in the House) is where the battle for control of Congress will be fought.

The contest begins with Republicans holding 231 House seats and Democrats holding 201, with one Democrat-leaning independent and two vacancies, split between the parties. Democrats need to gain 15 seats to dethrone the GOP majority. In the Senate, Republicans hold 55 seats to the Democrats' 44, with one Democrat-leaning independent. Democrats need six more seats to take power.

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http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/02/05/AR2006020500773.html

[eallen]

1. In 1994, there was Newt and the Contract with America....

Setting aside its political vapidness, it nonetheless worked as a piece of PR and election strategy. Opportunity is not enough. We need someone who will pluck it.

[Born Free]

10. Democrats will find their "scream..."

leave it to the democrats, they will come up with the latest "scream" so the corporate media can paint them as a bunch of lunitics and swing the election back to the republicans. It's the thing that makes democrats, as a party, they always find a way to make themselves look less desirable. They are great at taking the issues that Americans agree most with and giving it back to the republicans rather than stand united and fight to keep those issues. Sorry, I just don't have much faith in the ability of our currnet democratic party to win elections. This is not to say I don't think they can do a better job, democrats can and will be better leaders , but first they must show America they can stand united.

[enid602]

2. context

Looks like the perfect backdrop for more Republican electoral shenanigans. People do even more desperate things when they have a lot to lose.

[Alexander]

3. Assuming no DIEBOLD shenanigans

The Democrats should win control of Congress this year.

It's a big assumption to make, but then DIEBOLD isn't in every state.

[JudyM]

5. Good point. Perhaps we should focus energy on non-Diebold state races.

[AndyTiedye]

8. But the Repubs Can SWEEP All The Rigged-Election States

Dennis Kucinich only won by 26 points.
As we learned last Novemnber, a 30 point lead is stealable in Ohio.
The other Dems in Ohio's Congressional delegation won by similar margins.
Safe seats? Or are they? With Ken Blackwell counting the votes?

We cannot hope to pick up any ground in states like Ohio,
but we will have to fight to keep what we have there,
and even then be prepared for some losses, no matter how good the polls look.

It won't matter how mind-bogglingly improbably the election results appear,
the media will explain it all away.

After 2000, 2002, and 2004, we surely must have learned by now to avoid over-confidence,
or for that matter any kind of confidence at all in future elections.

[keopeli]

9. Amen! n't

[michiganbuckeye1970]

4. It only matters if...

Democrats band together. If the Dems that jumped ship and voted for Alito (or voted for cloture) continue then it won't matter at all.

[mzmolly]

6. Demonstrates again the importance of progressives working together to

defeat the Republicans in upcoming races.

[bemildred]

7. Then again, it could be a Democratic landslide. nt