http://www.reuters.com/article/vcCandidateFeed7/idUSN03352719Obama Democrats head toward big congressional wins
By Thomas Ferraro
WASHINGTON, Nov 4 (Reuters) - Riding a wave of resentment against Republican President George W. Bush, Democrats headed toward winning possibly their biggest majorities in the U.S. Congress in decades in Tuesday's elections, polls showed.
If Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama also prevails, the new Congress that convenes in January should be able to take action on a long list campaign promises, within the constraints of the current financial crisis.
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Democrats have a plausible chance to gain nine Senate seats and amass for the first time in three decades a majority big enough to keep Republicans from using parliamentary rules to kill legislation and presidential nominations.
But even if they fail to reach the 60 votes needed to end procedural roadblocks, or filibusters, Democrats figure they will be able to win over enough moderate Republicans to pass legislation.
"With 56, 57, 58 (Democratic Senate seats), we'll be able to get a lot done," said Sen. Charles Schumer of New York, chairman of the Senate Democratic Campaign Committee.
On the other side of the U.S. Capitol, Democrats could gain upward of 30 seats in the House, analysts say. That could give them their biggest House majority since the mid-1980s.
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