Brent Budowsky (The Hill): 62 Democratic senators

[seafan]

62 Democratic senators

By Brent Budowsky
September 13, 2007

The resounding Democratic victory in the 2006 Senate campaign creates a historic anomaly in which the Senate Democratic Caucus could increase to more than 60 senators, with historic implications for American politics and all three branches of government.

The media are simply focusing on the 22 Senate Republican seats at stake in 2008. But the Republican senators considering whether to retire, and the smart K Street money, are homed in on the 2010 elections as well, where another 19 Republican Senate seats are at stake.
Do the math. Locked into the fate of one of America’s most unpopular presidents in history, with the national mood favoring a tidal wave of change, with Republicans plagued by endless scandals, and with a president pushing a disastrous war onto the desk of his successor, 41 Senate Republican seats are in jeopardy in 2008 and 2010.

Of course, many of the most distinguished Republican senators choose to retire, fearing they will spend in the rest of their careers in a shrinking Republican minority.

.....

The actions of Senate Republicans on Iraq are inexplicable. Most of them believe the policy is a disaster and know that the overwhelming majority of military leaders (including the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Adm. William Fallon and Gen. James Jones) privately disagree with the proposals of Gen. David Petraeus, and even Petraeus tells Congress that he does not know whether his proposals make America safer.
Nevertheless, close to 100 percent of the Senate Republicans have voted for the Bush blunders close to 100 percent of the time for 100 percent of the duration of the war. When the president puts the day of military reckoning on the desk of his successor in January 2009, he puts the day of political reckoning on the backs of Republicans in November 2008.

From the summer before the 2006 elections through Election Day in 2008 the Republicans endure a news-flow nightmare. From sex scandals to war scandals, from corruption in Iraq reconstruction to corruption on Capitol Hill, the nightmare escalates as the Bush years come to a close with score-settling daggers and scandal-revealing leaks that will reach a crescendo in November 2008.
The demeaning attacks on Democrats by Republican propagandists only backfire, with 70 percent of the nation disapproving their policies, and 60 percent of the nation distrusting their integrity. Giant swaths of American society, from homeowners to Hispanics to military moms, feel threatened by Republican rule.

.....

The president continues to try to exploit the Sept. 11 terror attacks while every American sees Osama bin Laden on television, intelligence reports detail al Qaeda’s resurgence on the Bush watch, analysts detail weaknesses in the Department of Homeland Security, and Petraeus struggles with the question of whether his plan makes America more safe.
The stage is set for a Senate tsunami.

If Republicans are smart, they will listen to Sen. John Warner (R-Va.), meet with Reid, respect the true opinion of the majority of military leaders, fight to change the policy in Iraq, and recognize that the carnage in Iraq is not only bad for the nation but a cause of the carnage that is headed for the Senate Republican Conference like a freight train coming around the bend.

(Bold type added)


This is an encouraging analysis in the slog through an otherwise bleak and depressing week.

[B Calm]

1. Imagine a country that functions again.. We'll probably need a lot more than 60

Senators, thanks to all the DLC members..

[cali]

4. Actually, we won't

The pressure on those Senators will likely mean that most of them will vote against a filibuster, even if they vote poorly on a given piece of legislation. History demonstrates that when either side has such a majority, they're able to push through legislation effectiviely.

[seafan]

2. A morning kick. n/t

[Beetwasher]

3. I Predict We Will Have 60 Seats in The Senate After '08

Just remember, pretty much no one, except some of us out here on the "fringe" predicted we'd take both the House and Senate in '06 too. Most pundits and consultants etc. didn't think we'd win back even ONE house of Congress in '06, they thought it would be close, but they didn't we'd even get one.

[opihimoimoi]

5. Yup, some of us saw a shift in the making....turned out to be true,,,,

Now, for the real deal....60 is not outta sight given Bush still is in denial and arrogant as ever...he and the scandals are bringing the Pub Party great damage...serves them right for supporting the dude even while KNOWING he is a Dufus

[L. Coyote]

6. Not to mention it is an immoral, illegitimate, illegal war built on lies and deceptions

killing hundreds of thousands of human beings, displacing and destroying the lives of millions of men, women and children.

Oh yeah, and then there is the trillions it will cost future generations.

[book_worm]

7. I think that is overly optimistic

Remember too that 2010 will possibly be the first mid term involving a democratic administration and (historically) the party in power loses seats. I think after 2008 we have the possibility of having 54-56 seats.

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

8. This would all be moot if Pelosi doesn't bring a war funding bill to the floor of the House. This

60 vote mindset is bullshit.

[seafan]

9. Randi Rhodes had Budowsky on her show yesterday and he said

that The Hill is 'what Senators read every morning'. He implied that he was writing this piece for all Republicans running for re-election to face this freight train coming at them in the fall of 2008.

There's a bright headlight down the track now and the rails are starting to vibrate.

[Breeze54]

10. This is great news!!!

Isn't Brent Budowsky the same guy that predicted that the Democrats would take the House and Senate in 2006?

This article makes me smile!! :)

Budowsky was an aide to former Sen. Lloyd Bentsen and Bill Alexander, then-chief
deputy whip of the House. A contributing editor to Fighting Dems News Service.

[WillyT]

11. MUST READ Folks !!! - K & R !!!

:kick: