Senate Tips Democratic

CBS News Projects Jim Webb Victory In Virginia Over Incumbent Sen. George Allen

(CBS/AP)  Democrats won control of the Senate from Republicans with a narrow victory in Virginia, CBS News estimates, giving the party complete control of Congress for the first time since 1994.

Jim Webb's narrow win over incumbent Senator George Allen gave Democrats their 51st seat in the 100-seat Senate, an astonishing turnabout at the hands of voters unhappy with Republican scandal and unabated violence in Iraq. Allen was the sixth Republican incumbent senator defeated in Tuesday's elections.

The Senate had teetered at 50 Democrats, 49 Republicans for most of Wednesday, with Virginia hanging in the balance. Webb's victory ended Republican hopes of eking out a 50-50 split, with Vice President Dick Cheney wielding tie-breaking authority.

Seizing on voter discontent with President Bush and the war in Iraq, Democrats mounted challenges for two remaining Republican-held seats in Virginia and Montana — and were ahead in both. But in Virginia, Democratic challenger James Webb's lead over Republican incumbent George Allen was razor thin and a recount was likely.

In Missouri, Democrat Claire McCaskill defeated Republican Senator Jim Talent, who had tried to distance himself from president bush and his party throughout the campaign. But in the end, reports CBS News correspondent Sharyn Alfonsi, he wasn't far enough away.

"The head wind was just very, very strong this year," Talent said in his concession speech.

Exit polls show that the votes cast in Missouri were just as much against the president as they were for McCaskill.

Voting machine problems in Montana's most populous county, plus long lines and late tallies, pushed the outcome of the U.S. Senate race there into the daylight hours, reports CBS News correspondent Stephan Kaufman, before the seat was ultimately declared for Democrat John Tester.

Sen. Joseph Lieberman, the Democrats' vice presidential candidate in 2000 but running as an independent after losing the Democratic primary, kept his seat from Connecticut, despite his earlier support for the war in Iraq.

"This puts Joe Lieberman, without question, in the catbird seat," says CBS News chief Washington correspondent Bob Schieffer (audio). If you have a closely divided Senate ... everybody is going to be wanting Joe Lieberman's vote.

"And let's not forget, Democrats turned their backs on Joe Lieberman, after he decided to become an Independent, so he really doesn't owe them," Schieffer adds.

"We will not solve those problems and meet those challenges and seize the opportunities of the future unless we stop the partisan nonsense and work together," Lieberman said in his victory speech.

"How do you make nice with the senators who basically abandoned you when you needed them?" CBS News correspondent Byron Pitts asked him.

"We're all grownups," Lieberman replied. "And the Senate ultimately is 100 people going to work in the same place every day and your ability to get things done depends on how well you get along with the workers. So it will be fine."

In Pennsylvania, Democrat Bob Casey, son of a popular former governor, soundly defeated incumbent Sen. Rick Santorum, a conservative and third-ranking member of the Senate GOP leadership. Democratic Rep. Sherrod Brown easily beat GOP incumbent Mike DeWine in Ohio, a state where Republican scandals were devastating for the party.

Former state Attorney General Sheldon Whitehouse defeated incumbent Sen. Lincoln Chafee in Rhode Island. Chafee is an openly anti-war Republican who consistently voted against President Bush on legislation.

But Republican Bob Corker, a former mayor of Chattanooga, defeated Democratic Rep. Harold Ford for the seat held by retiring Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist. Ford had sought to become the first black southerner elected to the Senate in more than a century.

Americans "have come to the conclusion, as we did some time ago, that a one-party town simply doesn't work," Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., told party workers early Wednesday.

Reid said a strong Democratic turnout in both Senate and House races shows "we must change course in Iraq."

Webb, a former Navy secretary under President Reagan, claimed victory early Wednesday but Allen, behind by fewer than 8,000 votes, had urged his supporters to watch the remaining returns carefully.

CBS News Early Show co-anchor René Syler asked Montana's Tester if people were voting against President Bush rather than for him.

"I think there's probably both going on, but the truth is it's proof positive that Montanans are ready for a change," Tester replied.

In New Jersey, Sen. Bob Menendez held off a strong challenge from Republican Tom Kean Jr., son of a former governor, to keep the seat in Democratic hands. Menendez, appointed to the seat in January after Jon Corzine gave it up to become governor, had been viewed as the most vulnerable of 17 Senate Democratic incumbents.

Democrats also kept their seat in another important race in Maryland, where Rep. Ben Cardin held off a late surge by Republican Lt. Gov. Michael Steele to succeed retiring Sen. Paul Sarbanes.

Former First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton, considered a Democratic presidential contender in 2008, easily won re-election to a second term from New York.

Lieberman will be one of two independents in the new Senate. Rep. Bernie Sanders, an eight-term congressman who calls himself a socialist, won the seat of retiring Sen. Jim Jeffords, also an independent. Both Lieberman and Sanders have said they will align themselves with Democrats.

Democratic Sens. Dianne Feinstein of California, Maria Cantwell of Washington and Debbie Stabenow of Michigan were re-elected. Democrats also kept seats in Wisconsin, North Dakota, New Mexico, Michigan, Nebraska, West Virginia, Massachusetts, Florida, Delaware, Wisconsin and Hawaii.

Republican Sen. John Kyl won re-election in Arizona despite Democratic hopes for an upset by wealthy businessman Jim Pederson.

Republicans also won re-election in Indiana, Maine, Mississippi, Wyoming, Texas, Utah and Nevada.

In Florida, Democratic Sen. Bill Nelson handily rebuffed a challenge from Republican Rep. Katherine Harris, a two-term House member.

Harris came to national attention in 2000 when, as Florida secretary of state, she certified Bush as the Florida winner in his nearly deadlocked presidential race with Democrat Al Gore. However, she fell out of favor with Florida Republicans, and was even urged by Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, the president's brother, not to run.

Democrats needed a net gain of six seats to take control of the Senate, which, except for a 19-month period in 2001 and 2002, has been run by Republicans since 1995.

Exit polls showed that almost six in ten voters disapproved of the war in Iraq, and an equal percentage said they disapproved of how President Bush was handling his job.

Amy Klobuchar, a prosecutor, kept the seat of retiring Sen. Mark Dayton in Minnesota in Democratic hands, defeating Republican Rep. Mark Kennedy.

Among incumbents who coasted to re-election were liberal Democratic lion Edward M. Kennedy of Massachusetts West Virginia Sen. Robert C. Byrd, who has spent more than half of his 88 years in the Senate.

Veteran Republican senators also were easily re-elected in five states: Richard Lugar in Indiana, Olympia Snowe in Maine, Trent Lott in Mississippi, Kay Bailey Hutchison in Texas and Orrin Hatch in Utah.

In Wyoming, Republican Craig Thomas, though hospitalized with pneumonia, won re-election to a third term. And Republican Sen. John Ensign in Nevada turned back a challenge from Democrat Jack Carter, son of former President Jimmy Carter.

Other Democrats winning re-election included Tom Carper in Delaware, Jeff Bingaman in New Mexico, Ben Nelson in Nebraska, Herb Kohl in Wisconsin, Kent Conrad in North Dakota and Daniel Akaka in Hawaii.

[jplim]

Now that democrats are poised to control congress, make no mistake. Expectations are EXTREMELY high on them. They must remember that the reason they got power is the same reason they lost it - Americans were fed-up with the way the majority runs congress.

With Rumsfeld out, not to mention before they officially assume the majority, it can make their job more challenging because they will have to look beyond Iraq for issues to fight for.

The question that remains to be seen: who should take credit in 2008 if the country goes in 1 direction or another?

[newsjeff-2009]

I would like to know if Burns and Allen are going to at least show some sportsmanship toward their opponents like James Talent did when he saw he had pretty much lost to Claire McCaskill. I do not live in Missouri, but in my opinion, James Talent went on record, and made a concession speech, and congratulating his democrat challenger. Poor sportsmanship does not set a good example for children,teenagers, or anyone. For anyone out there (including democrats like myself,or republicans) who think this is a biased statement on my part just remember a couple of years ago in November 2004, lots of democrats, besides John Kerry were making concession speeches and accepting defeat from republicans. I admit myself, that I am surprised at the number of Democrat victories, just a couple of years after November 2004.

[ihave4rugratshelp]

Just think about how good it is to be Joe Lieberman right now.

[tinker3478]

gogopforlife, assuming you are a republican, your attitude is a pretty good example of why your team lost. Government is not about political parties ramming their ideas down the losers' throats. It's about making a government for the people. In my state, Texas, the republicans [you started it] held sway in Austin for at least two more years. Hopefully you don't live here because it is a state made up of the rich [insert your team] and poor [insert mine]. We have the highest illiteracy rates in the country, lowest educational spending, next to largest prison system, poorest health care-high-low, high-low. In Austin, the rich are bragging about their $8 billion surplus but fail to report the fact they have gutted parks programs, health care, education. They are leaders in voting in unfunded mandates that cause county tax rates to rise dramatically, then cap property taxes. Meanwhile, these same folks lavished hundreds of thousands of those dollars on visibility in the last month. Ask newly elected agriculture commissioner Todd Staples about "Save the Train" where he gave away dozens of free tickets for dinners, train rides, concerts to highly placed supporters a month ago-I've got the invitations for three county commissioners in my office.

Your team sucks! Admit it! Grow up! Move on! If you want to believe in it for life, clean it up and make it better!

[pakaal]

*sniff, sniff*

Hey goGOP4life, after the Democratic sweep we've just seen, all I smell here is humble pie on the Republican side. Or is it sour grapes?

[pakaal]

AP is calling the race for Webb. Barring a major change in votes in the canvassing Allen's folks are doing now, Allen is expected to cede by Thursday.

It ain't over 'till it's over, but it looks like it's pretty much over....

[gogop4life]

GEEZE! What is that STENCH??!!! It Stinks!!! Oh yeah...nevermind its just the democrats. God forgive George Bush? OMG....how dramatic! Pathetic!

[tinker3478]

This election was about the corruption of King Tom DeLay, the homosexuality/pedophilia of Mark Foley, the lies told by all the guys and gals who took bribes from Jack Abramoff, and the downfall of Ted Haggard at the final moment. Arrogance? There's plenty of that to go around, too.

[longbrdngnpa]

Let us not forget what this election was really about - arrogance!

[longbrdngnpa]

Let us not forget what this election was really about - arrogance!

[tinker3478]

Hallelujah-"We the People" own our country's government again! Now, if we can make it through the recession and pay down the mortgage Dubya has made on our great-grandchildren's future, we may actually be able to deal with the real issues confronting America: the rich getting richer as our jobs go south, the lack of health care for half of all Americans, the increasing illiteracy/drop-out rates for our children, and not least the total lack of morality in politics.

[redtaz6100]

why is it in the senate race in Virginia the vote count is going down at 11 am today the vote count was 1,170,708 for Webb and 1,162,576 for Allen and at 1pm today the vote count is 1,169,280 for Webb and 1,169,576 for Allen????????????

does anyone else see something wrong with this????????

[huskerarmy]

Great post diamtool!

[suecostarn]

Get over the blame game and grow up. Obviously more people are unhappy with the incumbents that lost seats so go forward and try to improve the system or at least attempt to represent the People. I am so sick of the politicians running the country. Lets put them out as homeless or as poor or as living day to day and then I might listen to them. Look through my eyes and others who need representation and get the dollar signs out of your eyes. You are there to serve no for personal gain, sexual gratification or to get rich on someone elses dime. *** or get off the pot some one else needs the seat.

[diamtool]

Thank you rsoxfan, i appreciate your input here also!
Better days are coming!

God Bless our Troops
God forgive George Bush

[gunnerv1]

See you in two years, that's about how long it'll take the Dems. to P*** Off everybody

[nivekabsurdo]

VA-Sen, MT-Sen: Where we stand
by kos
Wed Nov 08, 2006 at 08:16:09 AM PST
The DSCC released this statement on the two uncalled races:



Both Jon Tester and Jim Webb have won their races in Montana and Virginia but want to make sure that every vote is counted. We expect to have official results soon but can happily declare today that Democrats have taken the majority in the U.S. Senate.

Montana Vote Situation: Jon Tester leads Conrad Burns by approximately 1,700 votes (as of 11am EDT) and counting. In Silver Bow County (Butte), a Democratic stronghold, votes are still being counted but Tester is winning there with 66% of the vote. We expect to gain the majority of these uncounted votes and to add to Tester's margin.
Virginia Vote Situation: Jim Webb is up by approximately 8,000 votes and once the provisional ballots are counted, we expect Webb's margin to increase. (Please note that VA absentees were included in the tallies from last night.)

[rsoxfan1123]

diamtool-I actually copy pasted your comment to a colleague. well said.

[houser123]

Its a bit ironic that Lieberman goes from an outcast by the Democrats to the most sought after vote in the Senate. I trust Joe to do the right thing even though I may not agree with him on all issues. The loss to Lamont in the primaries should have been a wake up call to him and now the overwhelming sweep of the House and possibly the Senate will also ring true with Joe. Look for him to tone down down the rhetoric on Iraq, but sont look for him to change his tactics. He has always talked the talk and walked the walk.Lets hope we get Virginia and Montana an the two Independents will caucaus with us as well.

GOD BLESS OUR GREAT NATION.

[getcentered]

Nice comment "diamtool".

The people of our country have helped to make our government a little more centered.

State houses, the house of Rep, city councils.
The Dems made a clean sweep!

Congrats to Nancy P, first woman speaker of the house!