Democrats Expand Congressional Control

(CBS/AP)  Democrats broadened their control of Congress in Tuesday's elections, though in the Senate they fell short of the 60 votes needed for a filibuster-proof majority that would have given them almost unbridled power over legislation.

Voters ousted Senate Republicans in North Carolina and New Hampshire and added three seats held by retiring GOP incumbents to the Democrats' fragile 51-49 majority. Four other Senate races involving Republican incumbents, including the contest in Minnesota, were yet to be decided Wednesday. The GOP retained some leverage in spite of Democratic gains.

"The people have spoken. We hear the people and now it's time to come behind our president," Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison, R-Texas, told CBS' The Early Show on Wednesday. "The Senate is going to have to work things out in a bipartisan way, and I think the test is going to be right there."

---

Click here for complete Senate coverage.

---

In the House, Democrats captured GOP-held seats in the Northeast, South and West, adding at least 17 seats to the 30 they took from Republicans in 2006. Fewer than 10 races remained undecided. Going into Tuesday's election, Democrats controlled the House 235-199 with one vacancy.

"Tonight, the American people have called for a new direction. They have called for change in America," House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada credited the excitement and record turnout that helped propel president-elect Barack Obama to victory.

"Obama ran a terrific campaign, he inspired millions of people," Reid said in a telephone interview. "It's been a really good night."

Even as they celebrated Obama's election and their own victories, Democratic leaders pivoted to looming issues big and small, from a lame-duck congressional session this month to whether to punish or tolerate a Senate ally who endorsed Republican John McCain. There were bigger questions down the road: how to resolve deep differences in their own ranks over promised reforms like universal health care and energy independence - and just how much the public would punish Democrats if they fail.

However daunting, those were nice problems to have compared with the hangover afflicting Republicans. Before Obama had finished his acceptance speech, GOP lawmakers had turned a harsh eye on themselves.

"We have got to clean up, reform and rebuild the Republican Party before we can ask Americans to trust us again. This must begin with either a change of command at the highest levels or our current leaders must embrace a bold new direction," Sen. Jim DeMint, R-S.C., said in a statement moments after Obama clinched the election. "Our party must start today to admit our mistakes, fight for our convictions and encourage new conservatives to run for office."

---

Click here for complete House election coverage

---

There were signs of recriminations to come. Rep. Adam Putnam of Florida, the No. 3 Republican, told colleagues in a letter released near midnight that he was stepping down from his leadership post - "reluctantly."

Not one Republican defeated a Senate Democrat.

On the brighter side, the GOP blocked a complete rout in that chamber, holding the Kentucky seat of Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell and a Mississippi seat once held by Trent Lott - two top Democratic targets. Also surviving was Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, who defeated Democratic Rep. Tom Allen by a nearly 3-2 margin despite Obama's overwhelming victory in her state.

In Minnesota, voters cast nearly 2.9 million ballots, prompting a recount that could take weeks to complete. "There is reason to believe that the recount could change the vote tallies significantly," Franken said in a statement.

Exit polls showed that voters were deeply anxious about the economy and dissatisfied with President Bush. They haven't been thrilled by Democrats in Congress, either, largely because the new majority could not agree on how to end the Iraq war as promised.

Exit polling showed that the war remains unpopular, and distaste for the conflict helped Obama. Nearly two-thirds disapprove of the conflict, and that group overwhelmingly backed the Democrat.

But that issue faded this year. Politically, the economy was the number one issue with voters and nothing else came close, exit polls showed. That hurt McCain and trickled down-ballot, hurting some Republican candidates.

Sen. Elizabeth Dole, R-N.C., the former president of the American Red Cross, a one-time presidential hopeful and a household name in Republican circles, lost her seat after only one term to state Sen. Kay Hagan. It probably wasn't a surprise.

"You've got a situation here where the president's numbers are absolutely, unbelievably poor," Dole said in a recent interview. "I also think McCain is underperforming right now." She predicted that would change.

In New Hampshire, where McCain beat George W. Bush in the 2000 GOP primary, the self-styled maverick lost to Obama. And incumbent Republican Sen. John Sununu lost to former Gov. Jeanne Shaheen.

Other Democrats who won Republican-held seats were former Virginia Gov. Mark Warner, and cousins Mark Udall of Colorado and Tom Udall of New Mexico.

Those wins brought the Democratic Senate majority to 56, but that number was anything but final. Races remained without clear winners early Wednesday in Oregon, Alaska and Georgia as well as Minnesota.

The Democrats' new majority - for now - includes Connecticut Sen. Joe Lieberman, an independent who has caucused with the party. Many Democrats want to strip him of his chairmanship of the Homeland Security committee, kick him out of the caucus or both because he endorsed his close friend McCain over Obama.

Reid said he was meeting with Lieberman later in the week to discuss the matter. Much rides on how badly Democrats need Lieberman to reach the 60-vote threshold required to block Republican filibusters.

In the House, it was the first time in 75 years that Democrats won major gains in back-to-back elections. They gained 30 seats in the 2006 backlash against several Republican scandals.

This year, their wins changed the political geography, regionally. Ousting 22-year veteran Rep. Chris Shays in Connecticut gave Democrats every House seat from New England. Their victory in an open seat on New York's Staten Island gave them control of all of New York City's delegation in Washington for the first time in 35 years.

Democrats also rode the coattails of a decisive victory by Obama in New Mexico to win one House seat they haven't controlled in four decades and another the GOP had held for 28 years. Both were left up for grabs by GOP retirements.

The news wasn't all good for Democrats. They lost three first-termers in the South, as well as Kansas Rep. Nancy Boyda, whose Topeka-based seat went to Lynn Jenkins, the GOP state treasurer.

Republican attorney Tom Rooney defeated Rep. Tim Mahoney of Florida, who had admitted to two extramarital affairs just weeks before Election Day. Republican Bill Cassidy dealt a bruising defeat to Rep. Don Cazayoux, D-La., elected in a special election six months ago. And in Texas, Republican Pete Olson, a former chief of staff to Sen. John Cornyn, beat Democratic Rep. Nick Lampson.

"We sort of got through this, we think, a little bit better than some people might have expected," said Rep. Tom Cole of Oklahoma, the head of the Republican House campaign committee. "Our worst days are behind us."

[shanev137]

However, Party Falls Short Of Filibuster-Proof Senate

------------


.....don''t worry, we''ll get it next November.

[antoniof123]

I am amazed at these so called Republicans they didn''t even read the story. Had you read the story you would have noticed that a Republicans senator stated that:

Until we change we can not ask the American people for forgiveness.

That said you sore losers will be in the wilderness for a generation. You just don''t get it do you?

[andrew_693]

the republicans lost for many reasons, first they are traitors (they sent oliver north to give weapons to our enemies the iranians) second they don''t like america (palin wanted alaska to secede from the united states) and third they are a party of hypocrites they claim to love jesus yet we keep surprising them facking pages and giving blow j in airports to under cover cops and third they only represent the rich, that means they only represent about 1% of all americans, they definitely do not represent folks that work for a living. They have blocked every legislative move to punish scum from enron,aig, etc... all this in detriment to the american real worker. The republican party also represents the party of slaves, those that defend the rich but are sore loosers and poor and will never have anything and deservedly so.

[andrew_693]

It will be interesting to watch the faces of those who elected Barack Obama - they will rapidly change from their wide-eyed wonder - to confusion, then to apprehension, then to disbelief, and finally to horror as they discover their new leader is as hollow as the promises he has made.

Joe Biden is right - Barack Obama will be tested, and the entire Democrat-controlled Congress will be tested - and they will not have the luxury of blaming anyone else for their own failures.

And fail, the Democrats will.

And fail, Barack Obama will.

And then comes the judgement of the American people.

And it will be severe.

No more whining, Democrats - now you get to be the punching bag - and deservedly so.


And don''''t you think Obama''''s posters remind you of the same kind of propaganda art from other Communist leaders like the Cuban, Che Guevara, or the Chinese leader, Mao Tse Tung?

That''''s because they think alike.

They''''re all Communists.

The next thing you know, the Democrats will issue everyone their little red book...

Posted by CBSisPravda at 12:55 AM : Nov 06, 2008



why don''t you go and spend another 55 million dollars of tax payers money investigating if clinton''s p3nis is banging your momma. You are more productive there.

[andrew_693]

we were doing well under reagan? wow, you must have been living in disneyland.

[pensacola98]

As for what the Democrats can accomplish, it is pretty clear that Obama inherited a similar mess that Ronald Reagan took after defeating Carter in 1980. The honeymoon was short and unemployment was high in the second year, until things smoothed out and recovered in ''83. The price of oil went way down and staved off inflation.

Obama can expect oil lto come down to $33 a barrel which translates to about $1 to $1.50 per gallon.

The biggest change will be in the military occupation. Iraq is not a Vietnam, because we are not in the Cold War, and AlQuieda is not nearly the threat that Shia Islam poses for Iraq. The division of Kurd, Sunni and Shia Iraq may be the best answer, but will require some time to orchestrate. Turkey has already said, "No" to independant Kurdish State.

The Afghanistan-Pakistan negotiation is a high priority. There is reason to believe that hardline Taliban may want to create their own soveriegn state along the border in return for for peace.

The Iranian Nuclear weapons program will have to be negotiated with something exchanged with Iran of great value. They may want control of Iraq Shia.

The Israeli peace accord following the Saudi Arabian proposal submitted a few years ago may actually materialize.

The Russian deployment of missiles on the Polish Border will be negotiated away in return for Polish change of anti-missile deployment plans secured just last month with Secretary Rice.

[tannerbird]

George Bush is just a sad,sad man if not for his name he could not even been a joe the plumber.

[tannerbird]

The world is glad to see Bush gone with his cowboy ways his daddy knew there was no way out of Iraq Saddam was not the problem Iraq was not the problem. The problim was Bush and his lies he has all but done in the republican party as we knew it and McCain was going down the same road. The big tax breaks for the rich should be over the trickle down does not work. The deregulations of the last 8 years do not help the working people and Bush is going to do some more for his buddies. Its going to be about the working people in this country or mr.Oboma will be history in 4 years. I think he can help it is such a mess if the democrats and republicans work together we can get the job done.

[earache4]

Wow! GOPricks are sore losers....

[skysoldier75]

Republicans really need to take a very hard, long look at WHY they lost the support of the majority of the American people in 2006, and again in 2008.

The widening gap between the GOP''s political ideology and that of the rest of America is obvious, and it''s causes are far more complex than just chalking it all up to the last 8 years of the disastrous Bush administration alone. It goes much deeper than that.

If the Republicans don''t change their stance on many, many fundamental issues, and if they keep expecting the same old GOP tactics to keep working, then they will keep losing.

The voters that count the most are not on the far left or the far right - they''re somewhere in the middle. The White House is totally out of reach to the far right.

The question that Republicans need to be asking themselves today is "What did we learn from this experience?"