Close Call In Congress
Tuesday's voting in Washington state to select a Democratic opponent for longtime Republican Sen. Slade Gorton is a late reminder that the presidency is not the only thing at stake this November - and Democrats are suddenly happy about it.
"We began the 2000 election with little chance for a Democratic Senate," said Sen. Robert Torricelli, D-N.J. "There is now an appreciable chance."
A long shot for sure, reports CBS News Chief Washington Correspondent Bob Schieffer, but Torricelli is the Democrats' top Senate strategist. Here's why he sees an outside chance his party could take back control of the Senate:
Republicans now hold a 54-to-46 majority, but at least six Republican senators - Spencer Abraham of Michigan, Rod Grams of Minnesota, William Roth of Delaware, John Ashcroft of Missouri, Conrad Burns of Montana, and maybe even Gorton in Washington State - face tough re-election campaigns, compared to only one Democratic incumbent - Chuck Robb of Virginia. So control of the Senate could turn on who wins that New York brawl - Hillary Rodham Clinton, a Democrat; or Rick Lazio, a Republican.
And it may be even closer in the 435-seat House. The chief Republican strategist there believes his party can hold its slim six-seat majority, but doesn't expect much more.
"I just don't think you are going to see much change in the House, more than three or four seats each way," said Rep. Tom Davis, R-Va.
Like Democratic analysts, Davis predicts 90 percent of the incumbents will be re-elected. But retirements have left 35 open seats, and 25 of them are held by Republicans. If Democrats win most of these, they'll take control of the House.
Money to run TV commercials is driving most races - so much so that a Democratic state representative in Kentucky who's trying to move up to Congress urged colleagues to speed up their lawmaking and get to the important stuff.
"I urge you to pass this bill," said Eleanor Jordan while cameras were running. "Let's get on with it. I have a fund-raiser at six o'clock and I need to get out of here."
Republicans turned the moment into a commercial against her.
Who controls the House and Senate is shaping up as a real cliffhanger - and it could mean an exciting election night.