2008 Election Gives Congressional Democrats More Power
November 13th, 2008Recall that famous line from the movie The Matrix: Reloaded: "What do men with power want? More power!"
Riding a wave of pessimism against Republicans for a collapsing economy, two wars, and an unpopular Bush administration, the Democrats have added to their power and control in the U.S. Congress. Although some races are still undecided, Congressional Democrats have gained a strong majority that should enable them to aggressively pursue their political agenda in the coming term.
Senate
In the U.S. Senate, Democrats added 6 seats to build a more solid 57-40 majority. Last term, with a 49-49-2 split in the Senate, there was lots of partisan division and little bipartisan results.
But the race is not over. Three Senate seats remain up for grabs as election officials recount ballots in these close races. In Georgia, Republican Sen. Saxby Chambliss will have to win his seat in a runoff election next month. Republican incumbents Norm Coleman in Minnesota and convicted felon Ted Stevens in Alaska are watching their recounts nervously.
If all three races go to the Democratic challenger, Senate Democrats will have a filibuster-proof majority of 60 that would allow them to overcome Republican procedural roadblocks. But even without this "super-majority," Democrats expect to win over at least few moderate Republicans in the new Congress to pass major legislation.
House of Representatives
Democrats added 21 representatives to the House, giving them a strong 60% majority. The gains come two years after Democrats took control of the House following 12 years in the minority.
Among Tuesday’s Republican losers was 10-term Rep. Chris Shays of Connecticut, whose reputation for bucking his party couldn’t save him from losing to Democrat Jim Himes. Shays’ defeat leaves New England without any Republicans in the House.
