- Sep 26, 2000
- 28,561
- 4
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Disaster. Depending on your source the Dems have 56 seats and in the 4 that are still in doubt the Republicans are leading.
The 56 includes Lieberman and Sanders.
While everyone was talking about 60 no one is talking about the huge difference between 56 and 58. With 56 the Republicans have 4 votes they can let Senators from moderate states use to show their independence and moderate views, while still enforcing a filibuster.
For example, Merkely and Collins are from states not in the grip of the radical right wing agenda and would find it hard to vote to filibuster bills very popular in their state. Now they don't have to.
Unlike the Democrats, the Republican Senators that still hold office are hugely dependent on the Republican National committee which thru their K-Street project now has huge influence since many Republican contributors now give to the Party and not the candidate which keeps the Senators in line.
It will be so much harder for the Dems to woo 4 Republicans (assuming all the Dems are on board) than it would be to woo only 2. And if it were only 2 then those Republicans like Merkely would stick out like a sore thumb in his moderate state.
To lose 4 seats by such small margins is a disaster.
The 56 includes Lieberman and Sanders.
While everyone was talking about 60 no one is talking about the huge difference between 56 and 58. With 56 the Republicans have 4 votes they can let Senators from moderate states use to show their independence and moderate views, while still enforcing a filibuster.
For example, Merkely and Collins are from states not in the grip of the radical right wing agenda and would find it hard to vote to filibuster bills very popular in their state. Now they don't have to.
Unlike the Democrats, the Republican Senators that still hold office are hugely dependent on the Republican National committee which thru their K-Street project now has huge influence since many Republican contributors now give to the Party and not the candidate which keeps the Senators in line.
It will be so much harder for the Dems to woo 4 Republicans (assuming all the Dems are on board) than it would be to woo only 2. And if it were only 2 then those Republicans like Merkely would stick out like a sore thumb in his moderate state.
To lose 4 seats by such small margins is a disaster.
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