Stu Rothenberg’s Political Report is a top handicapper of U.S. Senate contests. Looking at his current information, I believe the Democrats will pick up five senate seats, pushing their majority to 56. Rothenberg already awards Democrats the GOP open seats in Virginia and New Mexico, and predicts John Sununu will lose his New Hampshire seat to former governor Jeanne Shaheen.
Rothenberg rates the GOP open seat in Colorado a toss-up, but congressman Mark Udall should win and join his cousin Tom (running in New Mexico) in the Senate. I also believe the corrupt (“bridge to nowhere”) Alaska senator Ted Stevens will lose. An Obama landside threatens blue state Republicans Susan Collins (Maine), Norm Colman (Minnesota), and Gordon Smith (Oregon), all of whom will be sympathetic to an Obama agenda should they survive, along with blue state holdovers Olympia Snowe (Maine) and Arlen Specter (Pennsylvania).
With this total of 61, Obama will have a great opportunity to push past the last remaining barrier to a liberal take-over of Washington—the 60 votes required to end a Senate filibuster. Of course, the liberals will have far more control if Democrats win 9, not 5, senate seats, giving Democrats alone 60. Keep watching.
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With things looking bleak for Republicans on every level of the ballot, the Senate has become the last bullwark preventing the most liberal swing this country has seen in decades, maybe ever, after the 08' elections. Bills such as the Employee Free Choice Act, pushing a big labor liberal agenda, are waiting in the wings for the 60 votes needed to unleash them on the American public. If Republicans have any hope of slowing the progressive agenda of the DEMS, they must keep the losses in the Senate to the bare minimum. This Includes beating Boulder Liberal Mark Udall in Colorado, and Progressive Joker, er, comedian, Al Franken in Minnesota, and keeping Ted Stevens in Alaska.
Brutal indeed.
My hope is that the weak economy will restrain Obama's taxing instincts.
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