Front Page   

Republicans wrest control of U.S. Senate

By Sridhar Krishnaswami

George W. Bush

Washington Nov. 6. In a stunning electoral outcome that has major ramifications for domestic and foreign policies, the Republican Party has defied historical trends and captured power on Capitol Hill.

The Grand Old Party (GOP) has retained control of the House of Representatives, perhaps increasing its strength by three, and wrested that of the Senate.

The Republicans not only successfully retained all the five open seats but also won at least two from the Democrats in Minnesota and Missouri. The only consolation for the Democrats is that they made inroads into the Republican gubernatorial strongholds of Pennsylvania, Illinois, Wisconsin and Michigan.

The President's brother, Jebb Bush, after initial trouble in Florida, has won another term there as Governor, and the Democrats, after having the State House in Maryland for 36 years, saw Kathleen Kennedy Townsend defeated by the Republican, Robert Ehrilch. The GOP still has a majority of 20 Governorships out of the contested 36.

With two results yet to be accounted for — including the major toss-up of South Dakota — the GOP now has 50 seats in the Senate and claims majority status there.

The Republicans have also forced a Senate run-off election in Louisiana, which means that the Democratic Senator, Mary Landrieu, will have to face the final round on December 7.

Given the mess of November 2000, major networks have been hesitant to call the shots in the tight races of Minnesota and South Dakota.

The GOP withstood major Democratic onslaughts in Texas, New Hampshire and Colorado, winning all three States but lost in Arkansas. The Democrats also won in New Jersey, where the last minute candidate, Frank Lautenberg, made it comfortably.

The outcome of the Congressional elections must have proved satisfactory to the President, George Bush, who came to Washington two years ago under very unusual circumstances and more importantly without a solid political base.

But in the last five weeks, he has tried to give the impression of the "ultimate campaigner" by criss-crossing as many as 25 States, many of them several times, campaigning for candidates who were on the verge of being defeated at the hustings.

Mr. Bush concentrated on the tough Senate races in a determination to not only hold on to what the GOP had but also to make critical gains to get control back from the Democrats. In many ways, he raised the stakes for himself for the Presidential elections of 2004.

The focus on Missouri paid off and the incumbent Democrat, Jean Carnahan, was defeated by the Republican candidate, Jim Talent. And the GOP went on to take Minnesota as well, where the last-minute Democratic substitute, Walter Mondale, failed to come through.

The Republican candidate, Norm Coleman, handpicked by the President, won by a squeaker. The surprise came in Georgia, where the Democratic Senator, Max Clelland, was defeated by the Republican lawmaker, Saxby Chambliss.

Mr. Bush, who returned to the White House after casting his vote in Texas, watched the results into the night and called winning GOP candidates. His advisers did not hesitate to credit Mr. Bush for the poll outcome.

"I think it is very fair to say that a good portion of the results and history being made is attributable to the President's popularity and his hard work on behalf of the candidates," the White House spokesman, Ari Fleischer, said.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Front Page

News: Front Page | National | Southern States | Other States | International | Opinion | Business | Sport | Miscellaneous |
Advts: Classifieds | Employment | Obituary |

Stories in this Section

• Cong. not for alliance in Gujarat
• Samata to go it alone
• Republicans wrest control of U.S. Senate
• Sarwan helps West Indies draw first blood
• HC notice on `misuse' of Jama Masjid
• Protection sought for `encounter' witness
• BJP rebels defer plan to form separate group?
• Not for unilateral ceasefire: Azad
• IA hikes fares by 10 p.c.
• Pak. Assembly session put off
• Floating dock sinks
• Jaguar crash toll up

Copyright © 2002, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu