Dems Take House, Could Win Senate

Americans voted yesterday to rein in the Bush administration. With most of the votes counted, the Democratic Party will have a 30-seat majority in the 435-mmeber House of Representatives. Moreover, if the current thin margins hold in Montana and Virginia, the US Senate will go to the Democrats, 51 seats against 49 GOP seats. Divided government will return to America in January, and despite what one may think, it usually works best that way.

For the past six years, Congress has been occupied by men and women who were more jealous of party power than Congressional power. They ceded to the executive prerogatives that George III would have paid to possess. For example, the misnamed Patriot Act that followed the September 11 murders was passed without a single member actually reading the damned thing. Yet, somehow, all of the legislation contained was assembled in only a few weeks – by the executive. Then, there is the war in Iraq-Nam, which distinguished the Republicans as war-mongers and the Democrats as spineless.

Now, it looks like the Democrats are evolving into members of the Chordata phylum (and who knows, they might be mammals by 2008). They attacked the Republicans for the war, for the corruption and for the general rudderless nature of the nation – and they’ve won. Perhaps, they will learn that the Opposition’s purpose is to oppose rather than enable, and perhaps the Vichy Democrats are a thing of the past.

In order to find out, one only needs look at the next six months. Now that they control the House, they will determine what legislation is even considered there. They will have the power to subpoena and interrogate (one hopes without waterboarding, although that isn’t torture according to the White House) witnesses on everything from the Mesopotamian disaster to CEO salaries to energy policy. They can use this for revenge or for setting the agenda in a positive way.

At the same time, they can choose to play some hardball that won’t hurt them. For example, the courts have said states may redistrict whenever they like. In those states where Democrats control the state legislature and the governor’s mansion, they could redistrict sitting Republicans out of office for the 2008 election. Or, they could pass a law saying that such a practice shouldn’t occur, that the custom of redistricting only after the decennial census is the way it should be.

Above all, yesterday was a demonstration of just how upset the electorate is with its public servants. Were this a grand estate, the laird would have sacked everyone and started afresh. The American system is more forgiving to incompetent servants (regrettably). However, if things don’t improve for the average American family in the next year, the potential for another independent making a serious run for the White House cannot be ignored. Ross Perot was an imperfect vessel in 1992, but there are other people out there in 2006 who might just think 2008 is the year to challenge to Incumbent Party. The clock is ticking, and the Democrats are about to learn just how little time they have.

© Copyright 2006 by The Kensington Review, Jeff Myhre, PhD, Editor. No part of this publication may be reproduced without written consent. Produced using Fedora Linux.

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