Wed
8
Nov '06
It hinges on, thanks to the far left, Joe Liberman. Now the most powerful senator, and most free to vote his mind, in the United States Senate. There is much joy in Mooseland.
Joe Liberman
It hinges on, thanks to the far left, Joe Liberman. Now the most powerful senator, and most free to vote his mind, in the United States Senate. There is much joy in Mooseland.
Joe Liberman
November 8th, 2006 at 6:34 pm
Actually, it gives leverage to any independent-minded Senator. Here’s how it works.
Currently, the count is:
48 Democrats + 2 Independents joining the caucus (Connecticut Senator Joe Lieberman and Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders).
49 Republicans
Even once James Webb defeats George Allen in Virginia, the Democrats will need to keep their 51 caucus members together because a 50-50 tie is broken by Vice President Cheney.
Lieberman will be the most free as he already had joined the Republicans on security issues and may have political debts to settle as colleagues that were running for re-election endorsed Ned Lamont.
Republicans also will have challenges with their moderate members, such as the 5 remaining Republicans in the gang-of-14 that defused the “nuclear option” during the supreme court confirmation hearings. This includes Olympia Snowe, (Maine), Susan Collins (Maine), Lindsey Graham (South Carolina), John Warner (Virginia), and most interestingly John McCain (Arizona).
Other Republicans Mike DeWine (Ohio) and Lincoln Chaffee (Rhode Island) were defeated yesterday. See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gang_of_14
Pennsyvania Senator Arlen Specter is also a potential swing vote. He has shown his independence as he raised issues with the President’s domestic surveilance program as chair of the Judiciary Committee.