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Wednesday, November 8, 2006

Another “Montana Miracle”

posted by on November 8 at 10:20 AM

Tester.jpg

The AP calls Montana for Jon Tester, expanding recent Democratic gains in the Rocky Mountain West and giving the Democrats 50 seats in the Senate.

The Webb-Allen race in Virginia will now decide whether the Senate has a Democratic majority or an even split (with Vice President Cheney as the tie-breaker).

(Photo via Flickr)

RSS icon Comments

1

Actually, it makes the Senate 50-49 for the Democrats, with the Webb-Allen race as the tie-breaker.

Posted by Shaun | November 8, 2006 10:27 AM
2

I do think it's appropriate that the last repub hope for control of the Senate came down to...wait for it...

Burns and Allen.

Good night, Gracie.

It fits, doesn't it, that they'd have all their hopes pinned on THAT pair o' jokers.

Ah, I feel good today. Hung over, but damn good nonetheless.

Posted by Geni | November 8, 2006 10:29 AM
3

sweet justice! and Webb has a slight margin and Allen has to make the decision on whether to accept defeat or call for a recount. And that decides who controls the Senate. sweet justice indeed.

Posted by roots | November 8, 2006 10:30 AM
4

I thought VA was like WA, and had a mandatory recount if the result was within a half-percent (which I think it still is). The state pays. If it's more than a half percent Allen can still call for it but he has to pay for it.

Posted by Fnarf | November 8, 2006 10:48 AM
5

He won! He won! He won! He won!

Posted by kimthemooch | November 8, 2006 10:56 AM
6

I just made that pic my desktop. I hope to rotate it with this one: http://www.thestranger.com/blog/2006/11/if_webb_wins_hes_gon.php

Posted by Juan | November 8, 2006 10:59 AM
7

Don't forget Cheney, Shaun.

The Dems have to win the VA race to control the Senate, otherwise the VP casts the deciding vote.

Posted by A Nony Mouse | November 8, 2006 11:00 AM
8

The electoral map does seem to put to rest the entire Red State/Blue State paradigm. Dems now control the majority of state governorships, legislatures, the US House and possibly the US Senate.

Posted by Andrew | November 8, 2006 11:09 AM
9

There's also Ben Nighthorse Nelson (D-NE), who is to the right of half the Republicans, and votes with Bush most of the time.

Posted by Fnarf | November 8, 2006 11:10 AM
10

F%^&in' Green Party!

"In Virginia, Glenda Parker of the Independent Green Party had slightly more than 1 percent of the vote this morning. Ms. Parker, a former Pentagon budget analyst, had no affiliation with the national Green Party. She ran on two issues, calling for cuts in the federal deficit and the construction of a high-speed rail network to cut dependence on oil.

Late in the campaign, when she was attracting about 2 percent support in opinion surveys, she considered dropping out and endorsing either Mr. Webb or Mr. Allen, but then changed her mind."

Posted by dewsterling | November 8, 2006 11:30 AM
11

I was wrong about VA. There is no automatic recount, but a candidate can request one if the margin is less than 1%, which it is.

Now Allen has to decide whether to call for one. But I think he's lost.

Does the loss by Chafee, R-RI, mean that the very last Rockefeller Republican is dead? Or does Olympia Snowe count? PGR, Milhous? What's your take?

Posted by Fnarf | November 8, 2006 11:56 AM
12

I'm still a little uncomfortable with the notion that Dems would hold a "majority" in the Senate, given that includes the two Independent Senators (ex-Dem Lieberman in CT, and Sanders in VT) as part of the mix.

Granted, they have both said they will caucus with the Dems, but they're not exactly beholden to the party, and Lieberman in particular could act as a "spoiler", leveraging his vote for some Dem supported issues in order to maintain centrist stanceson others.

Posted by COMTE | November 8, 2006 11:59 AM
13

Comte,

I listened to an interview with Sanders on NPR last night and he truly is an idealist. He's also a socialist who would not betray his principals by voting with Republicans.

As for Lieberman, well his biggest talent seems to be self-preservation. Think of him as the Gaius Baltar of the US Senate. So I suspect that he won't try to piss off CT voters any more than he has already by voting with the R's.

Posted by Andrew | November 8, 2006 12:21 PM
14

Can someone explain something to me? I don't understand why the independents are automatically being counted as democrats. Is it because they are likely to vote with the democrats? Did they say they would? If/when the Dems take Virginia doesn't that make it 49-49-2 and with Cheney doesn't that give it to the Republicans? Help, please. Thanks

Posted by Jill | November 8, 2006 12:44 PM
15

Technically, the independents get to choose who they caucus with. Technically, they could choose to caucus with themselves or with the GOP. Both have said they will caucus with the Dems, so it's not an issue. But, good catch, Jill.

Posted by Will in Seattle | November 8, 2006 12:54 PM
16

Yes, Jill - basically Sanders (Ind-VT) is a self-described socialist, and therefore falls to the left of many Dems on issues, and Lieberman is an ex-Democrat who has said he will caucus/vote with the Democrats. (See #13).

Posted by david | November 8, 2006 12:56 PM
17

I think Lieberman only broke from the D's because he lost to Lamont and was hell-bent on retaining his seat. I mean, sure, he does vary on certain issues but by and large, he is still a D.

Posted by Gomez | November 8, 2006 3:01 PM

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