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US Democrats grab House, chase Senate
Reuters/Jason Reed
U.S. House minority leader Nancy Pelosi speaks to supporters at a mid-term election night party for the Democratic Party in Washington, November 7, 2006.
By Stephen Collinson
AFP
WASHINGTON
Petroleumworld.com 11 08 06
Democrats seized the House of Representatives for the first time since 1994 and reached for a Senate majority, punishing President George W. Bush over Iraq and his Republicans for corruption in a dramatic reshaping of US politics.
The resounding victory in Tuesday's mid-term elections means Bush will face new scrutiny as he wages war on terrorism and in Iraq, and dented his hopes of polishing his legacy during his final two years in the White House.
Piling up a comfortable majority in the 435-seat House, Democrats picked up a net gain of 23 seats and were still chasing six Republican scalps.
They also scooped up four of the six extra seats they needed to wrest control of the 100-member Senate. Their candidate was ahead in a fifth race in Montana, and Democrats claimed victory in Virginia, though a possible recount there meant the destiny of the upper chamber may not be known for several days.
Party leaders quickly demanded a new direction in the blood-stained US occupation in Iraq, emboldened by taking vengeance on the once-feared Republican election machine.
Nancy Pelosi, a hate figure for Republicans set to become the first ever female speaker of the House, said the election proved Americans were sick of Bush's policies on Iraq, where more than 2,800 US troops have been killed.
"We cannot continue down this catastrophic path. And so, we say to the President, 'Mr. President, we need a new direction in Iraq,'" Pelosi told supporters.
Her House colleague Rahm Emmanuel, who masterminded the win, added: "What we're doing in Iraq isn't working and we desperately need to change course."
Republican House majority leader John Boehner said his party was "deeply disappointed" and predicted his colleagues would reflect on the result, and return to a majority in 2008.
Bush watched from the White House as his Republican Party's monopoly on power was shattered. He called a White House news conference for Wednesday.
"We believe Democrats will have control of the House, and look forward to working with Democratic leaders on the issues that remain foremost on the agenda, including winning the war in Iraq and the broader war on terror and keeping the economy on a growth path," said White House spokesman Tony Snow.
Republican incumbents crashed to defeat in Arizona, Connecticut, Florida, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island and Texas, according to television projections.
On a banner night for Democrats, the party also won six governors' seats to take the majority of state houses for the first time in 12 years, according to television projections. Hollywood star Arnold Schwarzenegger, a Republican, bucked the trend and was re-elected hovernor of California, crushing Democrat rival Phil Angelides.
Democrat Keith Ellison from Minnesota became the first Muslim elected to Congress, and Hillary Clinton easily beat her Republican rival to claim a second term in the Senate, further spurring expectations of a 2008 presidential run.
"We believe in our country and we're going to take it back, starting tonight!" the former First Lady told supporters in New York. "New Yorkers and Americans ... want a new beginning for our beloved country."
In the Virginia Senate race, Democrat Jim Webb led incumbent Senator George Allen by a few thousand votes with a recount and prolonged wrangling between lawyers likely.
Democratic challenger Claire McCaskill toppled Republican incumbent Senator Jim Talent in Missouri and in another important race in Montana, Republican Senator Conrad Burns trailed his challenger with two-thirds of precincts in.
But Republicans clung onto a hotly-contested Senate seat in Tennessee after a race which enflamed racial tensions.
In the Senate, conservative Senator Rick Santorum lost in Pennsylvania, and fellow Republicans Mike DeWine and Lincoln Chafee lost in Ohio and Rhode Island respectively.
Democrats retained at-risk seats in New Jersey and Maryland.
There were sporadic problems with electronic voting machines, and both sides hurled accusations of voter fraud.
Early exit poll data by the ABC television network showed that six in 10 voters disapproved of the way Bush was doing his job.
CBS exit polls found 57 percent of voters disapproved of the war in Iraq, which has claimed the lives of more than 2,800 soldiers.
Bush had accused his rivals of having no plan to win the war, and said only the Republicans could give full protection against terrorists.
As well as Iraq and Republican corruption scandals, the election also hinged on concerns such as skyrocketing health-care costs, "values" issues like stem-cell research, gay marriage and abortion, the economy and illegal immigration.
Democrats charged Republicans were complacent after years in power and hobbled by scandals ranging from a multi-million dollar lobbying scam run by Bush sympathiser Jack Abramoff to the sex scandal which hit congressman Mark Foley.
bur-col/cl
AFP 080907 GMT 11 06
Copyright© 2006 AFP. All Rights Reserved.
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