This upcoming election could prove both pivotal and intriguing. I mean, the drama. This is better than As the Stomach Churns...
To hear Karl Rove tell it, and to hear President Bush sell it, the GOP will retain control of both houses of Congress on 7 November, but if one listens to off-the-record Republicans in Congress, they will say that the GOP is in for a shellacking. If the excessive drooling of congressional Democrats is any indication, the White House had best shore up its legal team for the impeachment assault sure to come when the Democrats take over the legislative branch.
Who’s right? Who really knows until November 7? But there is reliable information coming in from races all over the country, and I am sure Rove's team has been analyzing the data oh-so-closely. Targeting the key races and getting those candidates the resources necessary for victory are Rove’s signature ploy. The model that assured Republican victory in 2002 and 2004 is still alive and well. Based on all that, Rove believes that the Republicans may lose eight to 10 seats in the House, but that they will definitely maintain control of both the House and the Senate. Will this prove true or is it looking through rose-colored glasses?
Despite the considerable reputation Rove has earned, fellow Republicans are not necessarily buying his optimism. So, suppose he’s wrong. If Democrats do take the House, they’ll get their Speaker, Nancy Pelosi. While acting as minority leader, she hasn’t even been able to keep her team from breaking ranks. It is doubtful she can do any better as Speaker of the House, much less provide overall leadership. Demos will gain the committee chairmanships, but Bush will still be President. Those who’ve lamented his lack of vetoes up till now can take heart that he’ll have plenty of Democrat legislation to strike down in the next two years. On top of that, any margin that the Democrats claim in November is likely to be slim, assuring that the inevitable plethora of left-wing bills get bogged down in committee. A Democrat majority 110th Session is sure to be a true do-nothing Congress—with the notable exception of impeachment hearings.
Is this, stagnation, really good for the country, the Professor asks rhetorically?
