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Has bush lost?
It turned out to be a Democratic wave, but no tidal wave, that swept them to a workable majority in the House of Representatives. But the Democrats look poised to have a barely workable one in the Senate, whatever may happen with the recounts and possible legal battles over the count in Virginia and Montana.Even if the Democrats finally win both of the outstanding Senate seats, Sen. Joe Lieberman of Connecticut was re-elected as an independent, after being beaten in the Democratic primary in a well-organized coup by the anti-war Left. Outraged by his support for President George W. Bush`s policies in Iran, the Internet-based blogging community managed to organize sufficient new Democratic Party members in the state to defeat Lieberman. On election night, Democratic party chairman told a CNN interviewer that the Democrats would not 'cut and run' from Iraq, and that there would only be 'thoughtful consideration' of an eventual drawdown of U.S. troops after the country had been stabilized. The Democrats are likely to focus on three or four main issues, starting with the imposition of tough new ethics rules for Congress, an increase in the minimum wage, and some very high-profile oversight of the conduct and planning of the war. Expect the Pentagon and Vice President Dick Cheney and his staff get a blizzard of subpoenas to face serious grilling from House committees.These midterm elections have been about the irresistible force of Democrat and anti-war anger meeting the immovable abject of the Republican party`s built-in advantages in Congressional re-districting, in money, and in the party`s formidable Get-Out-The-Vote machinery. The Democrats just managed to prevail. But now they face another object that will be very, very hard to move -- President Bush`s veto.Moreover, as Democratic chairman Howard Dean told CNN on election night, 'there isn`t much we can do to change the president`s policies.' Not with Jim Webb, Joe Lieberman and Heath Shuler all helping to redefine just what a Democrat is these days.
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