大象传媒

NB - whilst Virginia may take weeks to decide, the Senate is already in Democrat hands, as the two independents will largely vote with them. Joe Lieberman has already said he will do so, and Bernie Sanders is on the left. so even if the Dems are left with 49 seats in their own name, the two indies will take them to 51 and control - although Lieberman may perhaps occasionally vote with the Republicans

I 'hope' that the Democrats do not going into the Congress either with guns blazing or like kids loose in a candy store. Either way will seriously effect the 2008 election.

I really can't understand the stupidity of the Democrats.

Last presidential election all they had to do was put a mute individual up and they would have won easily.

They finally regain Congress and their new speaker is possibly the most left leaning member they have. Be prepared, she's quite annoying as well.

Then they talk about putting Hillary up for the next election who is one of the most disliked and divisive people in politics (only Democrats like her - both moderates and Republicans change the channel when she comes on)

When will they see sense and put forward candidates capable of compromise (like Bill Clinton) who both the middle and left can agree on.

I'm very happy with the result but the middle leaned away from the right, we didn't approve of the left and I hope they realise this before they go and shoot themselves in the foot, again.

With the house now under the most left wing leadership to ever hold sway over the democratic party, I seriously doubt that any restraint will be shown, despite what Ms. Pelosi has said in the past few weeks. I think that we are in for bitter political infighting that will make the 80s and 90s, with their constant independent council investigations and public hearings, look tame by comparison. Hold on to your hats.

Will they try to impeach or stick to leadership? Since when is acting to restore checks and balances not leadership?? Bush's abuse of our Constitution is a major issue threatening democracy in our country.

Dan: "we are in for bitter political infighting that will make the 80s and 90s, with their constant independent council investigations and public hearings, look tame by comparison"

Dan - the 80s and 90s? The stench of abuse of power by this administration reeks beyond anything in U.S. history. Appropriate and long overdue investigation by lawmakers elected in a landslide, is reponsible action - not political infighting. Although I'm sure the rotten-at-the-core Republicans would fight exposure of their crimes to stay in political power. It's Accountability time, plain and simple.

This also means undoing taxcuts for billionaires and proposing things that benefit working people - things this administration has fought and the super rich will oppose - yes, they'll be in there fighting all right!

WHEN CAN WE START!

As a non American, but nevertheless an observer of American politics and most things American, it seems to me we are being naive if we think that the Democrats are going to take the high moral ground of "moving forward and working together for the sake of the country" (and dare I say it, the rest of the world too...). Rather, I think it is going to be payback bigtime. Why go against human nature and the evidence of generations of US politics? Hold onto your hats indeed, and anything else you can grab while you're at it.

Actually, the two independents are already included in the number of senate democrats (who have now officially won in Montana also). So the "50 democrats" quoted in the media are actually 48 democrats and two democrat-leaning independents. That puts the senate at a 50-50 lock, but VP Dick Cheney has the tie-breaking vote. So to have control the democrats must win in Virginia, as they eventually will.

Ann R., your views represent the feeling and attitude of a small minority of Americans.

You did not win a landslide victory in the Senate and if you didn't notice an awful lot of the house races had numbers like 47% to 49% which can easily be swung the other way in 2 years time.

Largescale and time consuming investigations were not the platform Democrats ran on to get elected and defintely not the reason we voted them in. Try minimum wage reform and reducing Health Care/Prescription medicine costs for starters. "Undoing" things on a large scale and vindictively engaging in revenge politics will only put you and your party right back where you were a couple of days ago with interest.

The overwhelming reasons given in the polls for Republican losses were selected improprieties of individual Republicans in the House and Senate and the desire to push for changes in Iraq policy. Changes in government to reflect the ideals of the Democratic Party wouldn't even make a top ten list.

Moderates are the reason you're temporarily in power now and you're on a two year probation period. Act like it.