- Daily Photo: Obama Jokes Around at G-20
- Blackwater gets replaced in Iraq
- Daily Photo: U.S. Marines Look Out for Taliban in Afghanistan
- Hillary Clinton the Tomboy and Her "Ah-Ha" Moment
- Obama Administration Sudan Envoy Headed to Region
- Daily Photo: Potential Flashpoint in Iraq
- Clinton Says New Afghanistan-Pakistan Plan Depends on Diplomacy
- Exclusive: Three Israeli Airstrikes Against Sudan
- Additional 4,000 Troops to Be Ordered to Afghanistan
- Daily Photo: Navy Submarine Trains in the Arctic
- Alarm Over North Korea Missile Prep
- Anti-Terror Stimulus? US Offers Rewards for Top Terrorists
- Daily Photo: Pakistani Women in Refugee Camp
- Condoleezza Rice Appears on "The Tonight Show"
- Diplomat and Aid Group Sound the Alarm on Darfur Camp Situation
- auto industry rescue
- Ballotwatch
- Biden, Joe
- Bush, George W.
- Clinton, Bill
- Clinton, Hillary
- Dodd, Chris
- Edwards, John
- Giuliani, Rudy
- Gravel, Mike
- Huckabee, Mike
- Hunter, Duncan
- Inauguration
- Iraq
- Kucinich, Dennis
- McCain, John
- Obama, Barack
- Palin, Sarah
- Paul, Ron
- Romney, Mitt
- Tancredo, Tom
- Thompson, Fred
- Veepstakes
- Vote 2008: Democrats
- Vote 2008: Republicans
- Washington
- White House
« Previous | Main | Next »
Senate Dems Won't Reach 60
Email
ShareDecember 02, 2008 9:39 PM
ABC News' Teddy Davis Reports: Republican Sen. Saxby Chambliss has been re-elected to a second term, according to The Associated Press, crushing Democratic hopes of reaching a filibuster-proof 60-seat majority in the Senate.
Chambliss, who fell short of the majority vote needed under Georgia law on Nov. 4, prevailed today in a run-off election against Democrat Jim Martin.
Although Democrats won't reach 60 votes in the Senate, they have still made big strides in the upper chamber during the 2008 election cycle.
With one Democratic pick-up opportunity still not decided, the Democrats have picked up seven seats in the Senate this year, giving them control of at least 58 seats next year.
The one outstanding race is in Minnesota, where the recount between Republican Sen. Norm Coleman and Democrat Al Franken is expected to continue for at least a couple more weeks.
No party has controlled 58 seats in the Senate since Democrats controlled that number during the final two years of Jimmy Carter's presidency.
While the Georgia run-off campaign featured high-profile Republican and Democratic surrogates, President-elect Barack Obama limited his involvement to cutting a radio ad and recording a robo call message. He refrained from appearing in television ads or personally campaigning in the state. His advisers feared that making an all-out push for a filibuster-proof majority in the Senate would undercut the "post-partisan" image he is trying to craft.
December 2, 2008 in Washington | Permalink | User Comments (83)
You can follow this conversation by subscribing to the comment feed for this post.
Good keep the republicans to the south-:)
Posted by: owen | Dec 2, 2008 9:50:23 PM
THANK YOU GEORGIA..!!!!!!
Posted by: CW | Dec 2, 2008 9:52:27 PM
the founders favored limited government; as a dem i am glad for tonites vote. power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely.
Posted by: ron | Dec 2, 2008 9:54:22 PM
This is 100%, without question, no doubt about it, the best news politically this country has had in 2 months. That is a fact.
Posted by: bill | Dec 2, 2008 10:06:22 PM
Good, now Mitch McConnell from Kentucky can keep his position as "Senate Obstruction Leader"! For the past two years he has led the filibutering to a near record number of times against everything that the Democrat majority has tried to accomplish for the American People. He alone is the sole reason that Congress has been called the 'Do Nothing Congress'.
Posted by: bob | Dec 2, 2008 10:10:49 PM
We owe you one, Georgia! Thanks!
Posted by: Mark | Dec 2, 2008 10:10:57 PM
Yeh, Georgia!!!!!
Keeping the South watching over the North!!!!!!!!!!!!
Posted by: tonya | Dec 2, 2008 10:12:52 PM
I'm a dem and happy with the outcome as well. I'm not fond of one party having too much power.
Posted by: Chris | Dec 2, 2008 10:12:56 PM
This is the first good thing Republicans have heard in over 8 years.
Posted by: mary | Dec 2, 2008 10:12:59 PM
Just as I was not happy to have a Republican president and Republican Senate, I am satisfied with this outcome. We need checks and balances - regardless of the party that is in power.
Posted by: allie08 | Dec 2, 2008 10:13:08 PM
"crushing Democratic hopes"? Um this Democrat feels pretty fraking good these days. I'm pretty sure I can deal with this loss just fine. I'll bet President-Elect Barack Obama, Speaker Pelosi, and Majority Leader Reid are probably coping okay too.
Posted by: CJ | Dec 2, 2008 10:13:28 PM
The "supermajority" threshold is a misnomer. Nothing says they all have to be from the same party. Get 60 votes any way you can. Parties are not always monolithic.
Once a party gets a majority, with all the power that committees and scheduling control brings, there really isn't any other magical threshold. Members of one party are more LIKELY to vote similarly, but there is no rule that says that.
Posted by: jock59801 | Dec 2, 2008 10:13:42 PM
Maybe this is the beginning of the re-crafting of the Republican party, like Palin adovocated. And it is a relief that the Dems won't have absolute power.
Posted by: independentview | Dec 2, 2008 10:14:52 PM
I voted for Obama. I am relieved to hear this. No party should have this. Even the one I am more pro for at the moment.
Posted by: Susan-1 | Dec 2, 2008 10:15:21 PM
Hallelujah! Thank you Georgia!
Posted by: nathan | Dec 2, 2008 10:16:53 PM
==...now Mitch McConnell from Kentucky can keep his position as "Senate Obstruction Leader"! For the past two years he has led the filibutering to a near record number of times against everything that the Democrat majority has tried to accomplish for the American People.==
B-b-b-b-but when the Dems filibustered judge nominations/appointments/legislation by President Bush, that was ok, huh.
Posted by: Mr. Incredible | Dec 2, 2008 10:18:20 PM
Saxby Chambliss is a jerk -- he had the audacity to impugn the honor and courage of a man who lost both legs and an arm serving his country. Chambliss' claim to glory is being a yes man for G.W. What a total waste of a human being!
Posted by: PS | Dec 2, 2008 10:19:34 PM
==Saxby Chambliss is a jerk -- he had the audacity to impugn the honor and courage of a man who lost both legs and an arm serving his country. Chambliss' claim to glory is being a yes man for G.W. What a total waste of a human being!==
Thank you, DNC hack.
Posted by: Mr. Incredible | Dec 2, 2008 10:20:23 PM
oh great, more republicans, haven't they screwed up the economy, started never ending wars....
Posted by: BillyDkid | Dec 2, 2008 10:29:14 PM
WONDERFULL LESSON TO OBAMA ,Chambliss apply the beatdown and iam NOT surprise. the Democrats were not INSPIRED to come out and who can blame them.
You may not be president yet, but your talk and selections is far from what you preach on the campaign.
So far Obama is NOT doing what he said in the campaign when it comes to CHANGE , All the people he pick are Clinton RETREADS; And others mostly to the RIGHT.
he may preach all he wants there is NO BLUE states or RED ...but as we see tonite , the RED states came out in full force Regardless HOW he may try to be a CENTRIST..
LESSON TO OBAMA cater and deliver to the BASE that BROUGHT you to the DANCE , At least they will have your back in 2012 .
If not , the other side will always VOTE party lines, and your supporters will SIT HOME from the POLLS like they did tonite.
Posted by: sean | Dec 2, 2008 10:30:03 PM
Post a comment
