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Senate Dems Won't Reach 60
December 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)
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Charlie, what happened? You must be distraught? I'll give you the benefit of the doubt, maybe you did it a good Liberal Elite try but weren't able to get Mr. Chambliss on your newscast for an Editview?
Thank you Georgia. Thank you indeed.
Posted by: What Happened Mr. Gibson? | Dec 2, 2008 10:33:58 PM
The Senate rules that applied when Dems filibustered oughta apply to Republicans.
I, for one, urge the Republicans now to play the "what-goes-around-comes-around" game.
Posted by: Mr. Incredible | Dec 2, 2008 10:36:42 PM
...or what-goes-around-comes-around...
Posted by: Mr. Incredible | Dec 2, 2008 10:37:45 PM
I mean...what comes around goes around...
Posted by: Mr. Incredible | Dec 2, 2008 10:38:19 PM
I say give the Dems their own medicine, Senators!
Posted by: Mr. Incredible | Dec 2, 2008 10:39:09 PM
Thank God !!
Extreme Pro-Abortion party can not get
60 seats. Also thank you for Sarah Palin's a bold leadership.
Go Sarah Palin/2012
Posted by: Janet from NY | Dec 2, 2008 10:41:21 PM
This is to all the Sarah Palin haters who said she would cause Chambliss to lose the election. HAH! I knew you were wrong! I knew she would help him! I knew it! I knew it! People in the south love Sarah Palin! Go Sarah!
Posted by: carlyonsue | Dec 2, 2008 10:44:00 PM
I was so worried the socialists would outnumber the facists in the senate... Fortunately that didn't happen. Now both these evil parties can just fight and hopefully not get much of their evil agenda done.
Posted by: Keyser Soze | Dec 2, 2008 10:45:44 PM
It would have been madness if the Dems had the 60 seat majority, imagine the destructive policies they would have pushed through with all corruption involved when their dear leader Obama is in office.
Good on Georgia for getting it right.
Posted by: Greg h | Dec 2, 2008 10:48:57 PM
Martin's error, letting the rappers come out for you. Once you have ludacris at your ralley a man with like move B get out the way you have jumped the shark.
Posted by: rachel | Dec 2, 2008 10:54:38 PM
41 states need help from the almighty federal gov't!!!
They are running out of cash!!!
Which states will refuse the stimulus package that is being drafted??
Let's see if GA will be standing in line!!!
Posted by: sisterdearest09 | Dec 2, 2008 10:55:10 PM
What a surprise! Most Georgians don't have a rational thought in their heads, I should know I live in the state. Chambliss is an absolute disgrace to politics. Anyone that has followed him and remember his initial campaign would know. He called our former senator, Max Cleland (a triple amputee from the Vietnam war) unpatriotic because he would not vote for the war in Iraq. Ha! Chambliss wouldn't know what patriotism is and couldn't hold candle to Clelland and Jim Martin. Georgians go stand in line and follow the rest of the herd.
Posted by: Jam | Dec 2, 2008 11:09:30 PM
Thank you Georgia!
I suggest, as a gesture of respect to our very accomplished Chief Executive, that the Republican Senate and House caucuses vote 'present' on the first 120 or so bills that are voted on...
Posted by: Thank you Georgia!!! | Dec 2, 2008 11:10:14 PM
There is no such thing as a filibuster proof congress with the Democrats. Even if they reached the magic sixty, there are some dem's who are every bit as conservative as any Republicans. The South has to keep up its racist meanness so there was never any chance that the Democrat would win.
Posted by: two-cats | Dec 2, 2008 11:13:19 PM
Thank you Georgia.
Filibuster, filibuster, filibuster spit, pelosireidand0bama are full of s@#$t
Posted by: fsads | Dec 2, 2008 11:13:28 PM
Sarah 2012
She won't take Couric and Gibson's offers for Editviews
and 0bama's nose will be as big as his ears by then
Posted by: 0bama out in '12 | Dec 2, 2008 11:15:34 PM
Not so fast, there. Not all people in the South love Sarah Palin. Not by a long shot. Nor do we all love Saxby Chambliss, either. He squeaked through that one by the skin of his conservative teeth. Dems will still make plenty of progress, thankfully. Anyone else notice that the most rabid and angry conservative commenters here are also frequently the least literate?
Posted by: Kellybelle22 | Dec 2, 2008 11:23:17 PM
The plain fact is that Saxby is a wrong headed Bushie who hates homosexual Americans, does not represent the needs of black Georgians and certainly does not care about the nation's poor and other marginalized citizens. I've had more than enough crime and abuse of the Constitution from the current WH and GWB's Junta to last me a lifetime. Boo on Chambliss. I risk my own karma to wish him bad luck, but I can't help doing so. (Disgruntled American = me.)
Posted by: buzzie | Dec 2, 2008 11:23:50 PM
In my opinion, Obama should have studied how FDR did it more closely (i.e., FDR refuse to discuss his plans until after the inaugration). Had Obama not alarmed people by the resurection of the Clinton political ideaology voters may not have rallyed against him. Franklin D. Roosevelt's family had been in the U.S. 250 years before the American Revolution, so he had an advantage in political understanding. Lincoln was from a wealthy family, so he had an advantage also. The fact of the matter is one should not give his/her enemies advance notice of plans. This was a 633 million dollar mistake by Obama, because he is a Leo, that believes because he is ethical other are also. In my opinion, this mistake of allowing Chamllee to be elected will likely cost him his spot as one of the "Greats".
Posted by: olin tucker | Dec 2, 2008 11:25:21 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. "
Sorry Bill. You're entitled to your own opinions but not your own facts.
Chambliss represents a dying breed and if you're happy to be associated with that breed, you're more than welcome to it.
Posted by: FranklyMyDear | Dec 2, 2008 11:25:54 PM
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