I know its important to get to 60 or higher but can we get our political agenda moved foward by getting 58?
I think so.
Going into the 111th congress with 58 isn’t half bad indeed. Sure 60 is the clincher but even with 58 we have a chance of picking off pseudo moderates like Senator Specter (who is running for re-election if at all) and Senators Snow/Collins ( Assuming Tom Allen can’t pull it off which seems to sadly be the case. Any new polling on this one?).
S-Chip
Stem Cell
Medicare
Withdrawing from Iraq.
Between a swollen deficit and expanded majorities these might be the low hanging fruit on the tree for the first year but I certainly think we can make it happen without getting to 60.
What do you think?
We could probably get Specter, Snowe, and Collins on most economic issues like S-CHIP, Medicare price negotiations, and Obama’s healthcare plan. It would still be nice to get to 60 or 61 just to make sure we have the votes.
But don’t forget that even 58 votes means we have a socially conservative Casey and Ben Nelson and possibly Musgrove and Lunsford. They would probably back us on economic issues, but not on most social ones.
With the recent polls in GA, KY, MS2, etc., I’m beginning to wonder if maybe 62 is the new 60!
(repeat to self: don’t get overconfident, …)
What policies or programs will Dems push with 60+ votes, that they won’t push with 58 votes?
It’s a nice symbolic thing, but I don’t see it having much real impact whether we’re at 58, 59, or 60.
With these new polls from Georgia, Mississippi-B, Kentucky, and even Texas, couldn’t the absolute best case scenario now be moved up to 63 seats? Picking up VA, NM, CO, NH, NC, AK, GA, MS-B, OR, KY, GA, and TX would put the Democratic caucus at 63 seats and in an extremely strong position for 2010.
A President Obama could demonstate bipartisan chops by appointing a Repub Senator to a high office. A Cabinet job might lure one. Or Ambassador to the Court of St. James, always a sweet plum. If not, then it would have to be really high office — Justice of the Supreme Court — to tempt one out of his seat.
I figure either Spector or Grassley would gladly take a Court spot, and give up their ranking positions on the Judiciary Committee. Both are from states with Democratic Governors, and Democratic electorates. And both are so old that Obama would probably appoint their successor to the Court.
Actually, my first choice for the Court is Anita Hill — “This is your life, Clarence Thomas! Re-live it every day until you retire!” — but I think that’s just too in-your-face for the mild-mannered Barack Obama. An old-fashioned moderate Repub on the Court might serve as well, annoying the reichtwingers by simply not going along with them, which he’d be free to do, and which he wasn’t really free to do in the Senate.