Republicans Shell Out to Fight Franken

Dems could pick up 8 seats; GOP could oust Landrieu in La.

(NEWSER) - With 35 Senate seats up for grabs Tuesday, Chris Cillizza, in the Washington Post, predicts Democrats will flip eight. Two more are close calls for the Dems, while the GOP has one hope for a pickup. Starting with the most likely:

1. Virginia is in the bag for Mark Warner; he might even get 60% of the vote.
2. New Mexico will fall easily to Tom Udall...
3. ...while his cousin, Mark Udall, has pulled away in Colorado.

Professor analyzes writings, finds lots of name calling

(NEWSER) - This could explain why Congress is having such a hard time agreeing on a budget: Its members are too busy taunting one another. A Harvard professor analyzed the writings of Congress members, and found that about 27% of the time, they're just insulting each other. “It’s jarring and surprising,” he tells the Washington Post . "The entire government may go bankrupt, I guess. This week, right? We probably want our representatives to be listening to each other rather than calling each other names." More»

Stalling tactics are making Democrats turn on each other

(NEWSER) - Senate Democrats are starting to turn on each other like angry drivers stuck in rush-hour traffic thanks to Republican obstructionism, writes EJ Dionne. Republican senators are eating every word they once said against filibusterism and are stalling even legislation that they support in a Machiavellian effort to keep the Democrats from reaching the off-ramp, Dionne writes in the Washington Post. More»

Majority leader faces 'a lot more pressure'

(NEWSER) - Al Franken brings Harry Reid a potential extra vote—but he also brings the Senate majority leader a massive headache, Politico reports. “What’s really changed for us?” says a leadership aide. “Nothing, really. Except there’s a lot more pressure.” That may be an understatement: Democrats won’t likely vote as a single bloc, but they'll still blame Reid if he fails to get results (and even if he does). If he compromises too much, he’ll draw fire from the left; if he “rams through” lefty bills, he’ll get pounded by the right. More»

Absences, diverse opinions could prove stumbling blocks

(NEWSER) - With the Minnesota election finally settled, Senate Democrats have 60 potential votes now—but that won’t guarantee smooth sailing, the New York Times reports. Ted Kennedy and Robert Byrd may often be out sick, and a range of viewpoints means the caucus won’t likely “walk in lockstep,” says one. “We have 60 votes on paper,” says majority leader Harry Reid. “But we cannot bulldoze anybody.” More»