Pushing 60

AFTER the election of 2004, Republicans controlled 55 seats in the Senate. It is anyone’s guess whether after this election they will have even 41 seats-the minimum number to prevent cloture, which requires 60 votes. If they cannot filibuster, conservatives face a grim future. Come January, it could include a President Obama with no checks whatsoever on his ability to enact new legislation and tilt the Supreme Court significantly to the left.

Potential losses abound for Senate Republicans this year, with even a single pickup unlikely. Early on, the GOP simply failed to mount a credible challenge to the ailing Tim Johnson of South Dakota, whom they had nearly defeated in 2002. Their best pickup opportunity is against Mary Landrieu of Louisiana, but her challenger, Louisiana treasurer John Kennedy, lags far behind in the polls.

AFTER the election of 2004, Republicans controlled 55 seats in the Senate. It is anyone’s guess whether after this election they will have even 41 seats-the minimum number to prevent cloture, which requires 60 votes. If they cannot filibuster, conservatives face a grim future. Come January, it could include a President Obama with no checks whatsoever on his ability to enact new legislation and tilt the Supreme Court significantly to the left.

Potential losses abound for Senate Republicans this year, with even a single pickup unlikely. Early on, the GOP simply failed to mount a credible challenge to the ailing Tim Johnson of South Dakota, whom they had nearly defeated in 2002. Their best pickup opportunity is against Mary Landrieu of Louisiana, but her challenger, Louisiana treasurer John Kennedy, lags far behind in the polls.