The Carnage

Well, it was an interesting evening but I have to say, "It could have been worse. A lot worse."

Why? It appears Saxby Chambliss has avoided a run-off in Georgia. Al Franken is 500 votes behind Norm Coleman in Minnesota with virtually all the votes in. (Not having Franken in the Senate alone is cause for rejoicing this morning.) That will be hard one to overturn in a recount since the state is so squeaky clean in its elections. And, one of the big surprises to me, Gordon Smith is leading in Oregon. In short, it appears the U.S. Chamber of Commerce blitz had its intended effect: saving Mitch McConnell and sustaining the relevance of the cloture rule in the Senate. This is setting up for a really donnybrook over the spring and summer as an antsy empowered House starts pushing through liberal bills only to see them blocked or watered down significantly in the Senate. The Founders live!