Concession Hands Democrats Senate

Correction appended.

With the concession of Sen. George Allen, R-Va, Democratic control of the Senate is assured for the first time in 12 years.

Allen conceded to Democratic candidate Jim Webb on Thursday afternoon, giving the last contested Senate seat in the 2006 election to a Democrat.

Webb's victory guaranteed a Democratic majority in the Senate, with 49 Democratic seats and two independent seats-Sen. Joe Lieberman of Connecticut, who ran on the Democratic ticket until this election, and Bernie Sanders from Vermont. Both are expected to caucus with the Democrats, creating a 51-49 Democratic majority.

But even with a majority in both the Senate and the House of Representatives, it is unclear what the Democrats will be able to accomplish over the next two years.

"Without control of the White House, they are not in a position to do anything grand-unless there is a meeting of the minds," said Robert Shapiro, a political science professor at Columbia. "I think the lesson from the Clinton years is that they should attempt to be a little more astute politically and try to pass things that are passable and signable by the president."

Shapiro also said that the he expects the Democrats to focus on small spending items, such as passing a bill that raises minimum wage and closing some of the loopholes in the health care system. They might also try to restore some of the student-aid funding that was cut over the last two congressional sessions.

"They might try to do that," Shapiro said, "as long as it could be done in a way that didn't look like it was straining the budget."

Stephen Cox, CC '09 and a member of the activist council of the Columbia University College Democrats, said he was hopeful that the control of both houses would allow for real change. "We'll be able to get a lot done with both houses. I think that this is a clear mandate for more progressive politics in America," he said. "I don't think that the president can just veto everything that comes out of a unified Congress."

"It's really rewarding that our efforts made a real difference in Ohio and, in turn, helping Democrats take control of the Senate, which obviously will have a huge impact on our country's future," said Mike Nadler, CC '07 and president of the College Democrats.

For Lauren Steinberg, GS/JTS and executive director of the Columbia University College Republicans, the results were disappointing but not surprising.

"Of course I am upset that they got the House and the Senate, but it is the midterm election in the president's second term, and it would have been a huge shock had the Republicans not lost the number of seats," she said. "I am looking forward to a resurgence in '08."

Correction: "Virginia Concession Hands Dems Senate" (Nov. 10) incorrectly stated that the Democrats will control the Senate for the first time in 12 years. They controlled it briefly in January 2001 and in the summer of 2001. The Republican Party has held control of the Senate since 2003.