A Lott to be Thankful For

It's widely expected that Senator Trent Lott (MS) will announce his impending retirement today, effective at the end of the year. Lott has been through many challenges during his time in the Senate, and few (if any) Senators today have earned the level of respect that Lott has gained during this time. He will be missed.

As if we didn't remember, 2008 is an election year. While the 2008 Presidential election is garnering most of the attention, let's not forget that there are numerous Senate and House seats up for election as well. Today, we'll focus on the Senate. As we know, the Democrats hold a majority (51-49) today. Tomorrow...this majority could grow. How? Let's look at the numbers.

Facts about 2008 Senate Elections:
35 seats up for election (including the remaining 4 years of Lott's term)
-- 23 seats currently held by Republicans
-- 12 seats currently held by Democrats

According to a state-by-state review done by some experts, the Democrats could gain 3 seats (Virginia, New Hampshire and Colorado) to strenghten their hold on the Senate.

If the House, as expected, also maintains a Democrat plurality, the importance of the 2008 Presidential race is amplified. "Remember the Maine!" rallying cry will more likely be transformed into a slogan to remember the last two times that the Democrats controlled the Senate, the House, and the Presidency concurrently: "Remember Bill & Jimmy!"

-- Submitted by R Wellesley