From bad to worse:
Democrat Jim Webb won Virginia’s pivotal Senate race Wednesday, unseating Republican George Allen and giving the Democrats total control of Congress for the first time in 12 years.
After GOP Sen. Conrad Burns’ loss in Montana, the Virginia contest was the last undecided Senate race in the country. Webb’s victory gave the Democrats 51 Senate seats and majorities in both the House and Senate for the first time since 1994.
Control of the Senate hung in the balance for most of Wednesday as Webb clung to an excruciatingly small lead.
AP contacted election officials in all 134 localities where voting occurred, obtaining updated numbers Wednesday. About half the localities said they had completed their post-election canvassing and nearly all had counted outstanding absentees. Most were expected to be finished by Friday.
And the big winner? Joe Lieberman:
“He becomes the most powerful person in the Senate; he controls the uncertainty,” said American University political scientist Allen Lichtman. “The Republicans will offer him everything they can to get him; the Democrats will offer everything they can to keep him.”
(Lieberman profile H/T Michelle Malkin)
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And if Lieberman wants his proposals and legislation to go through, he’s going to need the Democrats vote just as much as they need his. He has a majority to maintain within the caucus and does not want to jeopardize that so he’ll align with Democrats because the Majority rules. Dems will offer him a sweet committee chair and he’ll be happy. All the Republicans that voted for this Democrat who ran as an independent failed to realize a few things…he changed his stance on the war in Iraq and today, aligned with Dems with the outing of Rummy. He’s a Democrat then and now. Trojan Horse anyone?