By CHARLES BABINGTON
Associated Press Writer
WASHINGTON – A one-two punch of bad news suddenly has Democrats facing an election year with campaign finance rules that favor Republicans and a Senate that can block Democratic initiatives.
Democrats already were bracing for House and Senate losses in November, which typically happens to a president’s party after his first two years in office. But a stunning GOP Senate victory in Massachusetts, and a dramatic Supreme Court ruling on political advertising, have made the horizon look even darker for the party that scored big wins in 2006 and 2008.
The week that marked President Barack Obama’s first year in office turned out to be one of the worst in recent Democratic memory. Now party insiders are trying to figure out why public sentiment turned against them so quickly.