We’re stuck with Barack Obama as president for the next few years — “for better or worse,” depending upon individual political points of view. But there surely will be some big changes in Congress that could be significant.
With President Obama’s legislative success or failure teetering on whether he can muster the necessary “safe” 60 votes he needs in the United States Senate to get his plans approved, or whether he can expect only 59 or fewer votes, some big Senate changes are coming.
With liberal Democrat Sen. Chris Dodd of Connecticut facing the prospect of defeat in the next election, he has decided not to run again.
The same sort of situation has prompted liberal Democrat Sen. Byron Dorgan to decide he won’t be running for re-election in North Dakota.
Appointed liberal Democrat Sen. Roland Burris is retiring in Illinois.
And liberal Democrat Sen. Ted Kaufman has chosen not to seek to continue in Delaware.
Will other liberals be able to replace all of them — or will one or more Republicans be able to cut into the 60 Democrat Senate votes President Obama needs?
But wait a minute — there will be Republican changes in the Senate, too, with six incumbent Republicans choosing to retire. Will Democrats have a chance to pick up one or more of those GOP seats, or will new Republicans fill the voids?
The retiring Republicans are Sen. Kit Bond of Missouri, Sen. Sam Brownback of Kansas, Sen. Jim Bunning of Kentucky, Sen. Judd Gregg of New Hampshire, Sen. George LeMieux of Florida and Sen. George Voinovich of Ohio.
Will the Senate changes mean big problems for President Obama for the rest of his term? Or will the Senate replacements give him safe, 60-vote breathing room? The answers to these questions make the coming Senate elections very important.