Democrats 'a headache for Bush'
2006-11-09 07:36
Washington - In sweeping both chambers of Congress for the first time in 12 years, Democrats have handed US President George W Bush the biggest defeat of his political career and set the stage for a tumultuous two years ahead of the 2008 presidential election.
Bush took responsibility for the Republican drubbing in an election that was dominated by the Iraq war and implicitly acknowledged the view pressed by his critics that the election was a referendum on his leadership.
"As the head of the Republican Party, I share a large part of the responsibility," the US leader said at a press conference on Wednesday.
"If you look at race by race, it was close. The cumulative effect, however, was not too close. It was a thumping," he said after the Democrats won the majority in the House but before US media projected that Republicans had also lost their Senate majority.
The Democrats will have a 51-49 majority in the Senate after projections showed the party winning the final two undecided races in Virginia and Montana, and enjoyed a 229-197 edge in the House with nine seats still to be decided.
Americans tired of failures
Bush could be in for a major headache in the final two years of his presidency if Democrats make good on their vow to use their newfound power to hold hearings on the conduct of the war in Iraq and other issues.
"The American people have spoken clearly and decisively in favour of Democrats leading this country in a new direction," Senate minority leader Harry Reid said in a statement after news that Democrats had seized the upper chamber.
"In Iraq and here at home, Americans have made clear they are tired of the failures of the past six years. The days of the Do Nothing Congress are over," Reid said.
"From changing course in Iraq to raising the minimum wage to fixing the health care crisis to making this country energy independent, we're ready to get to work," he said.
The party in control of the House of Representatives or the Senate has the authority to hold hearings and investigations and to issue subpoenas compelling witnesses to testify.
The Democrats have said they are eager to investigate the use of flawed intelligence to make the case for the 2003 invasion of Iraq and the slow federal response to the Hurricane Katrina disaster.
Although Democrats will be able to set the legislative agenda, they likely fall short of the votes to do anything on their own or overcome presidential vetoes.
Changes to start 'immediately'
That could lead to legislative stalemate, which could be exacerbated by the unfamiliarity of both sides with their new roles.
Nevertheless, Democrats say they would quickly introduce long-stalled bills to raise the minimum wage for the first time in a decade, put new homeland security measures in place and control a runaway US budget deficit.
Democratic Representative Chris Van Hollen of Maryland said in a speech last month at Washington's National Press Club that changes would start "immediately" when the new Congress reconvenes on January 3.
The congressional shakeup will bring a powerful new cast of characters running prominent posts.
The current House minority leader, Nancy Pelosi, will make US history when she takes the gavel from conservative Speaker Dennis Hastert, a staunch Bush ally.
In the Senate, the new Democratic majority leader will likely be Reid of Nevada, a Mormon lawyer, one-time amateur boxer and sharp Bush critic who is currently minority leader.
Republicans will also have to give up their chairmanships on the powerful committees charged with reviewing and endorsing legislation, from the foreign relations to budget panels.
In another profound shift in the political landscape, Congress will be dealing with a new Pentagon chief, after Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld became the first casualty of an election seen as a referendum on the Iraq war.
Bush announced Rumsfeld's resignation earlier on Wednesday and his replacement, former CIA director Robert Gates, who must still be confirmed by the Senate.