New era beginning for party in power

WASHINGTON - Democrats increased their ranks in Congress last night, picking up seats from the Canadian to the Mexican borders and ushering in a new era of Democratic power in Washington the party has not seen since the 1960s.

In a heavy blow to the GOP, Democrats collected several high-profile Senate seats, ousting veteran Republican lawmaker John Sununu in New Hampshire and replacing him with former governor Jeanne Shaheen. New Mexico and Colorado sent two Democratic brothers to the Senate, with Mark Udall taking the Colorado seat and Tom Udall winning the race in New Mexico.

In Virginia, Mark Warner easily defeated James Gilmore, his GOP opponent, capping a stunning Democratic showing in the Old Dominion State, which also voted for Barack Obama - the first time since 1964 that a Democratic presi dential candidate has taken the state. And in North Carolina, Democrat Kay Hagan defeated Elizabeth Dole, whose 11th-hour TV ads attempting to taint Hagan as someone who did not believe in God failed to persuade voters to give her a second term.

Democrats picked up at least 13 seats to expand their majority in the House of Representatives, and threatened to add another dozen to their sum as the results trickled in early this morning.

The loss of Representative Christopher Shays, Republican of Connecticut, to Democrat Jim Himes leaves New England without a single House Republican in next year's Congress. The only Democrat in New England with a close race, Representative Carol Shea-Porter of New Hampshire, easily won reelection.

Combined with Obama's historic win, the Democratic congressional victories give the party a control on Washington politics they have not enjoyed in many years. After losing the White House in 2000 and enduring a bruising series of legislative losses in 2004 - events which had Karl Rove, President Bush's chief strategist, confidently predicting a "permanent Republican majority" - Democrats appeared destined for minority status for many years.

But a dismal economy, two wars and low GOP approval ratings, coupled with a continuation of an aggressive "50-state strategy" engineered by Howard Dean, the chairman of the Democratic National Committee, led to a stunning turnaround. Democrats last night not only padded their majority, but extended their reach into regions traditionally held by Republicans and set themselves up to become a national party.

The longtime GOP control of the South began to crumble last night with the wins by Hagan and Warner. The Mountain West, a region that has been trending toward the left in the past few years, also elected new Democrats to Congress last night.

"It's a new day in Washington. A new political era is coming," said Simon Rosenberg, president of the Democratic interest group NDN. "I don't think we're going to see the restoration of an old political age, but the ushering in of a new age," he said. "They're going to rewrite the rules."

Former President Bill Clinton briefly enjoyed a Democratic-controlled Congress, but Clinton's own electoral mandate - he was elected with less than 50 percent of the vote in both 1992 and 1996 - gave him less leverage on the Hill, said Rosenberg, who worked on Clinton's 1992 campaign. Last night's Democratic wins put the party in an extraordinary position of strength, he said.

"It looks like [California Democrat] Nancy Pelosi is going to be the most powerful Speaker in a generation," lamented Tom Delay, the former House Republican leader, on MSNBC.

It appeared unlikely yesterday evening that Democrats would reach the 60-vote Senate threshold that would allow the party, if united, to break Republican filibusters. But their increased numbers make Democrats well-positioned to push through a left-leaning agenda for the economy, energy, and government regulation and oversight.

"You're really talking about a new deal," said Representative Barney Frank, Democrat of Newton, laying out a plan for what he hopes will be a new era of government restraint of the banking and financial services industry. "There's going to be significant regulation, comparable to what FDR did, saving capitalism from its own excesses" in light of the Wall Street meltdown and resulting poor economy, said Frank, the chairman of the House Financial Services Committee.

Senate Democratic aides said the national economy would be the first item on the agenda, with lawmakers looking for ways to address the low growth, high unemployment, and economic strain on American workers. In the longer term, Democrats are hopeful they can complete a healthcare plan and immigration reform.

Massachusetts Senator Edward M. Kennedy, fighting a brain tumor but determined to return to the Senate in January, said in a statement last night that he was eager to work with Obama next year. "Barack Obama is my friend and tonight, I'm very proud to call him my president," Kennedy said.

With bigger majorities, congressional Democrats said they can pass a slew of legislation that was blocked by the Bush administration or which failed to pass by small margins in the House or Senate.

The expansion of the State Children's Health Insurance Program, which provides health care aid to low-income families with children, was vetoed by President Bush, but Democrats now expect to easily extend the program in the next Congress. Stem cell research, another measure stopped by Bush, will be brought back on the legislative table next year, according to lawmakers and congressional aides.

Members of Massachusetts' congressional delegation - all of whom easily won reelection last night - said they were eager to put forth bills on taxes, the environment, and human rights that stalled during the Bush years.

Representative Ed Markey, a Malden Democrat, said he saw an "historic opportunity to pass a global warming solutions bill and create a green jobs coalition."

"That is something I have been waiting for for a very long time," added Markey, who was elected to his 17th term last night. "Now the stuff that we passed through the House [before] will most likely get through the Senate."

Representative Richard E. Neal, Democrat of Springfield, said he hoped to win approval of a measure he has championed for years to close a loophole that allows domestic businesses to avoid US taxes by locating their official headquarters in Bermuda or another offshore locale.

Frank's office said he would also push legislation to expand and protect rental housing, and the representative said he expected legislation extending rights to gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender persons.

Democrats and Republicans alike warned that strong majorities in both chambers - if accompanied by an Obama victory - would put heavy pressure on the Democrats to deliver at a time when the country is suffering from an ailing economy, fighting wars on two fronts, and seeking to repair soured relationships with foreign nations.

"Finger-pointing, excuses - none of that's going to work," said Peter Fenn, a Democratic strategist. "Voters are going to say, 'You've got it. We gave it to you. Now move.' "