Congress to 'give Bush hell'
Current US elections serve two purposes, viewed as referendum on Bush administration. Democratic win could ‘put a damper’ on president’s plans, make term difficult to serve
Tuesday’s vote would not only end in the filling of all 435 seats in the House of Representatives, 33 seats in the Senate, and governor positions in 36 states. The elections were also being viewed as a referendum on Bush’s conduct and policy.
This meant that a win for Democrats would mirror the Americans lack of trust in the US government. In recent months, a stead drop in Bush’s popularity was seen amongst citizens, particularly with regards to the conducting of the war in Iraq which has become a main issue in the current elections.
Other than Iraq and national security issues, the elections also revolved around issues pertaining to human rights, namely, the right of homosexuals to marry, the right to conduct stem cell research on fetuses, the right to have an abortion, and other such controversial rights.
The elections have already proved to be a major headache looming over Bush’s head, since Republican Senators began questioning his approach to the war in Iraq even before they began. However, should the Democrats win Tuesday’s election, Bush’s problems would only multiply.
Illustration (Photo: Reuters)
Following 12 years in which they have been the minority in congress, Democrats would be required to play a significant role in shaping the nation’s agenda, and ‘ruin’ to the president’s plans.
They would be able to scrutinize the way in which Bush ran the war in Iraq, and demand that he face the consequences.
'White House won't be a happy place'
The White House could even find itself the focus of a number of Democratic investigations on an assortment of issues, such as Vice President Dick Cheney’s secret energy policy, and Republican connections to various corruption scandals.
According to the Associated Press, John Podesta, who has firsthand knowledge about running a White House in troubled times as Bill Clinton's chief of staff during the tumultuous days of the Monica Lewinsky scandal and Clinton's impeachment, said, "It won't be a happy place to work in the next couple of years."
"Whereas you had a kind of lapdog Congress in the past, you're going to have a significant challenge," Podesta said of Bush. "Even if the Republicans retain control, you'll see even more questioning on the Senate side," Podesta continued.
Also according to the Associated Press, with Democrats in charge, there would be little chance that Bush's prized tax cuts would be renewed.
His drive to expand his executive authority and national security powers would be blocked. Even with Republicans in control, Bush's agenda has been stalled, his blueprints for overhauling Social Security and immigration collecting dust.
AP contributed to this article
