Bush's midterms: neither Bush nor Democratic leader Tom Daschle are on the November ballot. But they might as well be. (National).After giving a speech in South Dakota South Dakota (dəkō`tə), state in the N central United States. It is bordered by North Dakota (N), Minnesota and Iowa (E), Nebraska (S), and Wyoming and Montana (W). earlier this year, President George W. Bush, the head of the Republican Party, sought out Senator Tom Daschle of South Dakota, the country's highest-ranking Democrat. Bush warmly shook his hand and patted him on the shoulder. Afterward af·ter·ward also af·ter·wards adv. At a later time; subsequently. Adv. 1. afterward - happening at a time subsequent to a reference time; "he apologized subsequently"; "he's going to the store but he'll be back here , Daschle joked, "He said he'd kiss me, but people would talk." That got a laugh, because the two are locked in political combat. Bush wants Republicans to win control of the Senate, which would put Daschle out of his job as Senate majority leader. On Nov. 5, voters will choose one third of the Senate, all 435 members of the House of Representatives, and 36 state Governors. Though Bush is not on the ballot, he might as well be. The midterm mid·term n. 1. The middle of an academic term or a political term of office. 2. a. An examination given at the middle of a school or college term. b. midterms A series of such examinations. elections--so called because they come midway in a President's term--are often seen as a referendum on the President's policies and popularity. A FURIOUS FIGHT Democrats control the Senate because they hold a one-vote edge, 50 to 49. (It was evenly split until one Republican quit the party and turned Independent.) Bush personally prodded Congressman John Thune John Randolph Thune (born January 7, 1961) is the junior Republican U.S. Senator from the state of South Dakota. Early life and family Thune was born in Pierre, South Dakota to Yvonne Patricia Bodine and Harold Richard Thune; his paternal grandfather was an immigrant , a Republican, to challenge Senator Tim Johnson, a Democrat. A Thune victory could tilt the Senate back into Republican hands, 50 to 49. Even if the Independent voted with the Democrats, making it 50-50, Vice President Dick Cheney would have the final say with his tiebreaking vote. The South Dakota race is expected to be brutal, like many nationwide. "It's made for a photo finish," says Larry Sabato Larry J. Sabato (b. August 7, 1952) is the Robert Kent Gooch Professor of Politics at the University of Virginia, director of their Center for Politics, and a political analyst. He was called "the most-quoted college professor in the land" by the Wall Street Journal in 1994. , a University of Virginia political science professor, "and this is likely to happen from top to bottom." For both parties, the stakes are high. Five other Senate contests seem to be dead heats (three are seats now held by Republicans, two by Democrats). In the House, most seats are considered safe for current officeholders; fewer than 50 are up for grabs. But Democrats need just six more seats to gain the majority, so either side could control the House come November. For Bush, Republican victories are especially important. If Republicans do not take back the Senate and fail to hang on to the House, the vote could be seen as a rejection of the President, damaging him politically. But almost every incumbent President in the last 100 years has seen his party lose seats in midterm congressional elections--including every wartime President from Woodrow Wilson, to Franklin Roosevelt, to the elder George Bush. A LOT TO WIN, A LOT TO LOSE For Bush, Republican control of both houses of Congress could break up a logjam log·jam n. 1. An immovable mass of floating logs crowded together. 2. A deadlock, as in negotiations; an impasse. Noun 1. that has obstructed ob·struct tr.v. ob·struct·ed, ob·struct·ing, ob·structs 1. To block or fill (a passage) with obstacles or an obstacle. See Synonyms at block. 2. most of his agenda. That, in turn, could help boost his own re-election chances two years from now. A Bush setback setback In architecture, a steplike recession in the profile of a high-rise building. Usually dictated by building codes to allow sunlight to reach streets and lower floors, the building must take another step back from the street for every specified added height interval. , on the other hand, would give Democrats greater leverage to force the President to compromise on issues ranging from drilling for oil in Alaska, to tax cuts, to the selection of federal judges. Only a few months ago, many political experts were expecting a tight race, but one that strongly favored incumbents. Then came a wave of accounting scandals Accounting scandals, or corporate accounting scandals are political and business scandals which arise with the disclosure of misdeeds by trusted executives of large public corporations. at major U.S. corporations, sending the already battered bat·ter 1 v. bat·tered, bat·ter·ing, bat·ters v.tr. 1. To hit heavily and repeatedly with violent blows. 2. To subject to repeated beatings or physical abuse. 3. stock market into a nosedive nose·dive n. 1. A very steep dive of an aircraft. 2. A sudden, swift drop or plunge: Stock prices took a nosedive. Noun 1. . The market lost more than $7 trillion in value from its peak in 2000. Many workers lost jobs, and retirement investments disappeared. Hardly a week went by without scenes of corporate leaders being led away in handcuffs hand·cuff n. A restraining device consisting of a pair of strong, connected hoops that can be tightened and locked about the wrists and used on one or both arms of a prisoner in custody; a manacle. Often used in the plural. tr.v. . The scandals, coupled with rising voter fears about the sinking economy, turned the campaigns into something far less predictable. "Up through late May and early June, I was arguing that we were looking at the most pro-incumbent environment that I've seen in a 22-year career," says Bill McInturff, a Republican pollster poll·ster n. One that takes public-opinion surveys. Also called polltaker. Word History: The suffix -ster is nowadays most familiar in words like pollster, jokester, huckster, who has conducted regular national voter surveys. "What has happened is that, because of [the corporate scandals A corporate scandal is a scandal involving allegations of unethical behavior by people acting within or on behalf of a corporation. A corporate scandal sometimes involves accounting fraud of some sort. ] and the stock market collapse, these key tracking numbers have changed very quickly." If voters are looking for Looking for In the context of general equities, this describing a buy interest in which a dealer is asked to offer stock, often involving a capital commitment. Antithesis of in touch with. someone to punish pun·ish v. pun·ished, pun·ish·ing, pun·ish·es v.tr. 1. To subject to a penalty for an offense, sin, or fault. 2. To inflict a penalty for (an offense). 3. for the scandals, they could turn their anger on anyone in office, from either party. But Republicans could be in greatest danger, because their party has long been seen as a friend of business. And as the scandals emerged, questions have been raised about the business practices of Bush and Cheney when they were energy industry executives. Both have denied wrongdoing wrong·do·er n. One who does wrong, especially morally or ethically. wrong  do .
The President's overall approval rating remains stellar--in the 70 percent range, though down from a high of 89 percent following Sept. 11. But 48 percent of those questioned in a New York New York, state, United States New York, Middle Atlantic state of the United States. It is bordered by Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and the Atlantic Ocean (E), New Jersey and Pennsylvania (S), Lakes Erie and Ontario and the Canadian province of Times/CBS News poll this summer said they believed Bush was hiding something about his business dealings. And a poll in July by National Public Radio found that those who thought the country was "seriously off track" had leapt leapt v. A past tense and a past participle of leap. to 56 percent from 39 percent. The summer of scandal has meant that Republicans who were hoping to ride to victory on Bush's soaring popularity after Sept. 11 are now not so sure they can win just by being aligned with the President. "There's a belief of members of Congress, particularly those in tough races, that they have to win these races on their own," says Thune, the South Dakota Republican who was the beneficiary of Bush's presidential visit. OBSTACLES FOR BOTH PARTIES Democrats are almost gleeful glee·ful adj. Full of jubilant delight; joyful. glee ful·ly adv.glee about the business scandals. For them, economic worries help refocus Verb 1. refocus - focus once again; The physicist refocused the light beam" focus - cause to converge on or toward a central point; "Focus the light on this image" 2. the country on issues the party has long supported: safe retirement benefits through the Social Security program, access to affordable prescription drugs prescription drug Prescription medication Pharmacology An FDA-approved drug which must, by federal law or regulation, be dispensed only pursuant to a prescription–eg, finished dose form and active ingredients subject to the provisos of the Federal Food, Drug, , education, and protecting the environment. But the Democrats are nearly as intertwined with business as the Republicans. Democrats accepted $449 million in corporate donations over the last decade, versus $636 million for Republicans, according to according to prep. 1. As stated or indicated by; on the authority of: according to historians. 2. In keeping with: according to instructions. 3. Democracy 21, a group advocating changes in campaign financing. "I suspect that even though people blame the Republicans more than the Democrats for this, there is the sense that everybody sort of swims in the same murky waters in Washington," says David Axelrod David Axelrod can either be:
Democrats face another obstacle: Though the government failed to act on early--if disconnected--warnings of terrorist activity before Sept. 11, the President remains wildly popular as Commander in Chief in the war on terrorism Terrorist acts and the threat of Terrorism have occupied the various law enforcement agencies in the U.S. government for many years. The Anti-Terrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act of 1996, as amended by the usa patriot act . Will that be enough? Political experts say economic worries have refocused voters away from terrorism and toward domestic concerns. The Republican domestic record may be vulnerable. Thanks to Democratic control of the Senate, Bush can take credit for few major legislative victories in his first two years in office. The biggest were the passage of a $1.4 trillion tax cut, and his education bill, which greatly enlarges the federal role in public education, requires annual testing in grades three to eight, and provides tutoring for children in failing schools. The outcome of the fall elections, however, may depend as much on local issues as national ones. To win support from farmers, both Democrats and Republicans avidly av·id adj. 1. Having an ardent desire or unbounded craving; greedy: avid for adventure. 2. Marked by keen interest and enthusiasm: an avid sports fan. supported a bill that greatly increases spending on agriculture. And the Bush administration slapped special charges called tariffs on imported steel to protect U.S. jobs in states that will be crucial to the Republicans. MONEY, MONEY, MONEY Meanwhile, the parties have raised money for the fall campaign at a record pace. Although President Bush signed a landmark campaign finance reform Campaign finance reform is the common term for the political effort in the United States to change the involvement of money in politics, primarily in political campaigns. bill last spring, the new law doesn't kick in until after the midterm elections. Bush swept in $30 million, the largest amount ever raised by either party in a single night, at a black-tie gala for the Republican National Committee. Democrats grabbed the single-donor record with a $7 million check from one of the creators of Teenage Mutant (programming) mutant - Microsoft's term for a mutex which is generally used in user mode but can also be used in kernel mode. According to this terminology a mutex is only used in kernel mode. ["Microsoft Windows NT Workstation Resource Kit"]. Ninja Turtles. But all the money in the world still can't guarantee victory this fall. "There isn't a person in the country that can say what's going to happen in November," says Sabato, the Virginia political scientist. "Who knows? It could be a slight midcourse mid·course n. 1. The part of a missile flight between the end of the launching phase and reentry, during which corrective maneuvers are made. 2. The middle point of a course or of a course of action. correction, or a massive shift." Current Lineup Who's now in office: GOVERNORS Democrats 21 Republicans 27 Independents 2 Total 50 SENATE Democrats 50 Republicans 49 Independent 1 Total 100 HOUSE Democrats 211 Republicans 222 Independents 2 Total 435 What's Up For Grabs In This Election GOVERNORS Who holds seats now: Democrats 11 Republicans 23 Independents 2 Total 36 SENATE Who holds seats now: Democrats 14 Republicans 20 Total 34 HOUSE Here is a breakdown of all the candidates (incumbents and challengers) seeking seats: Democrats 268 Republicans 301 Independents 18 Libertarians 152 Greens 27 Reforms 8 Natural Laws 3 American Independents 3 Independent Americans 3 No party affiliation 1 Total 784 OPEN SEATS 435 Midterm Elections: A National Referendum on President Bush? DISCUSSION QUESTIONS * Which do you think is the more important campaign issue--the war on terrorism or fixing the economy? * What do you believe is a suitable punishment for corporate executives whose misdeeds bankrupt their companies, causing the loss of workers' jobs and retirement funds? * Which local congressional candidate would you vote for? Does his or her support for or opposition to President Bush influence your choice? TEACHING OBJECTIVES To help students understand the importance of the midterm elections, specifically how they may be construed as a referendum on President Bush. CLASSROOM STRATEGIES ISSUES THAT MATTER: Have students address the same question facing Democratic and Republican leaders: Will the elections be a referendum on President Bush and the war on terrorism, or a referendum on domestic issues, such as Social Security, education, and the economy? Remind students that even in wartime, elected leaders must wrestle with domestic issues. This year, the hottest domestic issue is the shock effect of corporate fraud on the stock market and the lives of ordinary Americans. Is it fair for voters to blame Republicans for the scandals? What must those who are running for election say or do to assure voters that such scandals will not be allowed to occur in the future? RESEARCH: Bring the midterm elections to students' world by assigning them to research a local congressional race. Is the Democratic candidate focusing on issues Democrats traditionally rely on, such as those mentioned in the article? Are corporate fraud and the state of the economy campaign issues? Is either candidate focusing more on the war on terrorism? Students should identify each candidate's views on two or three hot issues. Then have them design a brief "Citizens' Guide to the Candidates"--a one-sheet flyer, with a simple grid design. On the left side, list key issues, such as "Access to prescription drugs." Across the top, list candidates' names. Beneath each name, state the candidates' positions on issues. For example: Joe Brown/Favors improvement in current private health insurance. Sally Green/Favors government-funded insurance for all. Upfront QUIZ 2 MULTIPLE CHOICE DIRECTIONS: Circle the letter next to the correct answer. 1. How many seats in the U.S. House of Representatives are at stake in the Nov. 5 midterm elections? a. 125 b. one-third c. all 435 d. House members have not yet determined how many seats will be up for grabs. 2. Midterm elections are given that name because a. they are always held in even-numbered years. b. elections to the Senate and House of Representatives are held in different years. c. House terms are shorter than Senate terms. d. they come in the middle of a President's term. 3. The Democrats hold a plurality The opinion of an appellate court in which more justices join than in any concurring opinion. The excess of votes cast for one candidate over those votes cast for any other candidate. Appellate panels are made up of three or more justices. of the seats in the U.S. Senate because a. they won more seats than the Republicans. b. one Republican Senator quit the party. c. Senate rules allow for a revolving majority status. d. one state's population decline deprived it of a seat. 4. When a vote in the U.S. Senate ends in a tie, the tie can be broken by a. the Vice President's vote. b. the extra vote given to the Speaker of the House. c. the extra vote given to the Senate Majority Leader. d. a national referendum of eligible voters. 5. Economic problems may hurt Republicans' chances in the November elections. Over the summer, Americans voiced deep concern over fraud in giant corporations and a. the growing trade deficit. b. a nosedive by the stock market. c. rising food prices. d. the growing cost of education. 6. In the November elections, the Democratic Party will focus on four major issues that they traditionally rely on to win votes--saving Social Security, access to affordable prescription drugs, aid for education, and a. pursuing a war against Iraq. b. curbing immigration immigration, entrance of a person (an alien) into a new country for the purpose of establishing permanent residence. Motives for immigration, like those for migration generally, are often economic, although religious or political factors may be very important. . c. protecting the environment. d. deep tax cuts. 7. Come November, Republicans hope to focus voters' attention on two of President Bush's major legislative victories; an expanded role for the federal government in public education--including tutoring for children in failing schools--and a. a dramatic increase in military spending. b. expansion of the country's national parks This is a list of national parks ordered by nation. Africa
c. transferring responsibility for policing narcotics narcotics n. 1) techinically, drugs which dull the senses. 2) a popular generic term for drugs which cannot be legally possessed, sold, or transported except for medicinal uses for which a physician or dentist's prescription is required. traffic from the federal government to the states. d. passage of a $1.4 trillion tax cut. ANSWER KEY 1. (c) all 435. 2. (d) they come in the middle of a President's term. 3. (b) one Republican Senator quit the party. 4. (a) the Vice President's vote. 5. (b) a nosedive by the stock market. 6. (c) protecting the environment. 7. (d) passage of a $1.4-trillion tax cut. |
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