Lame Duck Session High Jinks

It would be just like the Democrats to attempt to put through all forms of radical spending and/or tax increases during a lame duck session between the election and the seating of the new congress in 2011. I got to thinking, with some degree of assuredness, that the Republicans in the Senate could block any such legislation.

Eureka! All of a sudden I realized that we have a great risk that this despicable thing could very easily happen. While it is expected that Republican will gain Senate seats, none of the newly elected will take office until 2011. That means we would have to be concerned about the losers. We can be sure that Democratic losers will be fully supportive of any form of radical legislation because they will have absolutely nothing to lose. Those people would have been in the majority, anyway. What we have to really worry about is a Republican senators who lost or loses in a primary or general election between now and then. A good example would Bennett of Utah. He is already out of a job for 2011 because the Utah Republicans put new blood in the mix earlier this year. Bennett who holds the seat until 12/31/2010 could trade his vote for any little goody offered up by a special interest group or by the Obama administration.

We also have to worry about retiring Republicans who will losing their seat and may opt for some sort of trade-off to augment their retirement status. They are:


LeMieux Florida

Brownback Kansas

Bunning Kentucky

Bond Missouri

Gregg New Hampshire

Voinovich Ohio

Also of concern, though to a lesser degree, are those running for reelection and could lose. They are:

Shelby Alabama

Murkowski Alaska

McCain Arizona

Isakson Georgia

Crapo Idaho

Grassley Iowa

Vitter Louisiana

Burr North Carolina

Coburn Oklahoma

DeMint South Carolina

Thune South Dakota

Remember ladies and gentlemen, it is never too early to be vigilant!