Well, kinda, but we need some good news.
Republicans Win a Democratic PrimaryThe defeat of party-switching Rep. Michael Forbes means the GOP is unlikely to lose the House.
Friday, September 15, 2000 9:00 a.m. EDT
It was one of the great stealth campaigns of recent memory. Republicans not only settled their score against party-swapping Rep. Mike Forbes of New York but significantly improved their chances of holding on to the House.
Before Tuesday's primary, Republicans bombarded Mr. Forbes's Long Island district with mailings to registered Democrats, reminding these prospective primary voters that Mr. Forbes was pro-life and had a 100% rating from the Christian Coalition. They also noted that his opponent, 71-year-old former librarian Regina Seltzer, was a respected community activist and held traditionally Democratic views.
It didn't matter that Mr. Forbes had raised $1.4 million to Ms. Seltzer's $40,000. Democratic primary voters are true believers, and they weren't about to nominate someone just because President Clinton and Minority Leader Dick Gephardt said they needed his vote to secure a Democratic House majority. Mr. Clinton even held fund-raisers for Mr. Forbes, who as a Republican had voted for all four articles of impeachment. Yet in the end, Mr. Forbes appears to have lost by 39 votes.
His stunning defeat has national implications. It makes it more likely the GOP will keep the House. For one thing, no one expects that Ms. Seltzer can win in a district where Republicans outnumber Democrats 2-to-1. A message has been sent to any moderate Republican who might be tempted to switch parties after the election: Don't do it. The Democratic leadership can't protect you.
And assuming the Republicans recapture the Forbes seat, the Democrats now need a total of eight net wins to take control of the House. Democratic Rep. Jim Traficant of Ohio has already announced that he will vote for Dennis Hastert for Speaker, even as he remains a Democrat. (Given Mr. Traficant's ethical problems, Republicans are just as happy not to have him in their party.)
Unless Al Gore wins overwhelmingly, Republicans are unlikely to lose eight seats. Some Democrats privately agree, and say the opportunistic Mr. Forbes might have been a GOP plant for all the good his switch did them. "They spent over a million dollars to put egg on their own face," says one Democratic congressman. If Mr. Gephardt could be so spectacularly wrong about Mr. Forbes, how seriously can Democrats take his predictions that the party will sweep into the majority this fall?
Republicans Win a Democratic PrimaryThe defeat of party-switching Rep. Michael Forbes means the GOP is unlikely to lose the House.
Friday, September 15, 2000 9:00 a.m. EDT
It was one of the great stealth campaigns of recent memory. Republicans not only settled their score against party-swapping Rep. Mike Forbes of New York but significantly improved their chances of holding on to the House.
Before Tuesday's primary, Republicans bombarded Mr. Forbes's Long Island district with mailings to registered Democrats, reminding these prospective primary voters that Mr. Forbes was pro-life and had a 100% rating from the Christian Coalition. They also noted that his opponent, 71-year-old former librarian Regina Seltzer, was a respected community activist and held traditionally Democratic views.
It didn't matter that Mr. Forbes had raised $1.4 million to Ms. Seltzer's $40,000. Democratic primary voters are true believers, and they weren't about to nominate someone just because President Clinton and Minority Leader Dick Gephardt said they needed his vote to secure a Democratic House majority. Mr. Clinton even held fund-raisers for Mr. Forbes, who as a Republican had voted for all four articles of impeachment. Yet in the end, Mr. Forbes appears to have lost by 39 votes.
His stunning defeat has national implications. It makes it more likely the GOP will keep the House. For one thing, no one expects that Ms. Seltzer can win in a district where Republicans outnumber Democrats 2-to-1. A message has been sent to any moderate Republican who might be tempted to switch parties after the election: Don't do it. The Democratic leadership can't protect you.
And assuming the Republicans recapture the Forbes seat, the Democrats now need a total of eight net wins to take control of the House. Democratic Rep. Jim Traficant of Ohio has already announced that he will vote for Dennis Hastert for Speaker, even as he remains a Democrat. (Given Mr. Traficant's ethical problems, Republicans are just as happy not to have him in their party.)
Unless Al Gore wins overwhelmingly, Republicans are unlikely to lose eight seats. Some Democrats privately agree, and say the opportunistic Mr. Forbes might have been a GOP plant for all the good his switch did them. "They spent over a million dollars to put egg on their own face," says one Democratic congressman. If Mr. Gephardt could be so spectacularly wrong about Mr. Forbes, how seriously can Democrats take his predictions that the party will sweep into the majority this fall?