After securing a $25 billion government loan from Congress before the election, the auto industry is back at the soup line begging for more assistance. And House Speaker Nancy Pelosi wants to give it to them. GM, Ford and Chrysler say they need another $25 billion to stay afloat and $25 billion more to cover [...]

There’s another update from the Minnesota Secretary State, and, yet again, Norm Coleman’s lead over Al Franken has shrunk: ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — The margin in Minnesota’s unresolved Senate race between Republican Norm Coleman and Democrat Al Franken has gotten tighter. The latest figures reported to the secretary of state give incumbent Coleman a [...]

Politico is reporting that Barack Obama’s administration will likely use Joe Biden as the “good cop” to offset Rahm Emanuel’s “bad cop” role: The Democrats’ apparent failure to win the 60 Senate seats necessary to halt a GOP filibuster has created the need for inter-party ambassadors like Biden who are practiced at the art of [...]

One of the interesting secondary plotlines playing out in Washington is the fate of Joe Lieberman. After his vocal support for John McCain, will Lieberman be allowed to stay in the Democratic caucus? Does he want to? Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid has said, he wants Lieberman to stay in the party’s caucus but that [...]

One of the things Democrats have done right since 2004 is to run candidates that can win. That might seem like an obvious step in reaching majority status but, for years, Democrats insisted on running lockstep liberals in parts of the country that aren’t liberal. Now, after a concerted effort to expand their tent, Democrats [...]

Welcome to the Donklephant 2008 Senate results coverage. Below, you’ll find up-to-date results on all 35 races. As races are called, we will put the name of the projected victor in bold. If a seat changes party, we will note the pick-up next to the state’s name. The party currently in control of the contested [...]

Welcome to the Donklephant 2008 U.S. House of Representatives results coverage. Below, you’ll find up-to-date, state-by-state results on the races expected to be the most contested. As races are called, we will put the name of the projected winner in bold. The party currently holding the contested seat is noted with a D or a [...]

Well, Justin has called the election for Barack Obama. Now I will boldly declare that there is no way the Democrats will reach 60 Senate votes. I know, real “out there” call. With McConnell winning Kentucky and Chambliss pulling ahead in Georgia, the Democrats look like they’ll stall at a maximum of 58 seats. That [...]

On the heels of Hagan’s win in North Carolina, Jeanne Shaheen wins New Hampshire and Tom Udall wins New Mexico to give the Democrats two new Senate seats. They’ve picked up four so far tonight. And there will be more. Of note, the additions give the Democrats at least 50 seats, and that’s before counting [...]

In a presidential election year, the congressional races are a side-stage event. But here at Donklephant, we’ll be covering all the closest races for House and Senate in addition to our coverage of the Electoral College results. The big questions tonight are: Can the Democrats reach a filibuster proof senate majority? Will Republicans be able [...]

How have Democrats retaken the House of Representatives from Republicans and why are they positioned to gain even more seats next Tuesday? Because they’ve run candidates who can compete against Republicans. And that means the House is filling up with conservative Democrats know as Blue Dogs. As The AP reports: Majority Democrats are positioned for [...]

In the Daily News, centrist Democrat Bob Kerrey explains how Barack Obama, if elected, can succeed. The key passage: By my lights, the primary threat to the success of a President Obama will come from some Democrats who, emboldened by the size of their congressional majority, may try to kill trade agreements, raise taxes in [...]

With the Democratic turnout predicted to be extremely high this election, there is now serious talk of a 60-seat Democratic Senate majority propelled by Democratic turnout in red states. Is this filibuster-proof Democratic majority a real possibility? Let’s look. Currently, the Democrats control 49 Senate seats with the independents Bernie Sanders (VT) and Joe Lieberman [...]

One of my favorite books to read my children is Duck for President. It’s about a duck who holds an election to replace the farmer. Then he runs for governor. Then he runs for president. He wins easily, but, at each stop, he is dissatisfied and immediately begins his next campaign. As I was mulling [...]

The Wall Street Journal gives us the conservative doomsday scenario of a Democratic supermajority. The Journal is certainly right that we may be on the verge of liberal hegemony not seen since 1965 and the mid-1930’s. Question is: is the paper right about the damage that control would cause? The Journal warns: In both 1933 [...]

With the $700 billion market bailout inflating the power of government and a big-spending, big-regulating lDemocrat or a big-spending, big-regulating Republican poised to take the White House, a lot of experts and politicians are giving last rites to small government. Just today, I’m reading the era of small government is over. And Reagan capitalism is [...]

Christopher Hitchens thinks so. It’s all about kleptocratic business leaders, weak-willed politicians and the complete absence of accountability for the empowered class. Just a taste: Now ask yourself another question. Has anybody resigned, from either the public or the private sectors (overlapping so lavishly as they now do)? Has anybody even offered to resign? Have [...]

Looks like those 100 Republicans still stood firmly in opposition even though it was widely known that the credit markets AROUND THE WORLD had frozen up and there was absolutely nothing that could reverse that except this bill. So how did we get here? The core of the plan remains little changed from its inception—the [...]

As expected, the bailout bill (with extra sweetener) has passed the Senate. The vote was 74-25 with both John McCain and Barack Obama voting in favor of the plan. The bill the Senate passed is virtually identical to the one the House rejected on Monday. The only real difference is the add-ons. The most directly [...]

But this time it’s in the Senate. Why is that important? Because they’ll vote overwhelmingly in favor of it and force the House Republicans into a situation where they are literally the last ones in line to stop the rescue. From Wash Post: Leaders of the Senate, where most members have indicated support for the [...]