E.J. Dionne Jr.: 'Democratic resurgence: Mood swing in the heartland'

[mandyky]

http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=%2Fc%2Fa%2F2004%2F06%2F18%2FEDGUM778NJ1.DTL

<snip>
Chandler, a Democrat, was coming off a tough defeat in Kentucky's 2003 governor's race at the hands of Republican Ernie Fletcher. Fletcher's move to the governorship opened up his seat in Congress. Most of Chandler's friends thought his political career would not survive if he had lost last February's special election.

"They thought the Republican thing was too strong in Kentucky and there was no way to overcome it," Chandler said this week in an interview.

But Chandler won handily, becoming the first Democrat since 1991 to take a House seat from the Republicans in a special election. Chandler's victory was followed in June by Democrat Stephanie Herseth's victory in a special election in South Dakota for what had also been a Republican House seat. The pair quickly became the toast of their party, emblems of a Democratic resurgence.

Republicans dismiss the idea that Chandler plus Herseth equals Democratic control of the House of Representatives this fall. They note that Chandler and Herseth were both strong candidates from popular political families.
</snip>

[ashling]

1. And when we take DeLay down?

[mandyky]

2. I pray every night for Morrison

who's running against him. Hopefully they'll indict DeLay soon so he'll have to stop being Majority Leader.

[ashling]

3. Yes, oh yes!

I'm coming back home to Texas soon. I will work for Morrison as hard as I can.

[charlyvi]

4. I read that the House...

is looking into how the Ethics rules can be tweaked so DeLay won't have to step down if indicted. Goes along with the whole mindset--if the rules are inconvenient, change 'em.