Will there be any "party-switchers" in Congress & the Senate come January?

[rateyes]

It seems to me there are always those who like to jump on the bandwagon when there is a seismic shift in the country between one party and another. I'm wondering, even if we don't win 60 seats in the Senate if we can count on some Republican Senators switching camps that will give the Dems 60+.

I believe Lieberman will become a Republican.

But, what of Susan Collins? Olympia Snowe? Others?

Any switches in the House?

It will be insteresting to watch.

[ananda]

1. HoJoe goes Reep.

Well, he already is actually.

[yardwork]

2. Lieberman will not become a Republican. He'll scurry back to the winning side.

Lieberman is a weasel who always wants to be on the winning side. He has lousy timing, though.

[rateyes]

3. Then, why the hell would he ever jump on McCain's bandwagon?

Talk about a loser.

[yardwork]

5. He was late to the party.

[Anarcho-Socialist]

9. he was supposedly the original choice to be his running mate

Given McCain's health problems, Lieberman would have had a chance to be POTUS. It makes you wonder how Lieberman felt when he was passed over for the Disasta' from Alaska. He deserves this ill-fortunate though, he allowed the GOP to use him and he broke his promise to the Democratic Party in 2006.

[Anarcho-Socialist]

4. I agree with yardwork

The GOP has become so narrowly-focused in ideology that Lieberman would have to give up all his positions on social issues to be accepted into the Republican Party. I can't see Joe wanting to join a political group that's depleted and discredited for a long time to come.

I suspect that Lieberman will attempt to mend relations with Congressional Democrats. I think he will be a backbencher from now on however.

[blm]

6. That's what happened after 94 election. About a half-dozen so-called Dems switched.

Bastards.

[Robbins]

10. Remember

Alabama's Richard Selby was once a Democrat.He was elected twice as a Dem In 1986,and 1992.Campbell
from Colrado(who Ken Selzer replaced) was elected as a Dem In 92 but switched In 1995.So It Is possable.Lieberman will never switch to Republican.This would totally kill any hope of getting reelected or possibly running for governor(there were rumors of this after his terrible 2004 loss)

[Jennicut]

12. BLACH! He will never ever win governor here. I guarentee it. Not now.

[SuperTrouper]

14. Lieberman is persona non grata in CT. I want Susan Byesewicz for Governor, she is

our fantastic Secreatary of State, a great Democrat.

[SteppingRazor]

11. Including one of mine, at the time.

In 1994 and 1995, I was living in Colorado -- stupid Ben Nighthorse Campbell!! :grr:

[cali]

7. Liebertoad won't jump. he's in it for himself. and there's no up side to his switching

parties. And Snowe and Collins will wield a lot of power in the repub caucus. they won't switch. we may see a couple of switches in the house.

[SteppingRazor]

8. Depends how many seats the Dems have on Nov. 5.

If it's 59 (which is looking very possible), I can see Snowe, Collins or one of the other alleged moderates coming over to the Dem side, as the Dems will probably offer them the sun and the moon -- any committee they want, maybe even chairmanship of something fairly important, tons of goodies for their state in the next appropriations bill, etc., etc.

[blm]

13. Yep - Daschle was actually CLOSE to getting McCain to switch in 2003-2004 and THAT is why

Biden and some others floated McCain's name to Kerry as a VP. That's the REAL backstory to that story.

[JJ]

15. Lieberman will stay independant

(what a misleading label)

Probably be quite a few repukes in the house cross the aisle after tomorrows bloodbath.
You can never overestimate their self-interest or hypocrisy.

We'll just have to take care of them in the primaries in two years.

I doubt any Senators jump ship, unless we end up with 62 Dems and two Ind.

[pdxmike]

16. If the dems are stuck at 58-59

Then Collins and/or Snowe are in a position to swing a deal, like Jeffords did. There is really nothing holding them to the GOP anymore(besides habit/tradition). I mean Dirksen, Javits, Nelson Rockefeller, and Eisenhower aren't coming back anytime soon. Even Hagel (a man of integrity, but a real conservative) doesn't recognize his party.

[Toucano]

17. I don't think Lieberman will switch.

I think he will resign.

He will have absolutely no influence. No committee chairmanships, nothing.

His ship has sailed and he knows it.

[kurt_cagle]

18. Both Collins and Snowe

Snowe and Collins have both been pariahs on the Republican side for not voting for the impeachment of Clinton, and they have also both been critical in a number of Democratic victories during the Bush years. I suspect the Republicans that survive in Congress will likely be the hard core ones, and will be less disposed to reaching out to "appeasers" like Snowe and Collins, while there is some discussion of including at least one of the two in an Obama cabinet. I'd be inclined to suspect that they will more likely shift into an independent status a la Jeffers, then perhaps run as a Democrat within the next election cycle.

[TexasObserver]

19. Collins and Snowe would be my top picks.