GOP wave ran deep in local elections - Al Cross

[BridgeTheGap]

From a national perspective, the shellacking that President Barack Obama said Democrats took in Tuesday's election wasn't that bad in Kentucky. Both Democratic congressmen held on to their seats, though Ben Chandler must await a Friday recanvass to confirm his 649-vote lead in the 6th District. And the open Senate seat won by Rand Paul was already held by a fellow Republican, Jim Bunning. (More later on Democratic nominee Jack Conway.)

So, Kentucky's congressional landscape is pretty much where it was in 1994-98, when the last Republican wave and Sen. Mitch McConnell's strategy and tactics helped the GOP take three of the state's six House seats and Democratic icon Wendell Ford's Senate seat. But under the federal radar Tuesday, it was a very bad day for Kentucky Democrats and a historic one for Kentucky Republicans.

The GOP's working majority in the state Senate grew to the three-fifths needed to pass budget legislation in next year's short session and approve constitutional amendments in any regular session, strengthening Senate President David Williams' hand as he runs for governor.

Conversely, in the House, the ruling Democrats lost their supermajority, as Republicans gained seven seats to make the partisan count 58 Ds and 42 Rs — probably close enough to get anti-abortion bills to the floor.

http://www.courier-journal.com/article/20101107/COLUMNISTS12/311070050/1016/OPINION/Al+Cross+%7C+GOP+wave+ran+deep+in+local+elections

[era veteran]

1. Barr has conceded to Chandler

Ben needs to get off the fence and be his own man.