Surprise: Angus King to Caucus With Democrats

CNN.com ^ | 11-14-2012 | CNN.com

[MikeyVirginia]

(CNN) - Maine's independent senator-elect announced Wednesday he would caucus with Democrats, giving the party a ten-vote advantage over Republicans in the upper chamber.

Angus King made the announcement Tuesday in the U.S. Capitol, where he and other newly elected senators and represenatatives are convening for a week of orientation. They will be officially sworn in as lawmakers in January.

[vollmond]

Not a surprise, really. I’d caucus with the winners if I was an independent, too, for whatever it would gain me and my state.

[GP100]

The two clowns up there now (Snowe, Collins) have been ensnarement to the party for a long time.

[fortheDeclaration]

We should have had 50 Senate seats.

Losing in Vi, Ind., N.D., Montana, and Missouri, was terrible.

Coryn was a disaster as head of the Senate election committee.

[Perdogg]

53 - Dems
3 - Independants
44 - GOPers

[glennaro]

No surprise. In fact, it’s a fitting combination: “Dingy Harry” and “Anus King” ...

[COBOL2Java]

I believe they will get that number because, as evidenced by the Obamacare vote, the dems are not afraid to take advantage of their majority status while Republicans usually are.

All Reid has to do is take a cue from Pelosi and just "deem" his rules change passed.

[newzjunkey]

But! But! ... GOPeeeeee! RINOoooooooos! Romney's fault!! /sarcasm

TeaParty and "conservative" darlings Akin and Mourdock lost 300-500K votes off Romney's winning margins in their respective states.

WV was another bloodbath with Raese 174K votes short or Romney's win.

Rehberg in MT bled 50K and in ND Berg shed 30K votes from Romney's margin.

FIVE Senate seats lost where Romney won the state by healthy margins. Win those and that's a 50-50 Senate.

[Numbers Guy]

Unless “Dingy Harry” changes the filibuster rules which he has been trying to do.

If he does so, it will be a bad precedent for Dems. It will help with some judges' confirmations I guess. Otherwise, the House remains Republican, so Senate Dem initaitives still get blocked, then when the GOP takes back the Senate (which is certainly possible in two years), they can keep the more limited filibuster rules.