Sometimes I think the smartest thing we could do is to push for a national news boycott. Imagine if people had to judge what happens on the basis of how it affects their lives - and not how the media chooses to interpret it. Here's a good example -- for the past week, all we've heard is how the Democrats will lose the majority. As Tim Kaine explains, not so likely:
Democrats' chances of holding on to a congressional super-majority following the 2010 midterm elections have taken a hit in the last month, but their party's chairman thinks it will be the Republicans left scrambling in the fall.
"There's a huge, corrosive civil war within the Republican party that I think will continue to be a factor that will work in our favor in 2010," Virginia Gov. Tim Kaine, who also presides over the Democratic National Committee, told CBS' "The Early Show."
On Wednesday, surprise retirement announcements came from two longstanding Democratic Senators, Connecticut's Chris Dodd and North Dakota's Byron Dorgan – a development that threatens the Democrats' chances of maintaining 60-40 filibuster-proof majority over Republicans. (The Democrats actually control 58 seats, with two independents caucusing with them).
And last month, the party suffered a defection to the GOP by freshman Alabama Rep. Parker Griffith.
But aside from the recent buzz about potential Democratic losses, Republicans face the real problem, according to Kaine. In the Senate, two Democrats will retire but six Republicans will join them. In the House, GOP retirements outpace Democrats 14 to 10.
"Retirements are really on the other side," Kaine said.
There are also hotly contested primaries in some Republican districts that may hurt party unity.
