Washington: President Barack Obama is
quietly using the power of his office to reach Democratic
voters with less than a week remaining before congressional
elections, balloting that is likely to give Republicans a
majority in the House of Representatives and seriously snarl
White House legislative prospects in the next two years.
Obama has kept up a frenzied pace of campaigning
nationwide as he tries to invigorate the Democratic base,
fearing the voters who swept him into the White House two
years ago will not participate in this election without him on
the ballot. Obama would not face voters again until 2012.
This year's election with Republicans, their tea party
allies and many independents angry and blaming Obama for the
country's continuing economic malaise will decide contests for
all 435 seats in the House, 37 places in the 100-member Senate
and 37 state governorships.
With a takeover in the House virtually assured,
Republicans also are forecast to make significant gains in the
Senate but fall short of capturing a 51 seat majority. Their
prospects are even better in the governor's races.
With the 50 states preparing to draw new
congressional district maps after this year's national census,
Republican governors will have a major say in that process one
that's would strongly favour Republican candidates in 2012.
That reality is guiding many of Obama's appearances
in the final days of the November 2 election campaign and is
especially evident in Ohio.
PTI
First Published: Wednesday, October 27, 2010, 22:03