U.S.+Mid-term+Elections

=U.S. Mid-term Elections=

Tonight, the United States is having one of its most important elections, well, since its last election (please see //Pres. Bush: Back with a Vengeance//). This may be an American election, but the results of this election will be felt around the world. Major issues such as the Iraq war, stem-sell research, and gay-marriage will be directly effected by the outcome of this election. How so one may ask? Well, the Republicans currently control both houses of Congress; the lower House of Representatives & the higher Senate. Since President Bush's party, the Republicans, have majority control over Congress, the President faces little opposition when introducing legislation. If the Democrats are able to win one or both of the houses, this would make it significantly harder for President Bush to pass legislation, such as monthly funding for the Iraq war. This would also make it easier for the Democrats to introduce probes and inquests, ultimately forcing the President and the Republican party to be more accountable for their actions.

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Drama Drama Drama....
If anyone has watched CNN in the last couple of months, you are sure to have seen something regarding the Mid-term elections. This election has been filled with scandal upon scandal, which surely will influence voter outcome. The Republican party has been witness to most of the scandals, while the Democrats have been involved in the odd one themselves. Perhaps the most recent and shocking scandal to rock the Republicans has been the recent Mark Foley scandal. This scandal involved (former) Congressman Mark Foley, a member of the House of Representatives caucus on Missing and Exploited Children, who was found to be sending explicit sexual text-messages to young (underage) male pages. Upon investigation it was found that other congressmen, mainly Republican, such as house leader Dennis Hastert, knew about Foley's actions for several months if not years. This scandal, among others shock Republican support, but the recent 'guilty' verdict in the Saddam Hussein trial has helped to boost back the Republican Party’s support.

Photo Finish
Amidst all the drama and issues that are in play this election, it is still expected that it will come down to the wire. Already there have been reports that there have been issues with some electronic voting machines, and even reports of voter intimidation. Either way, the final results will be known within hours, possibly minutes and will be on the front pages of ever newspaper tomorrow. All-in-all, this election may not change who is holding the position of President, but it may hold that person more accountable.

Comments?

Sources: [|"US Votes in Mid-Term Elections", Men's News Daily. Nov. 7, 2006] [|"Republican Control of Congress in Peril", Inter-Press Service News Agency. Sept. 4, 2006] [|"Speaker refuses to resign over Foley scandal", CTV News. Oct. 4, 2006] [|"Electronic voting shapes up as election debacle", CBC News. Nov. 7, 2006] [|"States Reporting Voter Intimidation and Dirty Tricks", International Herald Tribune. Nov. 7, 2006]