November 7, 2002	Thursday	Ramazan 1,1423

WASHINGTON, Nov 6: Shell-shocked Democrats on Wednesday blamed their party’s congressional election humiliation on the wave of patriotic support for President George W. Bush unleashed by last year’s Sept 11 attacks and the US leader’s relentless political campaigning.

“Ultimately, we could not compete with the power of the bully pulpit of a wartime president,” said Senator Patty Murray, chairwoman of the Senatorial Campaign Committee.

Outgoing Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle said the preoccupation with national security issues had prevented Democrats from getting their message out about the sluggish economy, Social Security and a wave of corporate scandals.

“You had a president who talked a lot about 9-11,” Daschle said, referring to the multiple terror strikes in Sept 2001 that left some 3,000 dead in a matter of hours.

“I think this country is still in the upheaval of 9-11. I think the war in Iraq, the North Korean situation — all of that probably precluded us from having the opportunity to break through with the issues we wanted to talk about the most: the economy, education, health care, those issues that generally resonate for Democrats.”

Bush put his prestige and popularity on the line for fellow Republicans around the country, jetting from state to state to put his arm and message around candidates in the weeks before the elections.

That, combined with Democrats’ failure to make the economic message resonate with the voters despite round-the-clock campaigning, resulted in the Republicans recapturing the Senate and keeping control of the House of Representatives, in a historic sweep for the conservative party.

“This is a unique election in the annals of our political history. I think it is a very rare occasion when you have an attack like 9-11. It left people in the mood of wanting to support the president. I think that is natural and normal,” said House Minority Leader Dick Gephardt.

“People were concerned about what had happened to our country, concerned about national security, and wanted to support the president for legitimate reasons in the war against terrorism,” Gephardt told Fox television.

“I think that was an enormous impact.”

Gephardt and other Democratic Party leaders also blamed special-interest money culled by Republicans for overwhelming Democratic candidates with an advertising blitz in some races.

But even as a triumphant Senate Minority Leader Trent Lott — expected to soon be majority leader — told reporters he was “excited to be able to be on the offense,” Democrats began to plan their strategy to unseat Bush in the 2004 presidential election.

“It was very hard to get our message out,” Democratic National Committee leader Terry McAuliffe acknowledged in a press conference Wednesday.

“But when we come to 2004, we will be out there with a national message, and we will beat George Bush. There is no question in my mind.”

“The president got what he wanted, and now he will have to produce,” he said.

“We’re not going away,” added Daschle on ABC.

“We’re going to fight for the things we believe in, for the issues, the priorities, the reasons we’re in the business, in the fight to begin with. And we’re going to keep doing that regardless of whether we’re the majority or the minority.”—AFP

Results at a glance

SENATE Current Elected Won/lost

Republicans 49 51 +2

Democrats 50 47 -3

Independents 1 1 same

Total 100

HOUSE OF REP Current Elected

Republicans 223 227

Democrats 208 205

Independents 1 1

Vacant 3

Total 435

GOVERNORS Current Elected

Republicans 27 23

Democrats 21 23

Independents 2 0

Note: Four results yet to be declared

—AFP