An Inconvenient President

[rpryor03]

109th Senate

Alabama:
Class II: Jeff Sessions
Class III: Richard Shelby

Alaska:
Class II: Ted Stevens
Class III: Tony Knowles

Arizona:
Class I: Jon Kyl
Class III: John McCain

Arkansas:
Class II: Mark Pryor
Class III: Blanche Lincoln

California:
Class I: Dianne Feinstein
Class III: Barbara Boxer

Colorado:
Class II: Wayne Allard
Class III: Ken Salazar

Connecticut:
Class I: Chris Shays
Class III: Chris Dodd

Delaware:
Class I: Tom Carper
Class II: Joe Biden

Florida:
Class I: Bill Nelson
Class III: Betty Castor

Georgia:
Class II: Max Cleland
Class III: Johnny Isakson

Hawaii:
Class I: Daniel Akaka
Class III: Daniel Inouye

Idaho:
Class II: Larry Craig
Class III: Mike Crapo

Illinois:
Class II: Dick Durbin
Class III: Barack Obama

Indiana:
Class I: Richard Lugar
Class III: Evan Bayh

Iowa:
Class II: Tom Harkin
Class III: Chuck Grassley

Kansas:
Class II: Pat Roberts
Class III:Sam Brownback

Kentucky:
Class II: Addison McConnell
Class III: Daniel Mongiardo

Louisiana:
Class II: Mary Landrieu
Class III: David Vitter

Maine:
Class I: Olympia Snowe
Class II: Susan Collins

Maryland:
Class II: Paul Sarbanes
Class III: Barbara Mikulski

Massachusetts:
Class I: Edward Kennedy
Class II: John Kerry

Michigan:
Class I: Debbie Stabenow (2001)
Class II: Carl Levin

Minnesota:
Class I: Mark Dayton
Class II: Norm Coleman

Mississippi:
Class I: Trent Lott
Class II: Thad Cochran

Missouri:
Class I: Jean Carnahan
Class III: Kit Bond

Montana:
Class I: Conrad Burns
Class III: Max Baucus

Nebraska:
Class I: Deb Fischer (2013)
Class II: Ben Sasse (2015)

Nevada:
Class I: John Ensign
Class III: Harry Reid

New Hampshire:
Class II: Jeanne Shaheen
Class III: Judd Gregg

New Jersey:
Class I: Jon Corzine
Class II: Frank Lautenberg

New Mexico:
Class I: Jeff Bingaman
Class II: Pete Dominici

New York:
Class I: Hillary Clinton
Class III: Chuck Schumer

North Carolina:
Class II: Elizabeth Dole
Class III: John Edwards

North Dakota:
Class I: Kent Conrad
Class III: Byron Dorgan

Ohio:
Class I: Mike DeWine
Class III: George Voinovich

Oklahoma:
Class II: Jim Inhofe
Class III: Tom Coburn

Oregon:
Class II: Gordon Smith
Class III: Ron Wyden (1996)

Pennsylvania:
Class I: Rick Santorum
Class III: Arlen Specter

Rhode Island:
Class I: Lincoln Chafee
Class II: Jack Reed

South Carolina:
Class II: Lindsey Graham
Class III: Jim DeMint

South Dakota:
Class II: Tim Johnson
Class III: John Thune (2005)

Tennessee:
Class I: Bill Frist
Class II: Lamar Alexander

Texas:
Class I: Kay Bailey Hutchinson
Class II: John Cornyn

Utah:
Class I: Orrin Hatch
Class III: Bob Bennett

Vermont:
Class I: Jim Jeffords
Class III: Patrick Leahy

Virginia:
Class I: George Allen
Class III: John Warner

Washington:
Class I: Maria Cantwell
Class III: Patty Murray

West Virginia:
Class I: Robert Byrd
Class II: Jay Rockefeller

Wisconsin:
Class I: Herb Kohl
Class III: Russ Feingold

Wyoming:
Class I: Craig Thomas
Class II: Mike Enzi

Speaker of the House: Dick Gephardt
House Majority Leader: Nancy Pelosi
House Majority Whip: Nita Lowey
House Minority Leader: Roy Blunt
House Minority Whip: John Boehner

President of the Senate: Joe Lieberman
President Pro Tempore: Bob Byrd
Senate Majority Leader: Harry Reid
Senate Majority Whip: Dick Durbin
Senate Minority Leader: Kay Bailey Hutchinson
Senate Minority Whip: Mitch McConnell

[rpryor03]

Senate Committee Leadership, 109th Congress

Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry:
Senator Tom Harkin of Iowa, Chairman
Senator Thad Cochran of Mississippi, Ranking Member

Senate Committee on Appropriations:
Senator Robert Byrd of West Virginia, Chairman
Senator Ted Stevens of Alaska, Ranking Member

Senate Committee on Armed Services:
Senator Carl Levin of Michigan, Chairman
Senator John Warner of Virginia, Ranking Member

Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs:
Senator Paul Sarbanes of Maryland, Chairman
Senator Richard Shelby of Alabama, Ranking Member

Senate Committee on the Budget:
Senator Kent Conrad of North Dakota, Chairman
Senator Chuck Grassley of Iowa, Ranking Member

Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation:
Senator Daniel Inouye of Hawaii, Chairman
Senator Conrad Burns of Montana, Ranking Member

Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources:
Senator Jeff Bingaman of New Mexico, Chairman
Senator Pete Dominici of New Mexico, Ranking Member

Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works:
Senator Jim Jeffords of Vermont, Chairman
Senator Jim Inhofe of Oklahoma, Ranking Member

Senate Committee on Finance:
Senator Max Baucus of Montana Chairman
Senator Orrin Hatch of Utah, Ranking Member

Senate Committee on Foreign Relations:
Senator Joe Biden of Delaware, Chairman
Senator Richard Lugar of Indiana, Ranking Member

Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions:
Senator Ted Kennedy of Massachusetts, Chairman
Senator Judd Gregg of New Hampshire, Ranking Member

Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs:
Senator Tom Carper of Delaware, Chairman
Senator George Voinovich of Ohio, Ranking Member

Senate Committee on Indian Affairs:
Senator Daniel Akaka of Hawaii, Chairman
Senator John McCain of Arizona, Ranking Member

Senate Committee on the Judiciary:
Senator Patrick Leahy of Vermont, Chairman
Senator Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania, Ranking Member

Senate Committee on Rules and Administration:
Senator Chris Dodd of Connecticut, Chairman
Senator Chuck Hagel of Nebraska, Ranking Member

Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship:
Senator John Kerry of Massachusetts, Chairman
Senator Kit Bond of Missouri, Ranking Member

Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs:
Senator Jay Rockefeller of West Virginia, Chairman
Senator Larry Craig of Idaho, Ranking Member

Senate Committee on Ethics:
Senator Barbara Boxer of California, Chairman
Senator Pat Roberts of Kansas, Ranking Member

Senate Committee on Aging:
Senator Herb Kohl of Wisconsin, Chairman
Senator Susan Collins of Maine, Ranking Member

Senate Committee on Intelligence:
Senator Dianne Feinstein of California, Chairman
Senator Olympia Snowe of Maine, Ranking Member

[rpryor03]

A Summary of the 109th Congress of the United States

The 109th Congress was the first for President Gore with Democratic Majorities in both houses. With such high hopes, it unfortunately would not be that successful. Main bills passed included Stem Cell Research Enhancement, the Akaka Bill, some energy bills, and Veterans Affairs. During the Congress, Senator Jon Corzine (D) and Attorney General Jerry Kilgore (R) won their elections for Governor in New Jersey and Virginia respectively. To replace him in the Senate, Corzine appointed Rep. Bob Menendez. President Gore tried to push the Kyoto Protocol, but it was defeated by not reaching cloture. However, as it always does during the sixth year of the President's term, the election results were devastating for his party.

[rpryor03]

2006 ELECTIONS

(Please note: Shading of 30% is a gain, 50% is a hold)

Senate Freshmen
Michael Steele (R-MD) def. Ben Cardin, rep. Paul Sarbanes
Mike Bouchard (R-MI) def. Debbie Stabenow
Mark Kennedy (R-MN) def. Amy Klobuchar, rep. Mark Dayton
Kenny Hulshof (R-MO)def. Claire McCaskill, rep. Jean Carnahan
Tom Kean, Jr. (R-NJ) def. Bob Menendez
Bob Casey, Jr. (D-PA) def. Rick Santorum
Bob Corker (R-TN) def. Harold Ford, rep. Bill Frist
Bernie Sanders (I-VT) def. Generic R, rep. Jim Jeffords
Mike McGavick (R-WA) def. Maria Cantwell

Senate
Republican Party: 54
Democratic Party: 45 (+1 Independent)

House
Republican Party: 244
Democratic Party: 191

New Governors
Arkansas: Asa Hutchinson (R)
Georgia: Mike Bowers (R)
Hawaii: Alan Arakawa (R)
Illinois: Judy Baar Topinka (R)
Iowa: Jim Nussle (R)
Kansas: Jim Barnett (R)
Maine: Chandler Woodcock (R)
Massachusetts: Deval Patrick (D)
New York: Eliot Spitzer (D)
Ohio: Ted Strickland (D)
South Carolina: Bob Peeler (R)
Wisconsin: Mark Green (R)

[rpryor03]

110th Senate

Alabama:
Class II: Jeff Sessions
Class III: Richard Shelby

Alaska:
Class II: Ted Stevens
Class III: Tony Knowles

Arizona:
Class I: Jon Kyl
Class III: John McCain

Arkansas:
Class II: Mark Pryor
Class III: Blanche Lincoln

California:
Class I: Dianne Feinstein
Class III: Barbara Boxer

Colorado:
Class II: Wayne Allard
Class III: Ken Salazar

Connecticut:
Class I: Chris Shays
Class III: Chris Dodd

Delaware:
Class I: Tom Carper
Class II: Joe Biden

Florida:
Class I: Bill Nelson
Class III: Betty Castor

Georgia:
Class II: Max Cleland
Class III: Johnny Isakson

Hawaii:
Class I: Daniel Akaka
Class III: Daniel Inouye

Idaho:
Class II: Larry Craig
Class III: Mike Crapo

Illinois:
Class II: Dick Durbin
Class III: Barack Obama

Indiana:
Class I: Richard Lugar
Class III: Evan Bayh

Iowa:
Class II: Tom Harkin
Class III: Chuck Grassley

Kansas:
Class II: Pat Roberts
Class III:Sam Brownback

Kentucky:
Class II: Addison McConnell
Class III: Daniel Mongiardo

Louisiana:
Class II: Mary Landrieu
Class III: David Vitter

Maine:
Class I: Olympia Snowe
Class II: Susan Collins

Maryland:
Class II: Michael Steele
Class III: Barbara Mikulski

Massachusetts:
Class I: Edward Kennedy
Class II: John Kerry

Michigan:
Class I: Mike Bouchard
Class II: Carl Levin

Minnesota:
Class I: Mark Kennedy
Class II: Norm Coleman

Mississippi:
Class I: Trent Lott
Class II: Thad Cochran

Missouri:
Class I: Kenny Hulshof
Class III: Kit Bond

Montana:
Class I: Conrad Burns
Class III: Max Baucus

Nebraska:
Class I: Ben Nelson
Class II: Chuck Hagel

Nevada:
Class I: John Ensign
Class III: Harry Reid

New Hampshire:
Class II: Jeanne Shaheen
Class III: Judd Gregg

New Jersey:
Class I: Tom Kean, Jr.
Class II: Frank Lautenberg

New Mexico:
Class I: Jeff Bingaman
Class II: Pete Dominici

New York:
Class I: Hillary Clinton
Class III: Chuck Schumer

North Carolina:
Class II: Elizabeth Dole
Class III: John Edwards

North Dakota:
Class I: Kent Conrad
Class III: Byron Dorgan

Ohio:
Class I: Mike DeWine
Class III: George Voinovich

Oklahoma:
Class II: Jim Inhofe
Class III: Tom Coburn

Oregon:
Class II: Gordon Smith
Class III: Ron Wyden (1996)

Pennsylvania:
Class I: Bob Casey, Jr.
Class III: Arlen Specter

Rhode Island:
Class I: Lincoln Chafee
Class II: Jack Reed

South Carolina:
Class II: Lindsey Graham
Class III: Jim DeMint

South Dakota:
Class II: Tim Johnson
Class III: John Thune (2005)

Tennessee:
Class I: Bob Corker
Class II: Lamar Alexander

Texas:
Class I: Kay Bailey Hutchinson
Class II: John Cornyn

Utah:
Class I: Orrin Hatch
Class III: Bob Bennett

Vermont:
Class I: Bernie Sanders
Class III: Patrick Leahy

Virginia:
Class I: George Allen
Class III: John Warner

Washington:
Class I: Mike McGavick
Class III: Patty Murray

West Virginia:
Class I: Robert Byrd
Class II: Jay Rockefeller

Wisconsin:
Class I: Herb Kohl
Class III: Russ Feingold

Wyoming:
Class I: Craig Thomas
Class II: Mike Enzi

Speaker of the House: Roy Blunt
House Majority Leader: John Boehner
House Majority Whip: Paul Ryan
House Minority Leader: Nancy Pelosi
House Minority Whip: Nita Lowey

President of the Senate: Joe Lieberman
President Pro Tempore: Ted Stevens
Senate Majority Leader: Kay Bailey Hutchinson
Senate Majority Whip: Mitch McConnell
Senate Minority Leader: Harry Reid
Senate Minority Whip: Dick Durbin

[rpryor03]

Ranking the 2008 Presidential Contenders

Republican

1. Sen. Fred Thompson

Pro: 2004 Runner Up, "Next-in-line," name recognition, gravitas.

Con: Out of office since 2002, will he run?

2. Sen. Elizabeth Dole

Pro: Woman, Well-Liked Senator, Name Recognition

Con: Experience, Last Name, Up for Re-election in 2008

3. Sen. Michael Steele

Pro: African-American, Enthusiastic Campaigner, Good Speaker

Con: Who?, Experience (Elected in 2006)

4. Sen. Larry Craig

Pro: Experience, Policy Wonk

Con: Who?, Policy Wonk

5. Sen. Lamar Alexander

Pro: Executive Experience, Senate Experience

Con: Who?, Up for Re-election in 2008

6. A Governor

Pro: Executive Experience

Con: No one's interested yet.

Democratic

1. Sen. John Edwards

Pro: Good speaker, Electoral vote rich state

Con: Experience

2. Sen. John Kerry

Pro: Smart, Experienced, "Establishment"

Con: Vanilla, Boring

3. Gov. Jon Corzine

Pro: Business Experience, Executive and Legislative Experience

Con: Who?, Safety Concerns

4. Rev. Al Sharpton

Pro: Liberal, African-American, Bulldog

Con: No Experience, Likability

5. Rep. Dennis Kucinich

Pro: Are there any?

Con: Wackadoodle

[rpryor03]

Summary of the 110th Congress

With a Republican Congress and Democratic White House, there was a common theme of the 2007 session of Congress. Specifically, Republican bills were sent to the White House, which vetoed them. With no place for working together, a record low amount of bills were made in to law, with major ones being a continuing resolution, a Farm Bill, and a GI Bill. Many looked with hope to see what the 2008 election would bring.