Walt Minnick

Walt Minnick, the new Democratic congressman from Idaho, doesn't think much of President Obama's economic recovery plan. "I think it's a horrible idea to try to appropriate large sums of taxpayer dollars to programs that have never been debated or authorized," Minnick wrote recently. Obama staked his presidency on the sprawling legislative package, and the administration fought hard for its passage. But if anyone at the White House was unhappy with Minnick for his opposition, they never let on.

Walt Minnick, the new Democratic congressman from Idaho, doesn't think much of President Obama's economic recovery plan. "I think it's a horrible idea to try to appropriate large sums of taxpayer dollars to programs that have never been debated or authorized," Minnick wrote recently. Obama staked his presidency on the sprawling legislative package, and the administration fought hard for its passage. But if anyone at the White House was unhappy with Minnick for his opposition, they never let on.

* Designates incumbent ALABAMA (99%) *--* Party Candidate % D Roger Bedford 46 R Jeff Sessions 52 *--* ALASKA (99%) *--* Party Candidate % D Theresa Obermeyer 10 R Ted Stevens* 77 *--* ARKANSAS (99%) *--* Party Candidate % D Winston Bryant 47 R Tim Hutchinson 53 *--* COLORADO (100%) *--* Party Candidate % D Tom Strickland 46 R Wayne Allard 51 *--* DELAWARE (100%) *--* Party Candidate % D Joseph Biden* 60 R Ray Clatworthy 38 *--* GEORGIA (100%) *--* Party Candidate % D Max Cleland 49 R Guy

With a historic floor vote looming on their healthcare bill, House Democratic leaders worked into the night Friday to round up rank-and-file Democrats who still had not committed to support the legislation despite weeks of cajoling and deal-making. Senior Democrats maintained they would have the 218 votes needed for passage when the House votes, perhaps as early as this evening. "You don't go to the floor unless you're there -- and we're there," said Rep. John B. Larson of Connecticut, the No. 4 Democrat in the House.

With images of menacing, tattooed Latinos and beleaguered whites, the TV ad contended that Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid was too soft on illegal immigrants. "It's clear whose side he's on," the announcer said, "and it's not yours. " Sharron Angle, a "tea party" favorite and Reid's Republican challenger, had attempted to pummel Reid for his support for legalizing illegal immigrants. But Angle paid a price for her tough stance when Nevada's Latino voters came out in record numbers last week and helped Reid win a fifth term.

The 2010 congressional campaign ending Tuesday has been marked by a flood of unregulated, often secret campaign money that has transformed the political process, challenged the role of political parties, and sharply increased the power of wealthy individuals and groups on both the right and left. And those trends are expected to grow as the 2012 presidential campaign begins. Accepted wisdom holds that money alone seldom determines the outcome of an election. But when a political tide is turning ?

In Washington state, Gary Locke became the first Asian-American elected to a governorship in the mainland United States. Republicans generally did well in Senate races: Incumbents won easily in Idaho and New Mexico, and the party held on to open seats in Colorado and Wyoming. The race in Oregon for the seat given up by Republican Mark O. Hatfield was too close to call as of last night. Democrats lost Montana's only House seat.

From all appearances, Rep. Earl Pomeroy was the wrong guy, at the wrong place, in the wrong year ? with the wrong message. "Sometimes you look at Washington and only negative things come to mind," Pomeroy said in a speech to coal executives last week. "I want to give you some positive thoughts. " Coming from a nine-term Democratic congressman in this conservative-leaning state, kind words about Washington would seem to be political suicide. All things considered, Pomeroy should be a goner ?

Democrats talked about the jobs to come from modernizing the electric grid, weatherizing homes, and repairing roads and bridges. Republicans too had ideas for reviving the economy, focusing on tax cuts and carefully targeted spending. But many in the GOP also wanted to talk about something else: sexually transmitted diseases.

The prospects for big Democratic gains in the House, amplified by advances in the Senate and a White House victory, have spurred grave Republican warnings of a shift to the left that could bring increases in spending, taxes and regulation. But if anything, a number of potential Democratic newcomers have been running well to the right of their party's leader, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-San Francisco).