GOP Gains
Jews In
Conservative domestic agenda will resurface,
but no Mideast changes are expected.
lowitig is the I08th
ethics concerns.
Torricelli had trailed GOP chal-
lenger Doug Forrester, but on Tuesday,
Lautenberg won with a comfortable
t was a stellar night for the
55-43 percent margin.
Republicans across the nation,
In one of the night's most stunning
and Tuesday's dramatic election
upsets,
former St. Paul Republican
results, with the GOP snatching
Mayor
Norm
Coleman narrowly beat
back control of the Senate and tight-
former
Vice
President
Walter Mondale
ening its grip on the House, will be a
to
claim
the
seat
held
by
Sen. Paul
big boost for the foreign policy agenda
Wellstone,
who
died
in
a
plane crash
of the Bush administration.
two
weeks
ago.
But with a razor-thin majority in the
Coleman, like the man he replaces,
Senate, where the filibuster rules, the
is
Jewish; his swearing-in will relieve
Republican leadership will not exactly
Sen.
Arlen Specter, R-Pa., of his status
have a blank check on the domestic
as
the
only Jewish Republican in the
front --good news for liberal Jewish
Senate.
groups.
Polls show a signifi-
"Will more of President
cant
factor in
Bush's agenda get through?
Coleman's
upset victo-
Absolutely," said University
ry
was
voter
backlash
of Virginia political scientist
against Wellstone sup-
Larry Sabato. "Will more of
porters who had
his conservative judges be
turned a memorial
approved? You bet. But will
service into a partisan
dramatically right-wing poli-
pep rally. Besides
cy changes be enacted? No
Wellstone,
the only
way; the margins are just too
other
Jewish
senator
small."
up
for
re-election
was
Still, the shift to GOP
Norm Coleman
Elizabeth Dole
John Sununu
Sen.
Carl
Levin,
D-
control is certain to revive
Mich., who easily
efforts to pass controversial
brushed off state Rep.
social legislation such as
Andrew "Rocky" Raczkowski.
Even in New Hampshire, where
school vouchers and charitable choice.
But Levin, going into his fifth term,
Republican John Sununu won his bid
Republican leaders have already indi-
will
lose his post as chair of the power-
to
become
the
only
Palestinian-
cated that a top priority will be accel-
ful
Armed
Services Committee, thanks
American
in
the
Senate,
there
was
erating the sweeping 2001 tax cuts,
to
the
GOP
victory.
almost
no
debate
over
the
tumultuous
which Democrats say will just lead to
Pro-Israel activists 'generated cam-
Middle East.
new pressure to cut health and social
paign contributions for several incum-
Sununu, son of the former White
service programs.
bents who lost: Sen. Tim Hutchinson,
House chief of staff, easily defeated
Foreign policy, including the
R-Ark., and Sen. Max Cleland, D-Ga.
Gov.
Jeanne
Shaheen,
a
Democrat
impending war against Iraq and the
In North Carolina, Republican
who
waged
a
very
active
campaign
to
ongoing Middle East crisis, was barely
Elizabeth
Dole, a cabinet member in
win
support
from
pro-Israel
groups.
a ripple in the midterm contest.
both the Reagan and first Bush admin-
"Except in a few cases where there
istrations, easily beat Democrat Erskine
were clearly divergent views on the
Lautenberg
Wins
Bowles, an official during the Clinton
Iraq resolution, there was virtually no
administration, to hold on to the seat
For
Jewish
activists,
one
of
the
most
foreign policy issue that bubbled up
being vacated by Sen. Jesse Helms, a
watched
Senate
races
was
in
New
during, the campaigns,".said Kean
Republican. Jewish Republicans had
Jersey, where former Democratic Sen.
University political scientist Gilbert
pushed hard' for Dole.
Frank
Lautenberg,
a
one-time
national
Kahn.
Contrary to many predictions, the
United Jewish Appeal chairman,
But, he said, the GOP sweep was a -
Republicans
expanded their control of
stepped
in
only
weeks
before
the
elec-
"strong affirmation of the president's
the
House.
But
the Jewish GOP con-
tion
after
the
incumbent,
Sen.
Frank
leadership." And that could boost
tingent
in
the
House
was cut in half
Torricelli,
pulled
out
in
a
cloud
of
President George W. Bush's plans to
JAMES D. BESSER
Washington Correspondent
I
11 / 8
2002
18
wage war against Iraqi strongman
Saddam Hussein. "He got a greed light
— a green strobe light," Sabato said. "He
can do whatever he wants in foreign poli-
cy; that's what the people have said."
As usual, an overwhelming majority
of incumbents in both parties retained
their seats. No Jewish House or Senate
lawmaker was defeated. There will be
one more Jew in the Senate, thanks to
two of the strangest races in recent
memory; there will be no change. in
the number of Jews in the House.
With support for Israel at a biparti-
san high on Capitol Hill, U.S.
Mideast policy was a non-issue in the
2002 midterm congressional elections.
7
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Charles Schumer, Dom:
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Howard Berman, D-Calif.
Susan Days, D-Calif
Bob Filnei D-Calif,
Jane Harm
Peter Deutsch,
Robert Wexler, D-F
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