0 8 - The Michigan Daily - Wednesday, November 6, 2002 Bush's campaigning aids GOP election success 0 WASHINGTON (AP) - After nearly a year of political speeches and record-shattering fund raising, President Bush took heart yesterday in the success of some candidates among the hordes of Republicans for whom he had aggressively campaigned. Not long after polls started closing, Bush began dialing up winners, starting with his broth- er, Jeb, who won re-election as Florida governor in what the president called a "big victory," said White House press secretary Ari Fleischer. Among the dozen others Bush called were Senate winners Elizabeth Dole in North Caroli- na, John Sununu in New Hampshire and Lind- sey Graham of South Carolina. In pivotal House races, Indiana winner Chris Chocola and re-elected Kentucky Rep. Anne Northup also got White House calls. Bush stumped for scads of Republicans, but none more so than his brother, for whom he raised $8 million and appeared often. "I want to thank our great president of the United States for coming down and lending a hand to his lit- tle brother," Jeb Bush said in a speech the pres- ident watched on TV at the White House. Bush began his day by voting at the fire- house in Crawford, Texas, appearing relaxed in a Western coat, jeans and cowboy boots. "I'm encouraging all people across this country to vote," he said before returning to Washington. There, Bush employed the power of the presi- dency one last time in search of even briefly. securing full GOP control of Congress. He made a congratulatory phone call to Dean Barkley, the independent appointed to fill the late Minnesota Democratic Sen. Paul Wellstone's seat during a short lame-duck congressional session that begins next week. Democrats now have a 50-49 majority in the Senate, excluding Barkley, while Republicans hold the House. With that, Bush could do nothing more than wait. It was his 25th wedding anniversary, and the president and his wife hosted a small dinner at the White House with Republican political and congressional leaders and their wives. returns on television. Vice President Dick Cheney voted by absen- tee ballot and spent yesterday pheasant hunting in South Dakota. Gaining enough seats to swing Senate con- trol to the GOP would breathe new life into Bush's legislative agenda. Top wish-list items blocked in the Senate include filling federal benches with Bush judicial nominees, partial privatization of Social Security, more tax cuts, a new homeland security department, a wide- ranging energy plan, tort reform in medical malpractice lawsuits and a Medicare overhaul. Progress under Republican Senate leadership also could hand Bush successes for a 2004 re- election race. Likewise, lack of progress under continued Democratic leadership could give him a handy 2004 target. Finally, Bush was propelled by an over- whelming desire to win, to cement his political legitimacy after the disputed 2000 election and to out-perform his predecessor, former Presi- dent Clinton. Progress under Republican Senate leadership also could hand Bush successes for a 2004 reelection race. A midterm history bender - gaining con- gressional seats for the party holding the White House - was much on the minds of Bush political aides. Clinton did it in 1998, but saw the first midterm election of his presidency, in 1994, turn into a disaster. Never have Republi- cans gained strength in the House in a midterm election while holding the White House. In the five final, feverish days, Bush cam- paigned nonstop, from frigid, snow-dusted South Dakota to Appalachia's fall mountain scenery; from balmy, palm tree-lined Florida to dreary Central Illinois. By the time he shut down the effort Monday. night with an energetic windup rally in rain- soaked Dallas, Bush had delivered his get-out- the-vote speech, harshly critical of the Democ- ratic-run Senate, *on behalf of GOP candidates in 23 states - in six of them twice - since September. He dove into governor's races in key presidential-battleground states and even gave considerable attention to less-prestigious House races. It was his unprecedented campaign cash-col- lecting that formed the crucial foundation of the Bush midterm machine. After an opening fund-raiser Jan. 9 for his brother, Bush raised $141 million in 67 fund-raisers, obliterating Clinton's total. Cheney added another $40 mil- lion to GOP coffers. 4 Afterward, the president tracked election Night of rivalry ends well for Republicans AP PHOTO Rep. Elizabeth Dole, right, celebrates her victory in the U.S. Senate race with her husband, former Sen. Bob Dole, in her hometown of Salisbury, N. C. Incumbents in Il.,N.C. ousted by opponents Democrats broke a 25-year Republican hold on the Illi- nois governor's office and took back Pennsylvania yesterday as they sought to reclaim a majority of the nation's executive mansions. Florida Gov. Jeb Bush defeated Democrat Bill McBride in a high-profile victory for the GOP As 36 states elected governors, one incumbent was ousted - South Carolina Gov. Jim Hodges, a one-term Democrat, lost to former GOP Rep. Mark Sanford. Democrats led in GOP country of Michigan and Kansas, while Republicans, hoping to minimize the shrinking of their 27-21 edge, held onto New York and Massachusetts. The GOP also led in Texas. In Illinois, Democratic Rep. Rod Blagojevich defeated Republican Jim Ryan in a race that linked Ryan to the scan- dal-tainted single term of GOP Gov. George Ryan - no relation - who chose not to seek re-election. Pennsylvania Democrat Ed Rendell, former mayor of Philadelphia, defeated GOP Attorney General Mike Fisher. In a marquee race, Jeb Bush had extensive campaign help from his brother. Early in the night, President Bush called to "congratulate him for a big victory," White House press sec- retary Ani Fleischer said. GOP businessman Mitt Romney defeated State Treasurer Shannon O'Brien in heavily Democratic Massachusetts to continue 12 years of Republican control. New York Gov. George Pataki easily turned back a chal- lenge from Comptroller Carl McCall, the only black ever elected to statewide office there. In Maryland, where there was another top contest, Demo- cratic Lt. Gov. Kathleen Kennedy Townsend was seeking to become the first member of the Kennedy family to serve as a governor. She saw a huge early lead evaporate. Returns showed her trailing in a tight race with Republican Rep. Bob Ehrlich. In New Hampshire, Republican entrepreneur Craig Ben- son returned the governor's office to the GOP after six years Democratic control. Incumbent GOP Govs. Bob Taft of Ohio, Mike Johanns of Nebraska, Bill Owens of Colorado, Kenny Guinn of Nevada and John Rowland of Connecticut all won re- election. Alabama Gov. Don Siegelman was leading in his race against GOP Rep. Bob Riley, despite Republican expecta- tions that ethics scandals and budget shortfalls had left him vulnerable. Early returns also showed close races in Oklahoma, Ten- nesseeyand Vermont, where the GOP-led Legislature would choose the next governor if no candidate got more than 50 percent of the vote - a real possibility. Overall, it was a tough campaign year for the GOP, which was defending 23 of the 36 seats because of term limits and retirements amid painful budget shortfalls. Democrats were defending 11 seats, and independents were leaving office in Maine and Minnesota. "The conventional wisdom is that we may lose a few said Rowland, who acknowledged that view could well prove right, although he won a third term. A large group of experienced women candidates battled onto the ballot this year, making it possible for voters to break the current record number of five female gover- nors. All 10 major-party women candidates were compet- itive in their campaigns' final days - including both candidates in Hawaii, which was guaranteed to elect its Associated Press Republicans marched toward continued control of the House yesterday and Democ- rats fought to defend their slender Senate majority in midterm elections. President Bush's brother coasted to a new term as gov- ernor of Florida. Republicans won two high-profile Senate races, Elizabeth Dole prevailing in North Car- olina and John Sununu in New Hampshire. In Maryland, Robert Ehrlich was elected gov- ernor - the first Republican in more than three decades. In Illinois, Rep. Rod Blagojevich cap- tured the statehouse for the Democrats for the first time in more than a quarter century. Democrats needed to gain seven seats to win control of the House, and the trend was against them. Republican Rep. Anne Northup won a new term in Kentucky, while Democratic Rep. Karen Thurman trailed narrowly in Florida. In Indiana, the Republican candidate led for a Democratic open seat, and the GOP retained an open seat in New Hampshire. At the White House, Bush made a round of congratulatory telephone calls - including one to his younger brother in Florida. The president campaigned in 23 states over the final five weeks of the campaign, hoping to elect con- gressional candidates who could advance his legislative agenda over the next two years and for gubernatorial hopefuls who could aid his re- elettion in 2004. He and the Republicans battled history as well as Democrats in the congressional races. The president's party had lost House seats in every midterm election except three in the past century, an average of 30 seats. The average midterm loss of Senate seats was four. But the GOP had advantages, as well. These included a political landscape transformed by the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, and a president whose approval ratings remained at enviable levels despite a sputtering economy. Republicans also enjoyed financial superiori- ty. A Federal Election Commission analysis said the Republican National Committee and its congressional campaign arms had outraised their Democratic counterparts by $184 million through mid-October. In the last campaign of a free-spending era, all 435 House seats were on the ballot, as well as 34 Senate seats and three dozen statehouse races. Voters filled state legislatures and school boards, decided whether to legalize possession of small amounts of marijuana in Nevada, and settled countless ballot issues elsewhere. Democrats, too, campaigned with one eye on the next election, none more so than Rep. Dick Gephardt of Missouri, the party's House leader and a likely presidential contender in two years. Even the top gubernatorial races had presi- dential overtones. Democrats made defeat of the president's brother in Florida a top priority, seeking a victory in the state that was at the center of the nation's convulsive White House contest in 2000. In all, Republicans defended 23 of the 36 governorships on the ballot, while Democrats were defending 11. Two seats were held by out- going independents. Democrats took particular aim at statehouses across the Midwest where the GOP has long held power. Blagojevich delivered Illinois, and Ed Ren- dell followed with a victory in Pennsylvania. Bush aside, GOP governors winning new terms included George Pataki in New York, Mike Johanns in Nebraska, Bob Taft in Ohio, John Rowland in Connecticut, Kenny Guinn in Nevada and Bill Owens in Colorado. Craig Benson won a first term in New Hamp- shire, and Mitt Romney kept Massachusetts in GOP hands. Mark Sanford defeated Democratic Gov. Jim Hodges in South Carolina. Mike Rounds suc- ceeded a Republican in South Dakota. The GOP was defending 20 Senate seats, to 14 for the Democrats. Besides Dole, who succeeds a retiring Sen. Jesse Helms in North Carolina, Republican Lindsey Graham won the South Carolina seat of retiring Sen. Strom Thurmond. Lamar Alexan- der kept a Tennessee seat in Republican hands. Senators winning re-election included Democrats John Kerry in Massachusetts, Richard Durbin in Illinois; Jay Rockefeller in West Virginia, Joseph Biden in Rhode Island, Jack Reed in Rhode Island, Carl Levin in Michigan and Max Baucus in Montana. Sen. Frank Lautenberg was elected to the Senate from New Jersey, two years after retir- ing, and less than a month after he replaced Sen. Robert Torricelli on the ballot. Republican winners of new terms included Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, Thad Cochran of Mississippi, John Warner of Virginia, Pat Roberts of Kansas, Chuck Hagel of Nebraska, Jeff Ses- sions of Alabama, Mike Enzi of Wyoming, James Inhofe of Oklahoma, Susan Collins in Maine and Pete Domenici in New Mexico. Democratic Sen. Tim Johnson battled Rep. John Thune in South Dakota, and Democratic Sen. Jean Carnahan ran against former Rep. Jim Talent in a bid for the four years remaining on her late husband's term in Missouri. Embattled GOP incumbents included Sen. Tim Hutchin- son, up against Mark Pryor in Arkansas; and Wayne Allard, in a Colorado rematch with Tom Strickland. In Minnesota, former Vice President Walter F Mondale sought a return to the Senate in a race against former St. Paul Mayor Norm Cole- man. Mondale took his place on the ballot less than a week before the election, following the death of Democratic Sen. Paul Wellstone. And in New Jersey, former Sen. Frank Laut- enberg replaced Sen. Bob Torricelli on the bal- lot in October. 4 I AP PHOTO Voter News Service troubleshooters for each state handle poll input issues at the VNS election center in the Brooklyn borough of New York. Exi't polls not used due to unreliIab1iity Exit polls disregarded by major news networks due to past failures NEW YORK (AP) - Voter News Service abandoned its state and nation- al exit poll plans for Election Night, saying it could not guarantee the accu- racy of the analysis which media organizations use to help explain why people voted as they did. VNS also had problems last night with a separate operation for counting the actual vote. CBS and NBC com- plained the votes were coming in slowly and they were relying on a backup operation provided by The Associated Press. The company did have limited infor- mation from the exit poll surveys that gave its members guidance in project- ing winners for individual races. The exit poll failure was a major set- back for VNS - a consortium consist- ing of ABC, CBS, NBC, CNN, Fox and the AP. VNS had completely rebuilt its system in response to the 2000 election, when television net- works twice used its information to make wrong calls in the decisive Flori- da vote for the presidential election. "We're disappointed that VNS was- n't able to provide this material," said Jonathan Wolman, senior vice presi- dent of The Associated Press. "Polling place interviews provide an invaluable glimpse at voters' mood and priorities." As in the past, AP was calling elec- tion winners in a process that involves an analysis of the actual vote returns, Wolman said. "Our emphasis is on accuracy and we're confident we'll provide a strong service tonight." In addition, AP reporters around the country conduct their own interviews with voters on Election Day to gather quotes to enrich their stories. This material, though not a scientific sur- vey, helps give readers some insight into how individual voters made their decisions. The VNS exit poll was of particular importance to broadcasters and 19 newspapers, including The New York Times, Washington Post and USA Today, that had contracted with the consortium to receive that information to report on Election Day trends. Senate Minority Leader Trent Lott, speaking on CNN, said he had heard some exit poll results before polls closed yesterday. I Kolb remains in the 53rd state House seat By Kylene Kiang Daily Staff Reporters State Rep. Chris Kolb (D-Ann Arbor) eas- ily defeated political newcomer John Milroy of Ann Arbor in the race for 53rd District state House representative. At time of print, Kolb had 77.9 percent to Milroy's 21.9 with 72.7 percent of Washtenaw County's , precinct votes tallied. "It's a great day for Democrats in Ann Arbor," Kolb shouted while announcing Democratic winners in the Ann Arbor City Council race yesterday. Kolb made an appearance last night in Ann Arbor to cele- brate the Democrats' victory. Hundreds of Democratic supporters gath- ered for a victory party at Arbor Brewing Company last night, which was adorned with Democratic signs and patriotic decorations. Even before official results came in support- ers were confident of Kolb's reelection. "He's been leading from the beginning," "Urban sprawl is basically the inefficient use of land, and that's what we're seeing," he said. During his second term Kolb plans on try- ing to find new ways to fund programs that give local governments authority over land management, like the Purchase of Develop- ment Rights programs. Apart from environmental protection, Kolb named stimulating economic develop- ment and improving public education and health care as his top priorities. With regard to funing in higher education, Kolb is against tuition increases at public universities. "The state has got to step up to not only help them cut their costs and be more effi- cient, but also to bring in new funds," Kolb said earlier this month. Milroy was not available for comment last night and was not with fellow Republicans at Cottage Inn on East Williams Street. His campaign platform revolved around 4 Ad