A Land Rush Business in Utopia

The next two years are going to be rough.  The Democrats have been given a two year window to rush every utopian ideal through its army of despotic bureaucrats.  Barack H. Obama will unleash the Kracken.

While we can expect to see every opportunity taken to confine our liberties, the greatest threat to the Republic is the possibility of replacing justices to the fragile United States Supreme Court.  Our prayers should be towards great health and energy for Antonin Scalia, who will turn 77 years old on March 11.  Alito (62), Roberts (57), Sotomayor (58), and Kagen (52) will be fixtures for many years.  Even the most originalist justice, Clarence Thomas, is a relatively young 64 years old.

We can expect to see Ginsberg (79) retire some time over the next four years.  This will give Obama the opportunity to extend her liberal position with a younger replacement.  Fellow liberal Breyer is 74 and swing-justice Kennedy is 76.  The U.S. Senate has the authority to confirm or deny the President’s nominees to the Supreme Court.  With the current Senate firmly in control of the Democrats, President Obama would encounter no particular obstacles for his appointments.

But there is a red sky at night that gives us conservatives some hope.  If the incumbent justices can hold on through the end of 2014, a Republican controlled Senate may be able to avert a 25 year disaster.

There are 100 seats in the United States Senate, each having a term of six years.  Their tenures are staggered so that 1/3 of them face election every two years.  Democrats currently hold a 55 to 45 seat advantage.  But if the Republicans assert themselves artfully, they could very well take the majority in November of 2014.  Here’s how:

Of the 33 Senate seats up for election, 20 are currently held by Democrats and 13 Republican.  Nine of the Democrats should comfortably win re-election; Chris Coons of Delaware, Richard Durbin of Illinois, Carl Levin of Michigan, Max Baucus of Montana, Frank Lautenberg of New Jersey, Tom Udall of New Mexico, Jeff Merkley of Oregon, Jack Reed of Rhode Island, and Mark Warner of Virginia.

The recent announcement by Tom Harkin that he will be retiring as Iowa’s Senator puts that position in play for the Republicans.  That makes two confirmed Democratic retirements, adding Jay Rockefeller of West Virginia who is likely to be replaced by Republican Shelley Moore Capito.  Saxby Chambliss, Republican from Georgia, also announced his retirement at the end of this term.  However, Georgia should be safe for his replacement, having voted 53% to 46% for Romney in 2012.

Alaska, Arkansas, North Carolina and South Dakota are unnaturally represented in the Senate by Democrats.  The Republicans should certainly be able to pick up those seats.

John Kerry will undoubtably take the assignment of Secretary of State next month, leaving the Democratic Governor of Massachusetts with the responsibility of appointing his replacement.  This may give Republican Scott Brown an opportunity to retake his old job as Senator.

If the state-level Republican parties will offer strong nominees and disciplined campaigns, it is possible for Democratic Senators Mark Udall of Colorado, Mary Landrieu of Louisiana, and Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire to be defeated next year.  And for the one that got away in 2009, Saturday Night Live clown Al Franken must stand for an early re-election in 2014.  Let’s hope for a successful rematch from the suspiciously jilted Norm Coleman.

Elections like 2014 that take place at the mid point of a presidential second term traditionally go against the president’s party.  And Barack Obama’s overreaching this year and next should really get Americans in the mood for tapping on the breaks.  With a gain of six seats, the Republicans can control the Senate and block much of Obama’s ambitions.  They could even deny more revisionists to the Supreme Court during Obama’s final two years in office.

In 2014, the Republican’s 32 seat majority in the House of Representatives ought to hold, and even extend.  My greatest hope; the swearing in of a bellicose, John Wayne federalist as president in January of 2017, along with a Republican majority in both chambers of Congress.  They would have two years to hurl the pendulum back within sight of equilibrium.   And we just might save this nation.