How's that? The new Senators will not be taking their seats until January, 2003 - how could the GOP acquire control of the Senate before then?

Simple. In the 2000 Senatorial race in Missouri, as you may recall, the 'winner' was 'dead' Mel Carnahan. The Democrat Governor of Missouri appointed his widow to the office, until the next scheduled election. So this Missouri Senate race is technically a special election.

This year's race is the subsequent special election to fill out the remaining four years of the term

As a result, if Republican challenger [b]Jim Talent[/b] should beat Carnahan on election day, he could in theory and under state law be seated in the Senate as soon as he is certified the winner — i.e., practically right away, rather than having to wait until January 2003 to be seated with the rest of the 2002 winners.

Republicans already are dreaming of scenarios in which a Talent victory and immediate seating in the (still, at that point, 50-49-1) Senate could put them over the top and give them the majority of votes they need to pass a flood of bills in the widely anticipated lame-duck session.

That said, the governor of Missouri has the discretion to decide when Talent would get certified, and Gov. Bob Holden is a Democrat.

Should this scenario actually happen, though, expect Republican political pressure and legal wrangling to try to get Talent seated.

It'll be a doozey!

Get out and vote Republican, fer Gawd's sake!

Eric The(GOP)Hun[>]:)]

Eric,

I will be returning to my homeland of Missouri here soon.  Hope to be there in time to register for the upcoming elections.  Looks like NC will be getting Liddy [:(]

Side note-  Looks like I'll be moving the weekend of Hunfest [>(], but I'll be there for  The Hun Springfest[bounce]