Celebrations and 'Steep' Mountains

 

As the final hours of Campaign 2006 wound down, the big question was how voter discontent would translate into control of Congress in the last two years of President Bush's administration.

"We really care about taking our country back, about changing the course in Iraq overseas, about helping average people pay the bills — the tuition bills and the prescription drug bills and the health-care bills and the energy bills — and that is why we are so passionate and so concerned about this election," Schumer told supporters around 8:45 p.m. "We're not breaking out the champagne bottles yet — it's gonna be a long night."

But Elizabeth Dole, head of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, said Democrats are getting ahead of themselves with the celebratory mood.

The crowd at GOP headquarters in Indianapolis welcomed re-elected Sen. Richard Lugar with applause and held up Lugar 2006 signs. Gov. Mitch Daniels, a former Lugar aide and campaign manager, wore a Lugar campaign button from 1976, when he was first elected to the Senate after a 1974 loss to Democrat Birch Bayh, father of Indiana's other senator, Evan Bayh.

"This is a celebration tonight for Indiana," Lugar said.

Meanwhile, in Pennsylvania, shortly before 10 p.m., Santorum called Casey to concede the Senate race, said Larry Smar, a spokesman for Casey. "Santorum was gracious," Smar said.

A strong conservative, Santorum later thanked all those who helped him this campaign season and during his 12 years in Washington and said he has no regrets about any of his stances on the War on Terror, or other issues.

"To all of you out here and the tens of thousands of volunteers … we appreciate everything you have done and sacrificed for us ... This just was just a little too steep a mountain to climb," he said, flanked by his wife and children.

"It's now going to be a great opportunity for me to do more about what I write about and talk about all the time, and that is to be a better father and husband to this wonderful family."

In Rhode Island, Whitehouse told supporters who voted for him, "I will work my heart out to honor your trust."

He also thanked Chafee, who he said "very graciously conceded the race," and thanked the Chafee family for its "long and distinguished legacy of public service."