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Senate Democrats struggle to unite

For all the talk about their disappearing 60-vote supermajority, Senate Democrats appear to be less concerned about the one seat they lost than about the 59 seats they still have.

In the wake of Republican Scott Brown’s stunning victory in the Massachusetts Senate race, Majority Leader Harry Reid and the White House have struggled to win over moderate Democrats in order to increase the Treasury Department’s borrowing authority. Thirteen Democrats — including five up for reelection in November — have defected from the White House and joined a Republican effort to end the Troubled Asset Relief Program. And grumbling Democratic senators have created a scare over Ben Bernanke’s confirmation for a second term as chairman of the Federal Reserve.

Although they still hold a 59-41 majority, Democrats are worried that the souring national mood — and the looming midterm elections — will cause more splits in their caucus and kill off their best hope in a generation of achieving far-reaching domestic policy goals.

“Look, I think that anybody that is not concerned is not paying very close attention,” Sen. Kent Conrad (D-N.D.), chairman of the Budget Committee, said when asked about whether the party’s broader agenda is at risk. “I don’t know what could be more clear. The polls show it; our meetings with our constituents show it. But hey, we’ve got to recalibrate.”

“Having 60 Democrats and having 60 votes are two different things; I think that’s one important observation,” said Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), pointing to the need for Democrats to pick up at least one Republican vote now to overcome GOP filibuster threats. “I think the other point is that we remain committed to principles and our work, but the Republicans are now the gatekeepers to progress.”

The dynamic is not unusual. In an election year, Congress typically gets less done, as party leaders are hesitant to take up controversial pieces of legislation that could roil the electorate. And the party that is facing a bleaker election-year prognosis typically has a harder time staying united.

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President Barack Obama will try to regain momentum for Democrats when he delivers his State of the Union address Wednesday.

But it’s a tall order. After the Brown victory, and coupled with the losses in the Virginia and New Jersey gubernatorial races, there is a growing lack of confidence within Democratic circles over the Obama administration’s ability to control the political message more effectively than Republicans.

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