> > Over here in the US, we had a 50/50 split in the Senate between the Republicans and the Democrats.
>
> Actually, I was going to post along these lines as well, but you got there first. Anyway...
>
> [Big snip] so why does it matter too much if one senator defects?
>

It's not so much the sway in voting, because Jeffords (the now-independent senator) was just as free to vote his conscience as a Republican as he is now. Most of the vote tallies i've heard for the Senate so far this year have been around 60-40.

What this does is end the 2-party co-leadership of everything. Despite the 50-50 balance, Trent Lott had retained the position of Majority Leader; now the Democrat Tom Daschle (i think) will become ML and Lott will move down to minority leader. Also, virtual every commitee will give power preference to Democrats.

It's sort of like two gropus of people yelling, except now one of them gets to use megaphones.

>
> Phil-"politics schmolitics"-bee

Penny "Couldn't have said it better myself" stamp