Round III: The Giuliani Years (Midterms, January 2007-September 2007)
Heading into another year of the Giuliani Administration, and the 2008 Presidential Election is already begun. Candidates are starting to test the waters, including those on the right (Bob Smith and Jim DeMint) who may challenge the President for the Republican Nomination. No official word from either camps, but as the year ticks on, more names will emerge and candidacies will be declared. 2006 saw the Midterms, an often difficult showing for the incumbent party, but Giuliani's strong approval ratings over the handling of Hurricane Katrina in 2005 and the welcome news of the successful Surge in Iraq, the President sits comfortably with an average 55 percent approval rating to start out the new year.
Democrats in an attempt to mire the Administration in scandal and tie Giuliani to corruption, went after him over his actions involving green energy, with some going as so far to call it unconstitutional and exceeding his authority. The President has dismissed the charges by Democrats and at a Press Conference, prior to the November election addressed the matter. "In all seriousness, no. Those people who are upset about the Department of Energy pursuing other forms of energy other than oil, are just trying to make names for themselves. Isn't it the job of the Department of Energy to research and invest in energy production? We're not raising taxes to provide these alternative energy grants, we're taking a small portion of funds already set aside for the DoE and using it for a different purpose. I don't need Congressional Approval to do this. The President is given the power to issue Executive Orders to regulate the functioning of the Executive Branch of the Federal Government. By telling Secretary Domenici how to spend the money that Congress granted the DoE in the budget, I'm just doing my job."
The President also made 2 appointments to the Supreme Court. First by making Anthony Kennedy, the new Chief Justice (replacing William Rehnquist) along with John Roberts, who replaced Sandra Day O'Connor and Orin Hatch who succeeded Anthony Kennedy. All nominations were approved without delay by the United States Senate.
The Midterm Election season was one for the books, with many incumbents being ousted in primaries. One of the most notable being Rick Santorum of Pennsylvania, who lost to former governor Tom Ridge in a narrow election. Heading into the Election Republican held majorities in both the House and the Senate and historically were projected to lose a few seats, but the strong approval ratings of the President, as well as the booming economy and success in Iraq, gave the Democrats with very little to run on. Though, the results could hardly be described a landslide, but more of a moderate success for the incumbent party. 2006 was the best showing for an incumbent party since 1998, interestingly when Bill Clinton was serving his second term and mired in the Lewinsky Scandal. Though it wasn't a complete loss for Democrats, they did win the keys to a few Governor's Mansions and and scored a few Senate seats.Gubernatorial Elections: 2006 (Excerpt)
Alabama: Republican Hold
√ (R) Roy Moore: 55.6%
(D) Lucy Baxley: 44.4%
Alaska: Republican Hold
√ (R) Sarah Palin: 50.0%
(D) Tony Knowles: 39.5%
(L) Andrew Halcro: 7.7%
Other: 2.8%
Arkansas: Republican Hold
√ (R) Asa Hutchinson: 50.1%
(D) Mike Beebe: 49.3%
Arizona: Democratic Hold
√ (D) Janet Napolitano: 62.0%
(R) Len Munsill: 35.9%
California: Republican Hold
√ (R) Arnold Schwarzengger: 59.1%
(D) Phil Angelides: 35.9%
Colorado: Democrat Gain
√ (D) Bill Ritter: 52.8%
(R) Bob Beauprez: 46.1%
Connecticut: Republican Hold
√ (R) Jodi Rell: 68.9%
(D) John DeStefano: 27.5%
(G) Clifford Thornton: 3.6%
Florida: Republican Hold
√ (R) Charlie Crist: 50.3%
(D) Jim Davis: 44.8%
(L) John Wayne Smith: 4.8%
Idaho: Republican Hold
√ (R) C.L. Butch Otter: 54.0%
(D) Jerry Brandy: 42.9%
(L) Ted Dunlap: 3.1%
Massachusetts: Democratic Gain
√ (D) Deval Patrick: 47.4%
(D) Bill Weld: 46.9%
(I) Christy Mihos: 4.7%
Minnesota: Republican Hold
√ (R) Tim Pawlenty: 50.5%
(D) Mike Hatch: 47.3%
Other: 2.2%
New York: Republican Hold
√ (R) Donald Trump: 51.0%
(D) Eliot Spitzer: 47.1%
Ohio: Democratic Pickup
√ (D) Ted Strickland: 51.8%
(R) Ken Blackwell: 47.0%
Maryland: Republican Hold
√ (R) Bob Ehrich: 50.5%
Martin O'Malley: 49.4%
Maine: Republican Gain
√ (R) Peter Mills: 35.5%
(D) John Baldacci: 32.1%
(I) Barbara Merrill: 29.4%
Oregon: Democratic Hold
√ (D) Ted Kulongoski: 50.7%
(R) Ron Saxton: 45.9%
Other: 3.4%
Wisconsin: Democratic Hold
√ (D) Jim Doyle: 49.7%
(R) Mark Green: 48.9%
Republicans: 28
Democrats: 22
Senatorial Elections: 2006 (Snapshot)
Connecticut Senatorial Election: Democratic Hold
√ (D) Ned Lamont: 49.61%
(R) Alan Schlesinger: 49.46%
Maryland Senatorial Election: Republican Gain
√ (R) Michael Steele: 49.7%
Ben Cardin: 49.0%
Minnesota Senatorial Election: Independent Pickup
√ (I) Jesse Ventura: 38.9%
(D) Amy Klobuchar: 31.1%
(R) Mark Kennedy: 29.0%
Missouri Senatorial Election: Republican Hold
√ (R) Jim Talent: 50.3%
(D) Claire McCaskill: 48.7%
Montana Senatorial Election: Democratic Gain
√ (D) Jon Tester: 49.12%
(D) Conrad Burns: 49.07%
New Jersey Senatorial Election: Republican Gain
√ (R) Thomas Kean, Jr: 49.30%
(D) Bob Menendez: 49.05%
Ohio Senatorial Election: Democratic Gain
√ (D) Sherrod Brown: 50.4%
(R) Mike DeWine: 47.3%
Pennsylvania Senatorial Election: Republican Hold
√ (R) Tom Ridge: 50.4%
(D) Bob Casey: 48.7%
Other: 2.2%
Rhode Island Senatorial Election: Republican Hold
√ (R) Lincoln Chaffee: 48.5%
(D) Sheldon Whitehouse: 47.9%
Other: 3.6%
Tennessee Senatorial Election: Republican Hold
√ (D) Bob Corker 50.8%
(D) Harold Ford, Jr.: 47.9%
Texas Senatorial Election: Republican Hold
√ (R) Ron Paul: 50.9%
(D) Barbara Ann Radnofsky: 48.0%
Virginia Senatorial Election: Republican Hold
√ (R) George Allen: 51.5%
(D) Jim Webb: 47.5%
Vermont Senatorial Election: Indepndent Gain
√ (I) Bernie Sanders: 56.9%
(R) Richard Tarrant: 43.1%
