WASHINGTON, NOVEMBER 8: Hillary Clinton led a strong Democratic bid to retake the Republican-controlled US Senate and House, but the effort fell short.The Grand Old Party, as the Republicans are sometimes called, narrowly retained control of both Houses. Should George W Bush win the Presidency, it will be the first time since 1952 that the same party had controlled the White House, the Congress, and the Senate.But on a nailbitingly suspenseful night, Hillary Rodham Clinton was the cynosure of all eyes before the dramatic events later in the night.A brilliant attorney who has subsumed her own political career for 24 years to back her husband stepped centerstage today when she defeated Rick A. Lazio, a 42-year-old, four-term Congressman from Long Island. A dewy-eyed President Clinton stood behind and beside her as she thanked her constituents for the victory and promised to work her heart out for them.It is the first time in American history that a First Lady has entered the legislature. She will also be the first woman Senator from New York. In fact, Hillary Clinton will be sworn in as a Senator while she is still the First Lady since the Senate meets early January and Bill Clinton does not demit office till January 20.Within hours of her victory, talking heads were already speculating about when she will run for President. A Senate term runs six years, but there is nothing that prevents her from running in 2004, when the next presidential election is due.Hillary Clinton's bid for elected office rose from the ashes of the Monica Lewinsky scandal. Having stood by her husband during his most difficult moments, it appeared as if she was determined now to step out of his shadow.The opportunity came when New York's distinguished Senator Daniel P Moynihan, a former US ambassador decided to retire at the end of his term this year(both Moynihan and his daughter Moira, who lives in Kathmandu, were by Hillary's side yesterday).Hillary's initial opponent was Rudolph Giuliani, the formidable Republican Mayor of New York but he opted out after marital troubles and after being diagnosed with prostrate cancer. Lazio then stepped up to fill the vacancy.Although Hillary won easily in the end, the race looked close for a while, especially after Hillary first angered Jews by kissing up (literally) to Yasser Arafat's wife Suha and then irked her Muslim constituents by returning contributions from Arab-American organisations.Riding on Hillary's victory, Democrats seemed set to tie the Senate 50-50, but Republicans will retain control if Bush wins the Presidency because the vice-president has a veto in the Senate.Even if Gore wins, Republicans will retain control since Gore's vice-president Joe Lieberman is a senator and will have to resign his Senate seat. His seat will be filled by a nominated Republican because Connecticut, the state he has been elected from, has a Republican governor.Democrats also failed to win the House of Representatives where they were in a 211-224 disadvantage. All results had not come in, but it appears the margin will remain about the same. All 435 Congressmenhave to be re-elected every two years, but only one-third of the Senate goes to the polls ever two years.Almost all members of the 120-member India Congressional Caucus retained their seat save for one shock result. Ten-term Congressman Sam Gedjenson, a prominent member of the Caucus and a protege of Chester Bowles, a former US ambassador to India, crashed to a stunning defeat in a Connecticut district.In the most closely watched House contest, Democrats defeated Republican Congressman James Rogan, one of the prosecutors who led President Clinton's impeachment in the Monica Lewinsky scandal. Democrats had sworn to unseat him and Clinton took a personal interest in the contest.
