Opinion: Ticket photo of the week: Did someone order a large number of new seats for Congress?

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With dramatic midterm elections set for next Tuesday across the country, chair makers in Shanghai have obviously been working overtime to provide new seating assemblies for the new members of Congress come January.

For months, polling of angry, worried voters has indicated a tidal election in which the party balances in the House of Representatives and possibly the Senate will change from Democratic to Republican, as both houses changed from Republican to Democratic in 2006 and the other way around in Bill Clinton’s first midterm election in 1994.

A switch of 39 seats in the House will give the Republicans control of the chamber where all financial legislation originates. Predictions vary widely but appear to center in the 50-60 range, barring an even larger Republican turnout. And a less likely change of 10 seats in the Senate will turn that chamber over to the GOP.

Early voting has been going on in some places since late September. So, the actual results in some races may already be determined. But the ballots won’t be counted until Tuesday when the polls close.

-- Andrew Malcolm

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