US Democrats appear on smooth campaign ride

Washington, Nov 6: Democrats, who have been known to bungle golden political opportunities, are holding their breath.

With just days to go before voters could hand them control of the US Congress, their ride has been relatively smooth.

Instead of shooting themselves in the foot, they have sat back and watched President George W Bush's Republicans do the self destructing, dragged down by influence-peddling and sex scandals, the Iraq war and a slow response last year to Hurricane Katrina.

Democrats, by comparison, have sustained few self-inflicted wounds and suffered only a minor scrape last week with Sen John Kerry's ''botched joke'' about Iraq.

''It is a classic case of role reversal,'' said Marshall Wittmann, a former Senate Republican aide now with the Democratic Leadership Council's Progressive Policy Institute.

''Republicans seem to be struck by every malady that could afflict a party, while Democrats look like Republicans use to look -- in charge, efficient, on message,'' said Wittmann, who said he is a registered independent.

Andrew Taylor, a political science professor at North Carolina State University, said: ''Democrats have been skillful, and they have been lucky. You can't control everything, so you cross your fingers and hope your guys do the right thing.'' Rep Kendrick Meek, a Florida Democrat, disagrees. ''I don't consider it luck. It's 12 years of being in the (House) minority and a desire to no longer be in the minority. We're united.'' Bush, who has been battered with low approval ratings, has mocked Democrats, accusing them of being overly confident and already ''measuring the drapes'' for their anticipated new offices on Capitol Hill.

Reuters