Democrats To Control Bush`s Hard-Line

Breaking the 50-50 balance of power, the US Senator James M. Jeffords (R- Vt.) is to quit the GOP.

Sen. Jeffords told his associates that he would stand independent and cooperate with the Democrats on organizational matters. He has already sided with the Democrats on the issues of education, environment, and abortion.

Consequently, the balance of the Senate is to be reformulated to 49 Republicans and 50 Democrats with one Democrat leaning independent. It would set a new record in the US congressional history that the majority party loses its controlling power by the switch of party register.

By the congressional law, the Democrats would replace all-20 standing committee chairmanships with its members.

If Joseph Biden Jr. (D-Del) replaces a conservative Republican Jesse Helms for the standing foreign committee chairmanship, the Bush administration`s foreign policy is also expected to be seriously impacted.

The US news called it `political earthquake` and anticipate that the Jeffords` switch will have profound impacts on the carriage of bills and the appointment of the government officials and federal judgeships.

When Jeffords met privately with President Bush and Vice President Cheney, he expressed his reservations with the Republican Party, which has become more conservative.

15 Senators have switched their party since 1980: 14 Democrats to GOP and one Republican to the Democrats.

Meanwhile, the Washington Post reported that Republicans are mounting a strong effort to influence Democratic Senators to switch, including Sen. Zell Miller (D-Ga.) who had started voting regularly with the Republicans since earlier this year.

Senators. Lincoln D. Chafee (R-R.I.) and John McCain (R-Ariz.), who have their differences with the GOP and with Bush, were also speculated that they would switch parties, but they have denied the possibility.

mickey@donga.com