GOP GAINS BUT NOT EVERYTHING

Riding a wave of discontent about the state of politics and the economy, Republi­cans took a majority of seats in the House of Representa­tives on Tuesday but did not reach a majority in the Sen­ate, where Democrats hung on to a slim margin. Early returns showed that democrats lost 60 seats in the House, leaving them with 183 and Republicans with 238 with an additional 13 races still undecided. Two-hundred and eighteen seats are needed for a majority.

In the Senate, Democrats kept 51 seats, compared to the Republicans' 46 with three races too close to call, including the one between Washington state's Demo­cratic

Senator Patty Murray and her Republican chal­lenger Dino Rossi. The Re­publicans picked up 6 seats in the Senate.

In his (separate) calls with House Speaker-to-be John Boehner (R-Ohio) and Republican Senate Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky), President Barack Obama said he was "looking forward to working with him and the Republicans to findcommon ground, move the country forward and get things done for the American people." The president called Boehner at midnight to con­gratulate him. They had a brief but pleasant conver­sation. Boehner said he's always been straightforward and honest with the president in the past, and said that's the way he'll continue to be with the president in the future. They discussed working together to focus on the top priorities of the American people, which Boehner has identified as creating jobs and cutting spending. "That's what they expect," Boehner said. He thanked the presi­dent for the call. "Our new majority will prepare to do things differ­ently,

to take a new approach that hasn't been tried in Washington before by either party. It starts with cutting spending instead of increas­ing it," the Ohio Republican said in a later statement. He also had a message for President Obama: "While our new majority will serve as your voice in the people's House, we must remember it's the president who sets the agenda for our government. The American people have sent an un­mistakable message to him tonight, and that message is: change course." Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, in a tight race for his seat, was among the Democrats who won.

"Today Nevada chose hope over fear," Reid told supporters at a Las Vegas rally late Tuesday. "Nevada chose to move forward, not backward."