To the Point

Analysis of 2002 Midterm Elections

Though he won-t make any public statements today, almost everyone says that President Bush won big in yesterday-s midterm elections. He risked his prestige by campaigning hard in very tight races, and most of them went his way. Republicans now control the House by a comfortable margin. Their control of the Senate is a mere one-seat majority, a margin which could double, depending on the results of a December runoff between Louisiana Democratic incumbent Mary Landrieu and GOP rival Suzanne Terrell. Now that the Republicans control both houses of Congress, can they deliver? We look at the opportunities and the risks ahead for the President, Congress and the country with journalists, political strategists from both sides of the aisle, and California Republican Congressman David Dreier. Newsmaker: SEC Chairman Harvey Pitt Resigns on Election Night One of President Bush-s most controversial aides, Harvey Pitt, has resigned from the Securities and Exchange Commission. His action was announced at 9pm Eastern Standard Time last night. Adrian Michaels, who covers business regulation for the Financial Times, takes a look at the timing of the announcement, the partisan politics that provoked Pitt-s decision, his possible replacements and the sizeable task ahead. Reporter-s Notebook: Young Muslim Americans Take to Religion during Ramadan The holy month of Ramadan began last night with the sighting of the crescent moon over Saudi Arabia. The month of reflection and celebration is observed by more Americans each year. We hear about fasting, faith and the future of Islam in America from Abbas Ravjani, a junior at Austin College in Sherman, Texas, and Usman Mahda, community liaison of the King Fahd Mosque in Los Angeles.