NewsBank Hot Topics

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NEWSBANK HOT TOPICS - Special Election 2006 Issue

NATIONAL IMPACT
Congressional Elections – U.S. House of Representatives
TOPIC: The Democrats have won a majority of seats in the House of Representatives for the first time since 1994. What benefits do the Democrats now have with their new majority status? Name some of the people who will hold leadership roles in the House. Of the declared winners, what have been some of the upsets?
SEARCH TERMS: congressional elections 2006 AND U.S. Congress House

Expected New Speaker of the House – Nancy Pelosi
TOPIC: Nancy Pelosi is expected to be the new Speaker of the House of Representatives. What makes her new position historic? What are some of the duties of Speaker of the House?
SEARCH TERMS: Nancy Pelosi

Congressional Elections – U.S. Senate
TOPIC: A few states are still evaluating the results of closely held Senate races. How does this impact the political power structure of the U.S. Senate? What races are still being decided? Of the declared winners, what have been some of the upsets?
SEARCH TERMS: congressional elections 2006 AND U.S. Congress Senate

Congressional Elections – Governors
TOPIC: Many states held elections for governor. What political party won a majority of governorships? What were some of the high-profile races? When was the last time the Democratic Party has won a majority of governorships?
SEARCH TERMS: governors AND elections

ELECTION DAY ISSUES
The War in Iraq
TOPIC: According to almost every poll, the driving issue behind this election was the war in Iraq. What are the specific issues about the war that have been debated? What have been the positions of the two major political parties and what individuals within those parties have formulated unique positions on this war?
SEARCH TERMS: congressional elections 2006 AND Iraq

Stem Cell Research
TOPIC: Stem cell research was a primary issue in the mid-term elections of 2006. How has this impacted some key races? What political advertisement garnered national attention?
SEARCH TERMS: congressional elections 2006 AND stem cells

Political Corruption
TOPIC: Charges and investigations of corruption have been a primary factor for many voters in this year’s mid-term elections. What are some examples of corruption that impacted individual races? What is a primary investigation of a case corruption that impacted a number of congressmen?
SEARCH TERMS: corruption and congressional elections 2006

LOCAL ELECTION RESULTS
Connecticut Senator – Joe Lieberman
TOPIC: Joe Lieberman has won the senate election in Connecticut. What is the unique factor in this race that caused it to draw so much national attention? What are some of the positions held by Senator Lieberman that made his a controversial candidate?
SEARCH TERMS: Joe Lieberman

Massachusetts Governor Race
TOPIC: Democrat Deval Patrick has won the governor’s race in Massachusetts. How is Patrick’s winning historic? What other state’s former governor has had a similar historic distinction?
SEARCH TERMS: Deval Patrick

Minnesota House of Representatives – Keith Ellison
TOPIC: Democrat Keith Ellison has won a seat in the House of Representatives for Minnesota. What are two ways in which Ellison’s win is historic? What have been some of Ellison’s political positions?
SEARCH TERMS: Keith Ellison

REACTIONS TO ELECTION
International Reaction
TOPIC: Foreign nations are watching the results of this election with interest. What has been their reaction as the results come in? What issues are they concerned about?
SEARCH TERMS: congressional elections 2006 and U.S. image abroad

National Reaction
TOPIC: As the Democrats have increased their national political power significantly in the 2006 mid-term elections, the citizens of the nation are reacting. What has been the speculation of people as to how the country will change with the new power change?
SEARCH TERMS: voter attitudes AND congressional elections 2006