European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - November 10, 1988, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Thursday november 10, 19bb the stars and stripes Page 3 democrats Post slight Senate gains by the associated press Washington democrats bolstered their majority in inc Senate by ousting three term gop Maver ick Lowell Wick or of Connecticut who refused to concede defeat and by capturing Republican seals in Virginia Nevada and Nebraska in tuesday 5 election. The election decisions give president elect George Bush the Prospect of opening his administration with Congress solidly in democratic hands. Senate minority Leader Bob Dole of Kansas conceded that the cop s numbers in the Senate would be shaved in the 101st Congress. It s going to be lousier he said. And he added that Bush should Bear part of tin blame for failing to help Campaign for Senate gop candidates. But sen. Edward m. Kennedy mass., said he believes that Bush will find a cooperative spirit on Capitol Hill because the problems arc Loo important for Congress not to work with the  democrats won four scats previously held by republicans and the gop captured two scats held by democrats raising the democratic margin of control to 56-44, a two scat gain. But that gain May narrow to one if democrats fail to hold on to Florida. Several races were decided by narrow tallies and the contest in Florida remained Loo close to Call wednesday. By mid Oming. Democratic rep. Buddy Mackay s 8,000 Vole Lead Over conservative Republican rep. Connie Mack had dropped to about 5,300, with 100,000 Absentee ballots of accounted later in the Day. The race for the scat of retiring Democrat Lawton Chiles was so tight that a decision might rest in the counting of an estimated 100,000 Absentee ballots. Mack Campaign officials said they expected to do better than Mackay since traditionally a Large number of such ballots arc cast by military personnel a group that Mack considers part of his constituency. Mack s strategists said they would request an automatic recount of the ballots a process to which they Are entitled under Florida Law if the Winner and loser Are separated by half a percentage Point or less. We might have a couple of accounts before we re done said Tom Mason a  for the Republican Senato rial Campaign committee. Commenting on the Senate elections Dole who lost to Bush in the party s presidential primaries was critical of the Republican Winner for doing too Tittle to help gop Senate candidates. We could have used a Little help from the vice president in some of the Stales Florida Dole said. We pleaded with them logo to  the top s wins came in Montana where former farm broadcaster Conrad Burns edged out democratic sen. John Melcher who was seeking a third term and in Mississippi where rep. Trent loll the Deputy House Republican Leader Defeated rep. Wayne dowdy for the seat being vacated by sen. John Stinnis the Senate s senior Democrat. Sen. Loyd Bentsen a Texas who went Down to defeat with Michael Dukakis As inc democratic vice presidential candidate D.D.nol end election Day empty handed. He won re election to a fourth scale term. Connecticut attorney general Joseph Lieberman edged Weicker by a paper thin margin after a hard fought Campaign in which he accused the senator of pursuing his own Brand of Liberal politics while ignoring Home stale concerns. Weicker who first gained National attention As a Gruff outspoken member of the Senate watergate committee and who became one of the Senate s most Liberal and inde pendent members refused to concede. "1 wish i were Here to declare a Victory or a Cecal Weicker told supporters. Unfortunately i m not in a position to do either right  Bui he added no Mailer How All this turns out i Don t. Lowell Weicker. Stilt won t concede have one single  Lieberman portrayed Weicker i n television commercials As a sleeping Bear who missed important Voles. The attack undermined Wick or s winning coalition of moderate re publicans and democrats. In Washington former Republican sen. Slade Gorton succeeded in his comeback try despite Strong opposition from rep. Mike Lowry a Liberal Democrat. Gorton will succeed sen Daniel Evans who is retiring Wyoming Republican sen. Malcolm Wallop one of the chamber s most conservative members withstood an unexpectedly Strong Challenge from state sen. John Vinich a populist Democrat. With 99 percent of inc Vole counted Wallop led 89,388 to 83,504 easily the closest outcome of the year s 33 scan traces. Vinich had accused Wallop of being out of touch with Wyoming s economic problems. Millionaire Wisconsin businessman Herb Kohl who spent millions of dollars on his own race and declared that his Money gave him an Independence few could claim Defeated Susan eng Leiter the gop Leader in the stale scale. Sen. William Proxmire wis., had held the scat since 1957. In new Jersey democratic incumbent Frank Laulin Berg withstood a determined Challenge by Republican Pete Dawkins beating the former Rhodes scholar football Star and army brigadier general in what Many described As the nation s most . Brushing aside the issues of his age and health 80-year old sen. Quentin Burdick d.d., who underwent surgery in August for Colon cancer Defeated the slate s House re publican Leader Earl Strinden 56, to keep the scat he has held since 1960. In Virginia former democratic gov. Charles Robb the son in Law of the Laic. President Lyndon b. Johnson crushed Black gop candidate Mauncy Dawkins for the Seal of retiring Republican Paul Trible Robb s reaction How Sweet it  -.,.-. In Nebraska Republican sen. David Kames who was appointed to the Job was Defeated by former democratic Herb Kohl. Spent millions of dollars 1o win gov. Bob Kerrey who won the congressional medal of Honor in the Vietnam War. Kerrey reacted to Victory by bursting into song singing a rendition of Australia s Waltzing Matilda Lei s Waltz tonight and begin work tomorrow Kerrey said. In Nevada democratic gov Richard Bryan narrowly Defeated freshman gop incumbent Chic Hucht after a Seesaw Bailie. Hecht bore the Brunt of criticism accusing him of ineffectiveness in blocking plans to locate a nuclear . Ohio s Howard Metzenbaum a Liberal two term Senate Democrat turned Back a Challenge by heavily financed Cleveland mayor George Voinovich. Sen. Pete Wilson calif., survived a Strong Challenge from democratic it. Gov. Leo Mccarthy in the nation s most expensive Senate race. Been won Bosilj Robert Stafford. In both parties most incumbents easily won Newt runs. Democratic winners included Robert Byrd of West Vir Ginia who is leaving his Post As democratic Leader but will take Over the  the appropriations commit tee Kennedy chairman of the labor and human re sources committee sen. George Mitchell. A Maine one of three senators seeking to replace Byrd As democratic Leader Jim Sasser of Tennessee Paul Sarbanis of Maryland Daniel Patrick Moynihan of new York Jeff Bingaman of new Mexico Donald ring la of Michigan Dennis Diccon Cini of Arizona and spark Matsunaga of Hawaii. Republican incumbents winning re election included Sens. John Heinz of Pennsylvania Richard Lugar of Indi Ana John Danforth of Missouri William Roth of Dela Ware John Chafic of Rhode Island Orrin Hatch of Utah and Minnesota s David  who Defeated state attorney general Hubert skip Humphrey. Humphrey is the son of the late Hubert Humphrey former senator vice president and 1968 democratic presidential candidate. Fewer than 50% of voters h Washington a americans stayed away from the polls in droves again this year probably pushing voter turnout Levels below that of the 1948 election when 5li percent of eligible voters cast ballots preliminary figures showed wednesday. Voter turnout could even dip below the 50 percent Mark said Curtis cans director of the committee for the study of inc american electorate a non partisan non profit research and Public policy organization cans predicted turnout would end up Between the level of the 1948 elec Tion and the Low reached in the 1924 election pegged at around 48 percent to49percent.we had a horrible election in a variety of ways. And he people responded accordingly he  based his preliminary prediction on analysis of 29 states and the District of Columbia that by Early. Wednesday had 90 percent or More precincts reporting. -.,. With the exception of possibly Mississippi and new Hampshire which May equal their turnout in 1984 but not substantially exceed it in every Uther slate and the District of Colum Bia turnout is Down and sharply in. Some he  said it was not Clear whether the television networks Early Calls of the election had any effect on turnout in Western Stales. Lbs the first network to proclaim Bush the Winner called the race at 9 17 p.m., an hour and 43 minutes before polls closed on the West coast. Cans noted thai in 1984 and 1980, the net works called the race 2 it to three hours before the polls closed in the West. Cans said the apparent decline broadly reflected voting patterns of the past three decade turnout was 53.1 percent in the last presidential election slightly up from the 52,6 percent in 1980 after steadily declining since 1948, inc year of Harry is Truman s upset Victory Over Thomase.  be had nothing but negative elections since 1964 on the presidential level he said. Americans went to the polls to Vole against the Vietnam War against watergate and against Jimmy Carter among other things he said he said voters arc also turned off by images of government officials being sent off to jail and by television cover age thai makes people spectators to politics instead of participants. " increasingly non voting is be coming a rational act and a response and protest to the politics they