It was a year of great power shifts. Democrats reversed 12 years of Republican dominance on Capitol Hill as they took control of the House and Senate in the midterm elections. Sen. George Allen was the insider's front runner for 2008 and then became the first political victim of the YouTube era. Super lobbyist Jack Ambramoff fell from the "King of K Street" to prisoner. And Rep. Tom DeLay went from House Majority Leader to become yet another blogger.
It was also a year of great political comebacks. In OH-6, Charlie Wilson couldn't get on the ballot and then won a remarkable write-in campaign. In Connecticut, Sen. Joe Lieberman lost a primary challenge to Ned Lamont and then crushed him in the general election. And California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (R) came back from the near dead, winning re-election in a landslide.
The 2008 presidential race was also transformed by events in 2006. Mark Warner, once seen as the best challenger to Sen. Hillary Clinton in the Democratic presidential race, has already dropped out of the race. Now, a U.S. Senator unknown just two years ago threatens to upend the presidential race if he decides to run.
And, of course, Vice President Cheney shot his friend in the face.
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Here are some other year end reviews:
The Hotline goes month by month through the political events of the year.
Charlie Cook notes those who tried to impose a Tip O' Neill-style "all politics is local" template on the 2006 elections missed the boat.
CQ Politics observes Democrats also did very well in state legislative races as well this year.
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