The result is a debacle for the Democratic Party and the Obama administration and presages a further shift to the right in official Washington.

More... (http://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2014/11/05/lead-n05.html)

In an interview on CNN Monday, Vice President Joseph Biden said the White House was willing to compromise with Republicans and had begun working on areas where joint action might be possible. He said the Republicans had to make a decision: “Are they going to begin to allow things to happen? Or are they going to continue to be obstructionists? And I think they’re going to choose to get things done.”

Since Obama got elected I have been anticipating a degradation of the Democratic Party 'brand' as a result of Obama's march to the right, but it ain't looking like that's gonna pan out. With this election the Prez has got all the cover he need's to advance those issues which have been on the back burner since about 2011, Pacific Trade, XL, "entitlements". I suspect these results were anticipated by the D wonks and that little was done to alter the results, if that were even possible, it's just the way things were trending. And so the insidious beauty of Bourgeois Democracy. Mebbe weak candidates were encouraged, mebbe a 'gaff' here or there but that's small change relative to the big picture. So Obama's got two years to fix his 'legacy', to tidy up and push his initiatives, come hell or high water. Compromise is in the air. The beauty of it is that the Ds will come out of this mostly clean, it'll be those evil Republicans who will force Obama to 'compromise', for the good of the country. Cause ya see we gotta elect more Democrats, same old song & dance. The Dems will continue to slide Right even as they renew making leftish noises, at least selectively.

And so, still no breathing room.

Life imitates art:

"Please don't throw me in the brier patch, Brer Turtle!"