James Jeffords: Republican Senator to Leave GOP

Speculation continued unfettered after it was reported by several Republican staffers that James Jeffords, first elected to the Senate in 1988, would be leaving the GOP. Whether the senator would switch to the Democratic party or become an Independent was unclear, but Jeffords told reporters that he would announce his decision today.

If Jeffords were to become a Democrat, the balance of power would swing their way, 51-49. While the current Senate alignment is evenly split at 50-50, Dick Cheney’s tie-breaking vote gives control to Republicans. Regardless of his decision, Jeffords has also said that his switch will not become official until after Congress finishes work on the current $1.35 trillion tax cut package.

While democrats are actively wooing Jeffords, the move by the Vermont senator is seen by many as the result of Jeffords’ dissatisfaction with the current administration rather than an ideological shift. As one of the Senate’s most moderate Republicans, Jeffords fought President Bush for more education spending and essentially forced Bush to scale back on the tax cut. Perhaps in retaliation, Jeffords, the Chairman of the Senate Education Committee, was not invited to the White House for the "Teacher of the Year" ceremony. The winning teacher was from his home state of Vermont.