For Casey, party's gains could give him added clout

0 Comments | Philadelphia Inquirer, The, November, 2006 | by Steve Goldstein

Bob Casey Jr. went to bed a senator-elect and yesterday awoke to the possibility of being in the Senate majority. Having trounced Rick Santorum, the No. 3 Republican in the Senate, Casey embraced the possibility that a Democratic victory in Virginia could make his election much more significant. "I don't think the approach is any different," Casey said in an interview, "but the opportunity to have a more significant impact on Pennsylvania is obviously greater if you're in the majority." With Casey the first Pennsylvania Democrat elected to a full Senate term in 44 years, his impact is already being felt - along with that of the new House majority.

The senator-elect, who had been calling for Donald H. Rumsfeld's ouster for months, said the defense secretary's resignation was...