Blog Post 2.6 "The 113th Congress"

Read the following 2 info-graphics from Time magazine.

http://swampland.time.com/2012/11/07/the-senate-after-33-races-a-few-new-faces/
http://swampland.time.com/2012/11/07/the-house-election-2012/

Then read the following editorial from The New York Times.  
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/11/13/opinion/a-new-chance-for-the-senate.html?hp

Write a 2 paragraph summary of what to expect from the 113th Congress and answer the following questions.

1. Why would Harry Reid had the chance to get filibuster reform done earlier than 2011?
2. What was the original intention of the filibuster?
3. How has the role of the filibuster changed in the Senate?
4. What is the way filibuster reform may get done with a simple majority vote?
5. What had Republican Senators achieved with the filibuster in the last term of Congress?
6. In the last 50 years, how often have the Democrats controlled the Senate?
7. Which presidents had to deal with an opposition Senate?
8. Why were Joe Connely and Claire McCaskill elected so easily?
9. What is unique about Wisconsin's new senator?
10. What does it mean to say the independent senators may caucus with the Democrats?
11. Which presidents have had to deal with an opposition House?
12. Which states had the largest gains for Republicans in the House?
13. Which states had gains for Democrats in the House?