Stoic losers disdain change

No soul-searching.

That was the verdict of Democratic leaders yesterday in the wake of across-the-board losses in the Tuesday elections. They lost, they said, not for the positions they took but because of a difficult election map and because Republicans clouded the issues.

“It’s not about soul-searching,” said House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, California Democrat. “It may be about how we can educate the American people more clearly on the difference between Democrats and Republicans.

“But we know what the soul of the Democratic Party is, and it’s about prosperity and community and opportunity and fairness. It’s about accountability, and it’s about protecting our country.”

That verdict was not unanimous. Some Democrats said the party must understand that Tuesday was “a major defeat for Democrats,” as Sen. Christopher J. Dodd of Connecticut put it.

Republicans “were actually winning in areas that were historically Democratic areas,” Mr. Dodd said. Democrats have to realize that they didn’t connect with voters on values, he said, and that they cannot concede that ground and win.

Sen. Thomas R. Carper of Delaware, who counts himself among the dozen or so centrist Democrats in the chamber, said the Kerry-Edwards team’s weakness in many states meant that other Democrats there had to run with little help from the top of the ticket.

“While I thought that Senator Kerry and Senator Edwards ran quite a good campaign, in the end, they weren’t competitive in many of the states where Senate seats were up for grabs,” said Mr. Carper. He supported Sen. Joe Lieberman of Connecticut in the party primaries.

“In the end, it was extremely difficult for our Democratic Senate candidates to overcome a 30-point spread that the president ran up against our ticket in places like Alaska, Oklahoma, South Carolina and South Dakota.”

Democratic losses were lightest in the House, with Mrs. Pelosi’s team dropping two seats to Republicans. In the Senate, Democrats lost four seats, giving the Republicans 55 seats.

Unlike in the ‘02 congressional elections, when Democrats exploited a fight over the House leadership as a surrogate battle over the direction of the party, there won’t be a fight in either chamber this year.

Sen. Harry Reid, Nevada Democrat, said yesterday that he has enough votes to replace Senate Minority Leader Tom Daschle of South Dakota, who was defeated for re-election. Mr. Dodd, who was considered a prospective challenger, said he would support Mr. Reid.

The battle to succeed Mr. Reid as minority whip appears to be between Sen. Byron L. Dorgan of North Dakota and Sen. Richard J. Durbin of Illinois.

“Earlier today, I received a call from President Bush and we discussed the need for reconciliation,” Mr. Reid said. “I appreciate the president reaching out, and I look forward to working with him on important issues for Nevada and the nation. At the same time, I will not shirk from my responsibility to stand up and fight for Nevada values and Democratic principles.”

Several Democrats said they won’t forgo legislative tactics to block Republican initiatives, including the filibuster in the Senate. Republicans are counting on their expanded majority to make Democrats “think twice.”

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