Capitol Hill angst

Nearly a month before the midterm elections, the mood on Capitol Hill is different from what it has been for many years.

There is angst on both sides of the aisle, as Democrats fear that a great wave is coming destructively toward them and Republicans feel the tremendous weight of expectations on their shoulders.

{mosads}Many lawmakers who returned from the August recess were ready to return home as soon as possible. And as The Hill recently reported, some candidates (especially Senate hopefuls in the House) have missed a lot of floor votes this month, opting to campaign instead of legislate.

There are critics of that approach — members are paid to represent their district and vote in Washington. But it is the campaign season, and as Vice President Joe Biden said earlier this year, most of the heavy lifting is over in the 111th Congress.

The House and Senate are up for grabs, although many campaign analysts say the lower chamber is far more likely to flip than the upper one.

Political careers are on the line, ranging from House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) to Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee Chairman Chris Van Hollen (Md.).

While Reid is facing a challenging reelection race, Pelosi and Van Hollen have vowed that Democrats will retain the House. If they don’t, other House Democrats may seek their leadership posts.

Republicans are also under the gun. House Republicans have clearly defined victory as grabbing the gavel from Pelosi. Anything less than that will be deemed a victory for the Democrats and defeat for the GOP.

Those high expectations put a lot of pressure on House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio), who easily survived leadership challenges in 2006 and 2008. If Republicans disappoint in November, Boehner’s position as the top-ranking House Republican could be in jeopardy.

Capitol Hill reporters who normally press lawmakers on policy questions are now pressing them on their reelection chances. And with so many members in close races where a gaffe can make the difference between winning and losing, members of Congress are understandably tight-lipped about their campaigns.

In 2004, there were only four incumbents in Congress who lost (not counting Texas redistricting). Since then, job security for a lot of members has vanished.