Democrats and Obama headed for losses

Washington

IT'S one of Washington's most familiar political axioms: The political party that controls the White House tends to lose Congressional seats during the mid-term elections that take place two years after one presidential race and two years before the next.

As a rule, voter turnout in races for the House of Representatives and the Senate (as well as for several governorships and city governments) are lower than during the presidential elections. And those who do turn out to vote on Election Day use the opportunity to vent their anger at the sitting president and his political party.