Last-Minute Predictions from Hume's Panel: Dems Get House, Senate Teetering

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On Monday's Special Report with Brit Hume -- broadcast from FNC's (pretty dark) Manhattan headquarters instead of Washington, DC -- Fred Barnes, Morton Kondracke and Bill Kristol made some last-minute predictions on what will occur in Tuesday's election. All three agreed that Democrats, who need to capture 15 more seats to re-gain a majority in the House, will succeed. Barnes pegged the Democratic pick-up at 20 to 25 seats, Kondracke at 25 to 30 seats and Kristol at 35 to 40 seats.

In the Senate, where Democrats need a net gain of six seats to take control (counting expected independent victors Sanders of Vermont and Lieberman of Connecticut as organizing with Democrats), only Barnes was confident Republicans will hold the upper body -- but he didn't give a number. Kristol and Kondracke hedged their bets as both forecast a 50-50 split, which Vice President Cheney could break in favor of Republicans, or a 51 to 49 Democratic majority.

Meanwhile, on Monday's CBS Evening News, Bob Schieffer, the network's Chief Washington Correspondent, predicted the Democrats will takeover the House while the Senate will end up 50-50.

For many more predictions, check my Saturday night NewsBusters posting: “Pundits on McLaughlin Group, Beltway Boys and Inside Washington Issue Predictions”