Musical Chairs on the Hill: Regaining Control of the House Could Have Larger Political Consequence for African Americans Than If Clinton Stays in the White House

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A REPUBLICAN PRESIDENT, A REPUBLICAN-controlled House and a conservative-leaning Supreme Court is what potentially awaits the American public as the reelection races steamroll toward November.

And while much of the public is keeping a watchful eye on the slugfest between Bill Clinton and Bob Dole, perhaps an even more crucial battle is shaping up on Capitol Hill as the Democrats regain majority control then African American legislators are set to head critical committee seats.

All 435 House seats are up for vote and one-third, or 34 seats, are up for election in the Senate. But since many incumbents are running against little or no opposition, a great turnaround isn't expected. Then again, the Democrats don't need a great shift to turn the tide back in their favor--only a slight nudge. The Republicans currently hold 235 seats to the Democrats' 198, so the Democrats need only 20 seats to regain the majority. And as Newt Gingrich, along with his "Contract with America," continues to take a beating in the polls, the plausibility of snatching …