I was wrong last week when I suggested that both parties should begin sucking up to Kansas Independent, Greg Orman, and here’s why. I thought short term – Senate majority for the next two years – rather than long term – keep the two-party duopoly in place. Neither party wants anyone to think he or she can be an important United States Senator, let alone a majority maker, without passing through one of their tollbooths. The R’s are going after Orman hard and the D’s are not stepping in to help him.

I am always glad to gain the additional cynicism necessary to look after my readers.

If you read this on Sunday, the US will probably be losing the Ryder Cup with the TV on mute. I am writing it Saturday night thinking the D’s must feel like the US side watching its hopes slip away. For the D’s, the first week on the LibertyPell Nyah Nyah Senate Majority Index was like Day 1 of the Ryder Cup: 5-3 down but plenty of time left. Now the second Nyah Nyah week is like Day 2 of the Ryder Cup: another 5-3 loss with fewer matches left to play.

All the prognosticators now favor the R’s to take the Senate with odds ranging from just better than 50/50 to a high of 63%. Of the eight key races, Orman the independent is still favored but the others have flipped from 5 D’s and 2 R’s to 2 D’s and 5R’s.

If that count holds, the R’s have 52, the D’s have 47 and newly elected Kansas Independent, Greg Orman, is assigned office space in a broom closet. There he can caucus with Angus King of Maine, Bernie Sanders of Vermont and the herd of unicorns that Bernie tends.