With midterm elections just 10 days away, President George W. Bush traveled to Sellersburg, Indiana, on 28 October 2006, to campaign for Republican candidates and predict his party would retain control of Congress despite polls showing Democrats with a sizable lead.
Bush framed the election around two core issues: taxes and national security. He argued that Democrats would allow his tax cuts to expire, costing families roughly $500 per child annually, while Republicans would keep rates low and maintain a stronger stance against terrorism. On Iraq, he defended his administration's strategy, insisting the United States had a plan and would see the mission through.
Among those he supported was Indiana Representative Mike Sodrel, locked in a competitive race against Democrat Baron Hill. Vice President Dick Cheney and First Lady Laura Bush had also made campaign stops on Sodrel's behalf.
Polling data released that week painted a difficult picture for Republicans. A Pew Research Center survey of the 40 most contested districts showed Democrats leading 50 percent to 39 percent. A Newsweek poll of likely voters put Democrats ahead nationally, 53 percent to 39 percent, with Iraq ranking as voters' top concern.
To win Congress, Democrats needed to flip 15 House seats and six Senate seats, gains that would allow them to challenge Bush's agenda through the end of his term in January 2009.
Historical summary. TurkishPress restated this wire report, first published in October 2006, in its own words.