By Steve Holland

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Bush (news - web sites) ran roughshod over historical trends early on Wednesday as his Republicans enjoyed solid victories in midterm elections and his spokesman credited Bush for helping them.

Bush, having put his personal prestige on the line, was in a giddy mood as Republicans picked up seats in the House of Representatives and grabbed the Senate from the Democrats.

Republican control of both houses of Congress will give Bush's legislative agenda a boost, making it easier for him to push through his proposal for a Department of Homeland Security, now bottled up by the Democrats, get his judicial nominees confirmed and provide further tax breaks.

If the Senate had stayed Democratic, Bush's next two years could have been difficult without significant compromises on his part.

Bush watched the election returns on television way past his usual bedtime, talked by phone to more than 30 winning candidates, walked his dogs Barney and Spot at 12:45 a.m., then made a last call to political adviser Karl Rove at 1:15 a.m.

White House spokesman Ari Fleischer (news - web sites) had described Bush as "cautiously optimistic" that Republicans would take away the Senate from the Democrats' one-vote majority.

Bush clearly bucked history: The party in control of the White House usually loses seats in midterm congressional elections.

In fact, he was headed to becoming the third president in a century to gain seats in the U.S. House of Representatives seats in a midterm election after Franklin Roosevelt in 1934 and Bill Clinton in 1998.

"President Bush and the Republican Party tonight have made history," crowed Fleischer. He said Republicans had never picked up House seats in a president's first midterm election and never taken control of the Senate in like fashion.

"By all accounts the night has gone very well," he said.

Fleischer was quick to praise what he called Bush's "constructive role" in helping promote winning Republican candidates. Bush has a high wartime popularity and analysts were likely to see the night's results as a possible prelude to the president's own expected re-election battle in 2004.

The White House festivities got an early start when Bush learned his younger brother, Jeb, won re-election as governor of Florida after Democrats, still angry at the disputed 2000 presidential vote there, made him their No. 1 target.

Bush had campaigned in Florida repeatedly. He and wife Laura sat on a couch in the White House residence living room and watched Jeb's victory speech on TV.

Jeb Bush told Fox News: "He came down and helped his little brother, and I was very thankful."

By late evening, Bush was telephoning as many Republican winners as he could, including many he had campaigned for, such as Senate winners Saxby Chambliss of Georgia, John Sununu of New Hampshire, Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, Lamar Alexander (news - web sites) of Tennessee, Susan Collins of Maine and John Cornyn of Texas.

After hitting 17 cities across 15 states in the last five days of the campaign, Bush cast his own ballot early in the day in Crawford, Texas, near his ranch and returned to the White House.

The Bushes, known to usually retire early, served beef tenderloin to top Republican leaders and spouses at a dinner in the White House residence, including Senate Republican leader Trent Lott of Mississippi and House Speaker Dennis Hastert of Illinois.

A senior White House official said there was an air of optimism about Republicans being able to regain the Senate but of caution as well.

"This crowd, of all crowds, understands that you don't celebrate until it's all done," the official said, recalling the 2000 Florida dispute.

Bush also phoned congratulations to Republican winners in U.S. House of Representatives races, Rep. Anne Northup of Kentucky, Katherine Harris of Florida, Chris Chocola of Indiana, and Shelley Moore Capito of West Virginia as well as Gov. Rick Perry of Texas and Maryland gubernatorial winner, Robert Ehrlich.

In the run-up to the midterm elections, Bush helped Republicans raise more than $140 million and, despite the war on terrorism and a crisis with Iraq, he found time to get out on the campaign trail frequently.

The effect of his all-out campaigning was to put his own reputation on the line in the drive to maintain Republican control of the House and try to grab away the Senate from the Democrats' one-vote majority.

"I think he was a very big and important factor. He worked hard and he was willing to put his prestige on the line," said Lott. "I used to get very disturbed when presidents would not be willing to do that."

-- Anonymous, November 06, 2002

Answers

Bush took an enormous risk by putting himself on the line, given the historical record of midterm elections. I think it shows more a confidence in what he is doing as President is right, rather than "getting revenge" on the Dems or whatever.

It will be interesting to see what Daschle has to say today. If he can hide his disappointment, he's a consummate actor.

-- Anonymous, November 06, 2002

I caught a glimpse of Daschle on TV, was reporting on hit and run fatality so couldn't listen, but his face was a picture. He looked quite ill.

-- Anonymous, November 06, 2002

I wonder if Bush really gained more votes than Gore lost by campaigning. ;^)

-- Anonymous, November 06, 2002

BrookS, if florida can be any indication, Bush was in North Central campaigning for his brother to a crowd of ten thousand or more [according to reports] and Gore was here in Miami on the beach in perfect beach weather campaigning for McBride to a crowd of maybe three hundred. [according to reports]

Me thinks those on the beach were there for the beach and gathered for the Jimmy Buffet music. LOL

-- Anonymous, November 06, 2002

I have high hopes that this wave of elections will end the gridlock, but I'm not holding my breath. As I've said in the past, there are too many candidates who are still putting personal agendas first.

Then, again, the remainder of the year might bring some pleasant surprises.

-- Anonymous, November 06, 2002

Meems may be right. I heard a snippet last night/this morning, something to do with needing 60 seats to negate fillibusters. Still, if the Dems try fillibusters I think the country will take the attitude that they're sore losers and just damn well quit it!

-- Anonymous, November 06, 2002