Call it a midgetority. Republicans, who remain in the majority on Capitol Hill, are no longer in control.

President Bush, Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist and House Speaker Dennis Hastert have squandered whatever political capital they gained from the 2004 elections.

Public opinion has turned against them, and their rank-and-file colleagues no longer have their backs.

It's a harsh assessment, but what other conclusion can be drawn when House Republican leaders cannot marshal support for $50 billion in spending cuts and policy changes? Or, when Senate Republican leaders can't get all their colleagues to back $68 billion in tax cuts over the next five years?

For more than a month, Republican leaders have worked on a budget reconciliation bill that would offset some of the costs of rebuilding the Gulf coast in the wake of Hurricane Katrina and Rita.

A vote was scheduled for Thursday after leadership dropped a provision — opposed by moderate Republicans in the Northeast — that would have allowed oil drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. Even without the Arctic provision in the bill, Republican leaders could not muster a majority for the bill.

Rep. Charles Bass, R-N.H., who led the charge against drilling, said the group is also concerned about proposals that would reduce Medicaid, food stamps and student loan programs.

After more than seven hours of arm-twisting, the House leaders gave up holding a vote Thursday

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night and have postponed further action until this week.

Meanwhile, the Senate Finance Committee was forced to postpone a vote on $68 billion in tax cuts over the next five years because Sen. Olympia Snowe, R-Maine, opposed extending investors tax breaks when the federal government is going further into debt paying for the war and hurricane relief.

Democrats, emboldened by key victories in Tuesday elections, were unified in opposition — including the fiscally conservative Blue Dogs who have often broken with the Republicans on budget issues.

House Democrats are looking ahead to 2006, when they hope to win back the majority lost in 1994. They have threatened to run television ads against centrist Republicans (like Rep. Chris Shays, R-4) should they vote for the reconciliation budget.

"Together, America can do better than a morally irresponsible budget that pays for more tax breaks for millionaires by slashing vital services for women, children, and working families," said Rep. Rosa DeLauro, D-3.

Democrats may feel they have the public on their side. The latest AP-Ipsos poll found Bush's approval at 37 percent.

Democrats also point to Virginia, where Bush made an election-eve visit to stump for Republican Jerry Kilgore. Democrat Tim Kaine defeated the once-favored Kilgore by 6 percentage points.

"Tuesday's election results sent the Republicans into a tailspin," said AFSCME President Gerald McEntee. Lawrence Kudlow, a former Reagan economic adviser turned political commentator, believes it's time for a leadership change on Capitol Hill.

"Young turks in the House like Mike Pence, Jeff Flake and Marsha Blackburn should be represented in the House leadership," Kudlow wrote last week. "The Tom DeLay period is probably over. New blood in the leadership is essential."

Peter Urban, who covers Washington, can be reached at purban@ctpost.com