It's 3rd and long for the Democrats and some are already planning the 4th down play, punt:

With the enemy at the gates, and facing heavy casualties, Democrats in Congress are preparing to do what any beleaguered army does: head for the hills and leave booby-traps behind. The bigger the margin Republicans pile up next Tuesday, the less likely it is that the Democrats will be able to - or want to - do much when Congress reconvenes for a lame-duck session on November 15.

[. . .] Come January, the new Tea Party-infused GOP then would have to quickly confront the real-world consequences of its tax-cutting, budget-cutting, debt-reducing, anti-government rhetoric. "Some of our liberals are arguing that we have to do what we can in the lame-duck if it's going to be our last chance, but that is unrealistic if the numbers next week are bad," a top Democratic aide told me. "If we lose big, we'll punt. We'll have to."

Sounds like a Steny Hoyer aide to me. And I think he's right. Nothing worth doing will come out of the lame duck Congress and anything good that is done will redound to the credit of a GOP Congress. I think a mostly do nothing lame duck session (other than extending unemployment benefits) sounds like the right approach. Of course they can't say that publically. And I think a lot of hearings on the foreclosure crisis would be smart too. But no legislation, other than extending unemployment benefits.

Speaking for me only