In the concurrent congressional elections, Democrats increased their majorities in both the House and Senate. Carter successfully campaigned as a Washington 'outsider' critical of both President Gerald Ford and the Democratic Congress; as president, Carter continued this theme. In many cases, these failures of communication stemmed not from intentional neglect, but rather from poor organization of the administration's congressional liaison functions. Carter attempted to woo O'Neill, Senate Majority Leader Robert Byrd, and other members of Congress through personal engagement, but he was generally unable to rally support for his programs through these meetings.
no
no