August 24, 2006 – With less than two weeks to go before the traditional Labor Day kickoff of the fall election season, there’s never been a better time to take stock of the races that will determine partisan control of Congress beyond 2006. In some races, the same elements have been at play for many months and little has changed to give one party an unexpected advantage or setback heading into the homestretch. In plenty of other races, the political winds are shifting faster than you can say “Macaca.” And in the end, as the Crystal Ball will reveal later in this article, the totality of the midterm maelstrom for control of Congress just might be decided by a single shootout…..