Matheson credits moderate Democrats, known as the Blue Dogs, with the takeover and points out that is it not just going to be Pelosi, a more liberal Democrat, leading the House, but all levels of Democrats.

He hopes to stay on the Transportation, Science and Financial Services committees, which he says "are all good for Utah." With his fourth term, he does not have enough seniority on any committee for a chairmanship.

Bennett said he has heard from Democratic friends that Pelosi is going to "be very civil."

"She would be very smart if she were," Bennett said. "I think one of the reasons the Republicans lost the House was because of Delay (and other Republican leaders) ... whose actions stemmed from the attitude that the majority was a God-given right. The Democrats need to understand that their majority is not a God-given right, either. The best thing they can do is act like grown-ups and show a contrast to the kinds of things we have seen in the House."

Bennett said the Democrats need to avoid the temptation of impeachment proceedings, revenge or an overall "we are going to get those Republicans" attitude.

"If they do that the country will suffer, and they will lose their majority in 2008," Bennett said.

Bennett serves as the Senate's chief deputy whip. McConnell served as the Senate majority whip, but Bennett has been working with McConnell for the past four years to take over the Senate's top position when the time came. Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, R-Tenn., did not run for re-election. Bennett said McConnell asked him not to run for the whip position, which was something Bennett was not interested in anyway

"I am a policy senator, not a process senator," Bennett told the Deseret Morning News.

He said being the whip would take too much time away from his committee duties. Bennett serves as a Senate Appropriations Agriculture Subcommittee chairman as well as chairman of a subcommittee of the Senate Banking Committee and vice chairman of the Joint Economic Committee.

Bennett said by working with McConnell, he gets a seat at the leadership table. "Frankly, we don't know what the title will be," Bennett said.

If the Democrats take control of the Senate, Bennett will still have a spot in the minority leadership team.

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Contributing: Lee Davidson, Deborah Bulkeley