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Newly elected members of Congress listen to panelists discuss the current economic crisis

CAMBRIDGE - Forty newly elected members of Congress gathered Thursday morning to hear some of Massachusetts' finest economists discuss the current crisis and possible remedies.

And one thing became clear very quickly: No one knows a surefire way out of the mess.

The forum took place at the Institute of Politics at Harvard University's Kennedy School of Government as part of its four-day conference this week for recently elected members of Congress. It featured panelists with economic expertise from the Kennedy School, Harvard's economics department and Harvard's law school.

Jeffrey Frankel, an economics professor at the Kennedy School and former member of President Bill Clinton's council of economic advisors, summed up the tone of the meeting in his opening remarks.

"No one thoroughly understands the economic crisis," Frankel said.

The national political landscape has changed, but in general, it isn't change we can believe in, it's change that everyone should have seen coming.

For the first time since Lyndon Johnson's Great Society, a credible case can be made that the United States is now a center-left country instead of a center-right country.

U.S. Rep. Paul Hodes (D-Concord) played an important behind the scenes role in the ascension of U.S. Rep. Henry Waxman (D-Cali.) to become the chairman of the House Energy and Commerce committee.

Hodes served as a member of Waxman's whip team in a caucus vote that pitted Waxman against committee chairman U.S. Rep. John Dingell (D-Mich.). House Democrats voted 137-122 to give the chairmanship to Waxman instead of to Dingell, who has been the leading Democrat on the committee since 1981.

Paul Hodes

U.S. Rep. Paul Hodes (D-Concord) is mentioned in a story about U.S. Rep. Rahm Emanuel (D-Ill.).

Emanuel has been picked by President-elect Obama to serve as White House chief of staff.

U.S. Rep. Carol Shea-Porter (D-Rochester) told supporters in an e-mail that she has already met with congressional staff to lay-out her legislative agenda for the next session.

Shea-Porter was elected to a second term when she defeated former U.S. Rep. Jeb Bradley (R-Wolfeboro) on Election Day.

Former U.S. Rep. Jeb Bradley (R-Wolfeboro) is blaming a national Democratic tide for his defeat to U.S. Rep. Carol Shea-Porter (D-Rochester).

It was Bradley's second lost to Shea-Porter. In 2006, Shea-Porter pulled off a close upset against Bradley and this time around she beat him by over 20,000 votes.

Former U.S. Rep. Jeb Bradley (R-Wolfeboro) said that it is "very unlikely" his name will appear on the ballot in 2010, but did not rule out running for political office in the future.

Bradley lost to incumbent U.S. Rep. Carol Shea-Porter (D-Rochester) on Election Day, but told supporters that he might run again for Congress.

America has chosen its next president. The House and Senate are set (mostly). So now it's time for the Politicker team to get some rest.

Check back here on Monday for all the latest and greatest political news. For now, enjoy our coverage of Election 2008 from the earliest announcements, through the conventions, to the big day.

Paul Hodes

U.S Rep. Paul Hodes (D-Concord) is projected to win re-election against political newcomer Jennifer Horn (R-Nashua).

"It's all about people like Ann Marie Morrissey," Hodes said.

U.S. Rep. Carol Shea-Porter (D-Rochester) began her victory speech by asking supporters if they have hope.

"Anybody got hope here," Shea-Porter said. "I really can't say enough about the people in this room and the people in this district who sent me to Washington."