Reid's in a tough spot because his six years are up, but for a supermajority of Senators they don't have to sweat until Obama does. The problem isn't direct elections, it is, IMHO, that the far greater number of House members combined with two year terms that DO force constant campaigns makes it difficult to accomplish anything there. As I said repeatedly on wotmania, what I'd like is a Constitutional Amendment (which is what it would take, and why it will never happen) that would make the far more powerful Senators accountable to the public every two years and the far more numerous (and thus less potent) House members only have to run every six. It might not elevate the level of House proceedings to that of the Senate, but it would help to both give House members a chance to do their jobs and make the far more powerful Senators more accountable. It's VERY hard to unseat an incumbent Senator, and you have to wait six years for the chance; given the far greater power of a Senator that doesn't seem wise to me.