If Predictit and other leading forecasters are right, the days of a Republican-controlled House are numbered. And if the Democrats win back the majority on Nov. 6, the defeated incumbents will go into the post-election Congress with little to lose. Welcome to the lame-duck session.

For years, lawmakers have pushed more dubious spending onto taxpayers and costly regulations onto consumers during lame-ducks, with little repercussion or reason to do things differently.