THE SHELBY SHUFFLE

To add insult to the Dems' injury, one of their own, Sen. Richard Shelby of Alabama, changed his affiliation late Wednesday morning, yielding a 53-47 GOP majority. "I am changing parties to a party of hope for America, not a party of dependency," Shelby told reporters. Piped in Dole: "We'll be happy to accept other applications." But the Dems haven't counted on Shelby for votes on important legislation for a long time, says TIME Congressional correspondent Karen Tumulty. Shelby, notes Tumulty, helped defeat Clinton's economic stimulus package last year.Post your opinion to theElection '94bulletin board