In a December 22 article by staff writer Lyndsey Layton, The Washington Post reported that the “four days of celebration surrounding” Nancy Pelosi's (D-CA) January 4, 2006, swearing-in as House speaker is part of an effort “to restore the [Democratic] party's image as one hospitable to ethnic minorities, families, religion, the working class and women.” Implicit in Layton's claim is the assumption that support for Democrats among each of these groups is in need of restoration. In fact, national exit polls from the 2006 midterm elections show that in three out of these five demographics -- minorities, members of the working class, and women -- a significant majority of voters supported Democrats. Further, while most Protestants voted Republican, a majority of those identified as Catholic or Jewish favored Democrats. Indeed, the only demographic groups encompassed by the Post's categories in which Republicans had a clear majority were married people with children and voters who identified themselves as weekly churchgoers: