Also on the rise: the few Republican moderates left in Congress, the tea party movement and, paradoxically, both legislative stalling and dealmaking.

Losers? Just have a glance at President Barack Obama’s swollen to-do list. Instead of checking off his planned health care overhaul, climate legislation, energy priorities, judicial appointments and more, he might have to cross some off.

A compendium of winners and losers after Republican Scott Brown won the Massachusetts Senate seat of the late Ted Kennedy on Tuesday:

WINNER: GOP moderates and Maine.

Maine moves closer to the center of the political universe  PA3285U-2BRS , PA3285U-3BRS ,PA3356U-1BAS , thanks to its two moderate Republican senators and their likely clout.

Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins are sure to be courted hard, if not on health care, then on other legislation. It’s a strong position to be in and one they know how to use to advantage.

Snowe was the only Republican senator to vote for any version of health care legislation, but Democrats patched together the necessary 60 votes without her to move the bill along. Now they’re short.

LOSER: Obama.

Obama might be able to salvage a health care overhaul of some sort. It’s a big if. Beyond that, other big-ticket items are in jeopardy, and so are smaller ones. It’s difficult to see where he gets the political capital to fulfill promises on letting gays serve openly in the armed forces, for example.

To be sure, Democrats still control Congress. D5318, G5266, HD438 And if Republicans overplay their new hand, voters can take retribution against them in the fall and restore the primacy of Obama’s agenda.