The Republicans just weren’t all on the same page.

Thanks for the Senate, George Allen. We really couldn’t have done it without you acting like a complete tool. Nice knowing you. We’ll always have 2006.

While I agree with you, Travis, that it doesn’t somehow invalidate the Democratic victory on Tuesday, I still think it’s important to understand how and why that victory came about, because it goes to determining how best to take the opportunity and turn it into something bigger, stronger, more robust. A large majority of the American people didn’t wake up Tuesday morning and suddenly say “My goodness, I’m feeling quite, well, liberal today. I think I’ll go out and vote for the Democrats”. No, it WAS a protest vote. The people became fed up with the lying, the criminality, the wars, the spending, the secrecy, the utter lack of oversight, the arrogance. It’s a two party system, so they voted for the other party.

If the Dems use this opportunity to govern, to provide leadership and oversight, if they find a way to at least partially de-polarize the electorate, reduce the rhetoric and actually get some things done, if they do right by the people instead of the corporations, and if they can find a way to start extricating America from the quagmire in Iraq, then they will have earned the peoples votes in the future. The opportunity is there, but it must be recognized and siezed…

mikey

Besides which, I’m tired of the righties doing everything they can to make this out to be an “anti-Bush” election. No, it’s not just a referrendum on his disastrous policies. Most of us didn’t go in and vote straight ticket simply becasue we knew it was the only way out of our current quagmire. We voted for people whose values we share (gee, I guess we’re “values voters” after all), and who we thought had the best chance of making America a better place.

It’s not just a vote against anything. It’s a vote for something, too…

Oh, I think it was a HUGE election because 1) the American people despise Bush and Republican policies and 2) While they overwhelmingly liked Clinton’s policies — the final straw was the utter corruption and mismanagement of their ‘war on terror.’

The war was the only reason they kept the White House in 04 and redistriciting in Texas the only reason they increased their house numbers. The people, in real numbers, have always supported the Democrats’ policies.

“Your football team only won becase they scored more points that the ours did.”

yeah – americans are sick of the Kakistocracy.

it’s time to get the long knives out. recrimination. blood to be drawn. 6 years of obstruction, corruption and outright cheating and law breaking (not to mention supporting torture, abrogating the Constitution, extraordinary renditions and spying on our citizens), the democrats need to start a feeding frenzy on these assholes.

I want schadenfreude. I want hubris. I want to see the Rethuglicans driven before us with whips. After all these years of America-violating, hyper-nationalistic jingoist McCarthyism, FUCK BIPARTISANSHIP. Give them NOTHING. No quarter. I want to see their nefarious plans and dreams swinging from the ropes, the architects of this failed illegal war taken to the Hague and given the what-for.

Please?

Also, I must say I disagree with the “personal scandal” arguement – basically that many of the seats won were against Republicans involved in scandals of one type or another. I think it runs much deeper than that. Look how much the Democrats won on Tuesday: the House, the Senate, the majority of Governorships, and the majority of State Legislatures, all of which were held by Republicans on Monday.

I think it’s more of a general disgust with Republican cronyism, hawkishness, incompitence, lack of concern for the poor and middle class, etc, etc. Allen didn’t win because he said “macaca” at a campaign rally. Santorum didn’t lose by 20% because of the “man-on-dog” remark. Repbulcians have been committing gaffes like this for years and winning anyway. But now I think people have had enough.

Umm, that first one should have been:
“Your football team only won becase they scored more points than ours did.�

In a similar vein, the “Democrat party” only wins because of the black vote.

So the earlier road trip was to the football game?

As someone from Ohio, I can truly appreciate the pain of the Repubs after this analogy. I almost feel sorry for them. Almost.

“We would have won if we hadn’t lost.”
Too funny.

I’m getting to the opinion that Americans, as a group, like Republican rhetoric and Democratic policies. They like war talk and racist innuendo, but they also like a functioning infrastructure, cops who won’t crack skulls at traffic stops, and relatively fewer people in poverty.

Maybe what’s needed is to hire old Reagan-era speechwriters–the ones who coined poppycock like “Morning in America”–to sell the product, and second-generation New Dealers, like John Kenneth Galbraith’s kid, to write the actual policies. Convince ’em their taxes are going down when they aren’t–Reagan managed that!–and give ’em railroads and hospitals and school lunches. Cap out the personal income tax at around eighty per cent for the obnoxiously wealthy, then double-talk it when challenged. Talk a lot about “personal responsibility, while making it clear that you’re talking about corporate heads only, and that Joe Half-case can continue acting like a buffoon without consequences. It’ll go over hugely.

I mean, it’s not like the refs blew a call.

With the notable exception of Sarasota County, Florida, where over 18,000 voters unwittingly played shadow ball on Tuesday.

Here is an amusing retort to those who suggest the American voters did not really make a move to the left on Tuesday:

American Conservative Union lifetime ratings:

Jim Talent 93%
Connie Burns 91%
Mike DeWine 80%
Rick Santorum 88%
George Allen 92%

(And Linc Chafee, 37%…shhhhhh….)

Over at RedState they were going on about how the Repubs lost because they weren’t “small government” enough. The Repubs were good on taxes but forgot to cut spending and that pissed people off so they voted Democrat.

Has anyone heard any Republicans in office talk about cutting spending during the past six years? Is that still in the playbook? Isn’t RedState saying something like, “Our team lost because they didn’s use the dropkick!”?

If the Dems use this opportunity to govern, to provide leadership and oversight, if they find a way to at least partially de-polarize the electorate, reduce the rhetoric and actually get some things done, if they do right by the people instead of the corporations, and if they can find a way to start extricating America from the quagmire in Iraq, then they will have earned the peoples votes in the future.

OK, but could I add restoring the constitution to your wonderful list, mikey? I like the constitution, and I’m really starting to miss it — almost as much as I miss the preview button. And, like the preview button, I’d really like it back.

It’s a great addition, Mortician. Only reason I left it off is that I’m not sure there’s anything they can do. What with signing statements and “Unitary Executive” powers, I just don’t know enough about constitutional law to know if there’s even a damn thing legislators can do about the great rifts and savage tears in that beautiful document. I mean, what laws would they pass? The “You can’t do unconstitutional shit, even if you’re president” act of 2007? I actually think it’s in there somewhere. But anything they’re willing to try, I’m willing to go along with…

mikey

Mikey: I say CHIMPeach. The primate was supposed to uphold and defend the constitution, not destroy it. Failed in his sworn duty if you ask me…

If legislators can’t fix the damn thing, who can?

I say CHIMPeach.

That would be the best solution.

Actually, I’m personally against impeachment for a number of reasons, although I sure do understand the sentiment. Oh my, it would feel good to watch them suffer. But I think it would be a HUGE distraction, and would allow the many much more important issues to become secondary. It would only give us President Cheney, and that’s no win. It might even energize the repubs enough (along with the HUGE funding I promise you they’re going to get from big oil, big pharma and the defense contractors) to roll back the gains and put mccain in the white house, and we just cannot allow that. Besides, I think many of bush/cheney’s crimes are indictable after he leaves office.

Now please don’t go all flamey on me. I do understand why you feel that way, and the “if we can’t impeach bush after HIS crimes, why do we even have impeachment in the constitution” argument is compelling. I just believe that if that’s the course of action, rather than starting with investigating haliburton et al and working our way up, we’ll look back on it with regret. I think there’s plenty of schaudenfreunde to go around. I believe we’ve arrived at the brink, and the job of the newly elected rational, grown-up majority is to save our nation and all it stands for first. I’m gonna hide in Gary’s Dustbin now from the likely onslaught of Sadly, No derision…

mikey

I remember the good old days when you could really show off by using the word ‘schadenfreude’, because no-one else knew what it meant. But kids today. Everything’s done for them.

Well, Mikey, Bush *did* say he wanted Rummy and Cheney with him for the rest of his administration, so I’m expecting that second shoe to drop aaaaaaany minute now.

Seriously, though, definitely investigations before impeachment; they may find actions so egregious not even the stalwartly stupid 30% would continue to stand behind him.

Doktor, I have a 4 meter printed canvas banner that says “Schadenfreude Department” I had made in ’97 for reasons lost in the shifting sands of time and decaying brain cells. I had it hanging on the wall over my desk for a couple years, now it’s in a box somewhere. But people used to ask all the time what it meant, which I think was part of the fun. I think I’m going to have to locate it and hang it again…

mikey

I think impeachment’s probably not the best course of action – though watching it unfold would give me the warm tinglies – just because Bush is now officially the lamest duck evarrrrrrrrr. He ain’t getting shit done for the next two years unless Nancy Pelosi says he can.

Mikey, I tend to agree with you about impeachment, but perhaps for a different reason.

First of all, before any impeachment proceeding could begin, investigations have to be conducted. This could take right up to the end of W’s term, at which time any impeachment is irrelevant. And, as you say, would only put Cheney in official power. Impeach Cheney too? That puts Pelosi in charge, making the whole thing look like a power grab, not a necessary act of justice.

Instead, I’d prefer to see the next two years spent gathering sworn testimony and documented evidence of actual crimes, not to be used in the impeachment of the Resident and his gang, but for the purpose of criminal prosecution.

Defrauding the government, lying to Congress, election fraud, etc. (you all know the list) are actual crimes and should be charged as such. That means gathering evidence first- let them take their time about that and build a rock-solid case. Then, bring actual charges and make these thieves defend themselves in a court of law, not the political arena of Congress.

See, I LIKE this one. And don’t forget, EVERY individual act of wiretapping an american citizen without a warrant is a Felony violation of FISA. That’s about 12 million years of hard time right there, and easy to prove…

mikey

Yup. That’s it, right there.

But I’d be remiss if I didn’t voice, right now, loud and proud, my wholehearted support for the “You can’t do unconstitutional shit, even if you’re presidentâ€? act of 2007, which I’m certain mikey is proposing to his duly elected representatives as we speak so that they can begin the whole how-a-bill-becomes-a-law thing. Ah, Schoolhouse Rock . . . How I miss it . . .

Yay! Schoolhouse Rock! It’s the only way my moronic youngest brother ever learned anything, I think.

Let’s not yell about impeachment just yet. It frightens the moderates and makes the civility doyennes swoon. 😉

Oversight. Accountability. Investigations (as in, where’s the money, bitchez?).

And THEN… PRISONPRISONPRISONPRISONPRISON. *slaps self–stop that!*

In an ideal world, of course. In this world, probably just exposure of the dazzling levels of corruption and blatantly unconstitutional power-grabs and LYING ABOUT EVERYTHING.

The American People need to see what has happened to THEIR government. I think they’re starting to realize it, which is why All Their Congress Is Belong To Us.

PS Charlie Rangel just told the press that he intends to claim the office that Darth Cheney currently occupies, as it’s the traditional one for the head of Ways and Means.

I just can’t stop giggling. Get out that poster, mikey.

I don’t support impeachment because I want to watch them suffer, though that would be entertaining. I think Dubya has probably assured his legacy, and it’s not going to be good. But look at the folks currently responsible for this mess–if they’re not conservative kids straight out of college, they’re old hardline conservative warriors from past administrations. If you don’t scatter the ashes, the vampire comes right back. I don’t want to be looking at George Allen again in ten years. I don’t want to see Newt Gingrich ever, ever again. I don’t want to be screaming at John Bolton on my TV again. I have no interest in watching Jeb take any oath of office. The only place I ever want to see Grover Norquist again is at his arraignment.

All of these creepy bastards, I want them absolutely gone. I’m tired of the cycle where they tear the country apart, the dems put it back together, and they tear it apart again the next chance they get. I want them to try some new ideas, at the absolute least. I’d like them to start with new people and figure out what the hell they want and present that to the American people. I want to take apart the “conservative revolution” once and for all.

If that’s going to happen, we can’t let the Reaganites and Bushites fade with a whimper. I want them Ollie North’d, not John Poindexter’d. Impeachment seems like the best way to get there, but I wouldn’t balk at a more law-enforcement-style approach.

I don’t want to be looking at George Allen again in ten years. I don’t want to see Newt Gingrich ever, ever again. I don’t want to be screaming at John Bolton on my TV again. I have no interest in watching Jeb take any oath of office. The only place I ever want to see Grover Norquist again is at his arraignment.

God, Lady Sidhe, you’re so right. I can’t disagree with anything you said. So you know by now I’m gonna. America is a sick, busted electorate. But to quote the dearly departed, you don’t go into the election with the electorate you wish you had, you go with the electorate you have. Prudish, biblical litteralists, creationists, anti-science, anti-reality. That’s the voters. That’s the thing we can’t change. Do we wish the American public wasn’t embarassingly stupid, self-absorbed, short attention span and religious beyond rationality? Hell yeah. But they ain’t. These folks are gonna vote in ’08 and ’10 and ’12. We’ve got to find a way to reach them. They’re not going to go away, and they have leverage. I don’t know the answer, but I do know that there’s a lot of people I’m ideologically different from who are going to continue to vote. Find a way to beat that or lose, long term. I’m sorry to say it, but the biblical litteralist christianist fundamentalist extremist is NOT going away as a result of Tuesday. If they’re a small minority opposition, fine, fuck ’em. But somehow, I’m not convinced they are…

mikey

I have a 4 meter printed canvas banner that says “Schadenfreude Department� I had made in ‘97 for reasons lost in the shifting sands of time and decaying brain cells.

Yeah, we need a new word. Preferably not a German one. What with Schadenfreude and Dolchstosslegende, the Krauts have carved out altogether too much Lebensraum in the language of modern politics. Who won the sodding war, anyway? Why aren’t there more Danish words in political discourse? — and no, “Carlsberg Elephant Beer” does not count.

So they would have won if they hadn’t been a gang of stupid crooked lazy incompotent bigoted closet case bible thumping knee biters who couldn’t govern their way out of a wet paper bag serving as a rubber stamp for an incruious dolt of a man/child fratboy with a taste for killing by proxy and a lust for dictorial power? Is that what they are saying today?

First there is a texas saying “If a frog had wings it wouldn’t bump its ass on the ground.” Second if they had tried to seriously perform the duties and responsiblites of their office and not be a gang of crooked lazy etc. etc. they wouldn’t be Republicans in the first place. They drove the honest ones out years ago.

Mikey, I totally respect your position. And Sidhe, as always, weighs in with a well thought-out argument. Impeachment would be soooooooo sweet – and there are so many plausible reasons to do it based on the evidence – but I accept that realistically there are bigger fish to fry for the Dems.

I have to agree with Owlbear, I don’t think Cheney will last. These bastards are scattering like cockroaches when you turn on the kitchen light: Rummy -gone. Hastert’s out, Bolton won’t be confirmed, and I’m sure more delicious surprises await (Condi? Anyone?)

Let John Conyers begin the investigations. That will keep everyone nice and tense for the next couple of years. Order lots and LOTS of orange jumpsuits!

Mehlman!

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20061110/ap_on_re_us/rnc_chairman

Celticgirl, I was just thinking yesterday that we might soon see a Cheney resignation, for health reasons. His replacement would serve as a buffer against the possibility of President Pelosi. While I have no problem with her in that role, getting her that like that would set an awfully unfortunate precedent with long-lasting ugly consequences, and should be avoided at all costs.

I go ’round and ’round in terms of what Congress should do if investigations lead to legitimately asking ourselves whether to initiate impeachment. Obviously, there would have to be strong public support for that but, in general, my position matches up pretty closely with Mikey’s.

The Bush administration should be held accountable for any crimes they’ve committed, but always with an eye on restoring the rule of law so that it applies to future presidents. After all, odds are that one day we’ll end up with a genuinely competent, popular president who is also crooked – and it wouldn’t be good to grant someone like that so much power.

As much as I hate to admit it there is a crumb of truth buried in here. The scandals probably did swing one or two tight races and may have allowed the takeover of the Senate.

Of COURSE the Dems won because of Republican scandals and screwups. Whatever their party, incumbents who are honest and doing a good job generally don’t get voted out.