(Photo of Jim Webb on election night via AFP/Win McNamee.)
Meet Senator-Elect Jim Webb. The AP and NBC News called the VA Senate race this morning for Webb, as his lead holds through the reexamination of votes throughout the state of Virginia. According to the WaPo, Webb still leads by more than 7,300 votes with almost all of Virginia's close to 2 million cast votes re-tallied. From the WaPo:
But Webb continued to lead by approximately 7,300 votes with virtually all of Virginia's 2.3 million ballots counted Wednesday evening, and Republicans said there appeared to be little hope that glitches or math errors might uncover new GOP votes. Gillespie said Allen was "realistic," and an e-mail sent late Wednesday said the senator would make a statement "at the conclusion" of the statewide canvass of votes. The e-mail said "more details will follow from the campaign" early Thursday.
Several Republicans who are close to Allen or involved in a potential recount said privately that they doubted Allen could overcome Webb's lead, which stood at 13 times as large as George W. Bush's lead over Al Gore in Florida in 2000.
"I don't see the votes there," said one Washington Republican who has been advising Allen and spoke on condition of anonymity because he didn't want to undermine the senator's message. "It's like the old saying: 'If you're not the lead dog, the view doesn't change.' "
On Wednesday night, the Associated Press called the election for Webb, after the wire service contacted election officials in all of Virginia's 134 localities and said about half had completed their post-election canvass. The AP showed Webb beating Allen by 7,236 votes.
At Webb headquarters in Arlington, sleepy volunteers answered constantly ringing phones with a cheery new greeting: "Hello, Senator-elect Webb's office."
By all means, ensure that every vote is counted properly and carefully. But when the vote count is done, and Webb is still ahead, George Allen should concede. Congratulations to Jim Webb — it was a well fought race, and it looks like the best man won. Boo-yah!
When you think about the numbers involved — 7,300 votes, give or take — all of you who worked making GOTV calls or canvassing or fundraising…you made the difference in Virginia. This Democratic victory, in communities all across the nation, was because of people like you making it happen…one call, one door, one ride at a time. Thank you, for myself, my family and my country. Just…thank you.
Related posts:
- Election Night Thread #2: McDonnell Projected VA Winner; NJ Gov. Race Too Close to Call
- Election 2009: Election Night Thread #1; Polls Now Closed in VA
- Iran: Don’t Lead, Don’t Follow, and Instead Get Out of the Way
- FDL Action Launches 40,000 Call Phone Bank to Nevada Democrats Targeting Harry Reid and the Public Option
- Gates and Crowley Need to Lead in Wake of Big Media Failure
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FITZ!
Fitz! Christie! Ned!
the average man does not want to be free he wants to be safe.
Yes, Virginia, there IS a Santa Claus.
GOTV!
How are you Christy? Full of coffee house coffee is my guess. Let me ask, was it worth the trip and being away from home and loved ones for the few minutes CNN actually showed all of you on T.V.
Altho on second thought, watching the faces of the right wing bloggers just might be worth the price of admission — travel and exhaustion.
Senator JIM WEBB from VA!
Snoopy dance all around!
I think I can breathe again… feels very, very good…
the media is gonna have to lose the “tone” sometime soon… they are still acting like the Dems are rather silly and not to be taken seriously…
This feels so good. But imagine how much better it would feel without Rove’s oct/nov surprise of massive voter suppression, harrassment and fraud.
Going back to work is soooo anti-climatic. Sigh.
GrandmaJ at 6 — I’m going to try and put together some thoughts on the CNN thing. It was very fun, although I am absolutely exhausted from all of the travel, my joints are killing me this morning (lack of sleep is bad for me). But being able to see the results immediately on when we got them — and getting to see everyone’s reactions as they heard them? Priceless. :)
For a while there I thought this country might be permanently screwed. What a relief this election was (for the time being).
This is bigger than winning the House, imo. Now, Sen. Pat(sy) Roberts will have to step aside and we will be able to find out who (like political opponents) the Bush Admin. has been spying on domestically. Impeachmment will have to follow.
I’m still finding all of this hard to believe, after so many years of disappointments. We need to make the most of this.
epu’d
Allen is just being Allen– a big racist jerk with an enormous ego and long history of entitlement.
GO WEBB! My sister just emailed me to tell me that there is at least one very proud Marine in Iraq this morning– Jim Webb’s son.
I am sure there are many more. This is how America supports the troops. May they come home soon and may the bloodshed end.
CNN says that Webb will have an event early this afternoon — is expected to declare victory. Ahhh…that felt good to type. :)
I feel absolutely thrilled to have given Chairman Leahy his title and power back!
Yay, Christy!
Thanks for all your hard, fabulous work! You looked great in turquoise! We need you more on TV, NOW, like on KFDL? WFDL?
I remember 6 months ago when we first met Webb. CW was great guy, but no funds.
He’s in the Hero Class of 2006.
Redd, both you and TRex look just darling on the tv!
Cliff Schechter said on Young Turks that he’ll be on MSNBC at around 10:30 EST in case there are any other fans out there of his ass-kicking style.
angie at 15 — I bet his son is so proud. I talked with some army guys in the airport hell of Cleveland (I actually like the city, but that airport has been the bane of my existence the last few days. Next time, I’m just driving.). They hadn’t yet heard about the Rummy resignation because they had been flying, and one of them was old enough to know who Gates was. None of them could actually talk about what they thought outright — because you can’t do that in uniform, ya know? and I wasn’t about to put them on the spot and ask because that would be unfair. But we talked a lot about what they needed and where they were headed (in very general terms), and I made sure they understood that from my perspective, this election had been about getting some accountability and better decisions for all of them. Nice guys — hope they stay safe.
It’s happened three times in the last 12 years (Shelby, Campbell, Jeffords) that shortly after an election a Senator defects to the majority.
Lieberman loses his teeth if Reid can get to 52. I hope Reid’s working people like Susan Collins hard. “Such a shame about Lincoln Chafee; he was a good man. Don’t you think you could serve the people of your state better as a member of the majority?”
(Any FDL’ers who are constituents of possible targets want to call their Senators’ offices and put the idea into their heads?)
OK, time to get up and get going… one of these days, we will have to put our heads together and get me out of my new “no fdl hell” at school… can’t afford a crackberry, but it tempts me…
have a great day, all! see you this evening…
I think the Democrats may also have found themselves a plausible presidential candidate down the line. Webb looks great, is articulate, doesn’t let himself get bullied, and appears (and I want to stress appearances) conservative enough to grab the great American Middle. Our country has suffered a debilitating disease from which she is not recovered. The deficit, a foreign policy in tatters, a ruined army, a significant part of the population disaffected and deeply hostile to the idea of a common national purpose of greater equality, these problems are not going to be resolved within a dozen years even with the best of luck. I favour a candidate more to the left — John Edwards. But looking coldly, someone like Webb probably fits the bill better. Wait and see.
Well one more racist Senator bites the dust.
Congrats Senator Webb.
With Allen gone maybe the closet Racism of Orrin(THE IDIOT HOMOPHOBE) Hatch will rear its very ugly head.That is another one that HAS to go.
via Branfordboy at MLN- http://www.myleftnutmeg.com/sh…..aryId=4548
http://www.norwichbulletin.com…..14/OPINION
~~~[]It is not unreasonable to think Lamont’s candidacy triggered a national firestorm of anger and introspection about a war that shows no end. If Lamont was a one-issue candidate, it was a doozy of an issue.
Connecticut and America responded. For months, there was more dialogue and constructive criticism about the war and other issues — including the corruption of absolute power, as shown in recent years by some Republicans. In defeating Lieberman in the primary, Lamont made clear no office holder was safe.
That was shown Tuesday. People came to the polls in larger numbers and spoke loudly their feelings. The results, nationally, were shocking.
Democrats have taken over the U.S. House of Representatives by a wide margin and appear to have made giant strides in the U.S. Senate. A day after the Republican election debacle, President Bush jettisoned his long-embattled secretary of defense, long emblematic of the Iraq War. The timing was no coincidence.
No, Ned Lamont didn’t win his race Tuesday. But if the Democrats were to name a Most Valuable Player for this election season, it would surely be him.
More importantly, he may become more — a figure in history whose actions triggered major changes in the United States, its government and its policies.[]~~~
PF – I’d like to see Snowe come over – she’s well loved in Maine and hasn’t much to lose…
Good thing Reid has a little experience with those kinds of conversations.
Professor Foland @ 23
Christy you are one heckuva a woman! I am in a constant state of despair thinking about the troops and the millions of people that are suffering so.
OT– the shrub is gonna speak to us from the not so rosy garden after his cabinet meeting…
Knut @ 25– you may well be correct.
We’ll see– I like his independence and his intelligence. Webb was outspoken about the war long ago, and he knows war.
Knut at 25: Good morning – Clark/Edwards will do it for me.
OldCoastie @ 28
I think it would be very hard (meaning, impossible) to switch parties only days after being elected as a Republican. Although Jeffords had just run as a Republican that year, he at least put a few months’ distance; and I don’t think it defangs Lieberman if it comes after the organizing resolution. Campbell and Shelby had run their previous election two or four years before.
Good morning all!
I just received a couple of emails….here’s some snipettes:
This election was not about me. This election was about you. It was about changing our country’s direction and restoring a sense of accountability and integrity to Washington, D.C. Thank you to all the volunteers who helped my campaign and the thousands of those who invested their financial support in our effort. You believed that you could make a difference, and you did. –Claire McCaskill–
–
Yesterday, we Americans took a stand against the politics of personal destruction — rebuffing the onslaught of negative advertising and dirty tricks. Voters let themselves be heard and ordered a change in government, giving Democrats the opportunity to serve the nation and to provide the leadership that’s been missing these past six years in Washington. With this opportunity comes great responsibility, and we must take the challenges ahead seriously, soberly and with clarity of purpose — on issues like health care, the economy, education, and most of all, Iraq and national security.–Wes Clark
–
(this one must have been stuck in the tubes)
HELP!!!! Voting hours in Kane County have been extended to 8:30 p.m. at all polling places. Fears are that this is a GOP trick to strengthen turnout in GOP precincts where turnout was weak.
So we must continue phone banking later this evening. If you can help at all, please go to the phone bank location: Painters Hall, 2175 Rochester Dr, Montgomery. –John Laesch
Someone should tell McCain that it would be a good idea to resign his seat now so that he can devote himself full time to his 2008 presidential bid. He isn’t going to be able to do much as a minority party senator, anyway.
“The Dean Revolution of 2006″
Check out Maureen Dowd’s column this morning. She nails it.
http://select.nytimes.com/2006…..9dowd.html
The blood on Dubya’s hands will stain him through history. And on the whole BushCo empire that so cavalierly sent military to fight a war of lies. And he’s still lying.
CNN – bush to make statement from the rose garden at 10:30AM eastern
Schumer on O’Reilly via C&L….what the??????
Lieberman is a bigot. From the view of his career service, what other conclusion can be drawn? He thinks of Persians, Arabs in general, and particularly Palestinians, as something beneath trash.
twolf1 @ 37
Election 2006 was but a comma on the road to taking back America.
I am so proud to have been a part of the FDL team and I admire each and every one of us. If my health had been better, I want you all to know that I would have been canvassing door to door with all of you. Next election I will do more than just contribute money.
Thanks to our hostesses, hosts, and all the bloggers that worked so hard to give us the gift of ownership of our Nation. And so many thanks to the fabulous computer geeks working behind the scenes which enabled us to blog in real time during the election without a glitch. And thanks to the trolls for the laughs.
Let freedom ride.
Maybe Chimpy is going to fire Miss Piggy Rover?
AH wishfull thinking.
Cause for celebration, indeed! Congrats to all Dems!
However, one must wonder about Allen’s quick concession and the pressure from Repubs to do so. Also, it’s clear to many of us that the lack of voting irregularities and/or the pressure to not engage in a recount all add up to one thing: Bigger potatoes may be unveiled (dirty vote rigging tricks?) as a result of closer scrutiny of this “swing state”….just like what occurred in Florida in 2000 and Ohio in 2004. People need to not let their guard down and DEMAND that our “broken voting system” be fixed before the 08 elections. This decision by the RNC to NOT overtly “rig” this midterm is simply an RNC tactic to lull people into believing that our system is not corruptible, when it so obviously is.
The Dems need to demand that all voting machines have accurate paper trails which can be audited and recounted properly before the 08 election. It was clear that many voting rights organizations had people watching these midterms and reporting back any irregularities they witnessed, etc. The dirty tricksters knew this would occur so they played fair — this time. Bigger projects, like the White House in 08, will now reduce them to stooping to any measures to win there so we’d better continue our vigilance vis-a-vis changes in our corruptible voting system before they are able to put the 08 “fix” in.
The RNC/GOP is hoping that this midterm victory will convince people that they are not dirty tricksters who rig elections and otherwise lull the american public into trusting this voting system. DO NOT BE FOOLED PEOPLE….this is serious business to them and they will surprise everyone they’ve fooled by rigging the presidential election of 08.
BE WARY….BE VERY WARY….AND REMAIN VIGILANT IN OUR DEMAND FOR A BETTER, LESS CORRUPTIBLE VOTING SYSTEM BEFORE THE ELECTIONS OF ‘08.
I would sure like to see someone stalk Norm Coleman with a camera for the next 2 years. There has to be a macaca moment there somewhere.
He is next on my personal list.
PSA – recall on acetominophen made by Parago (sp?) sold at walmart, cvs, costco due to possible metal fragments. they are generic brands
Ohio’s election website still sent real-time results to GOP mirror server, according to the website I have linked.
OT:
I am too tired to search for this info. Does anybody know about the results of the South Dakota legislature? I sure hope that in addition to axing the abortion law they axed the nutjobs that voted for it in the first place
AMERICAN ZERO
9 November 2006
Mirror.co.uk
At last, US wakes up and boots idiot Bush
Ryan Parry, US Correspondent In Washington
MILLIONS of Americans turned on President Bush yesterday as he suffered a crushing election defeat.
The Democrats swept to power in the House of Representatives and closed in on the Senate in a massive backlash against the war in Iraq.
US Defence Secretary and chief warmonger Donald Rumsfeld was forced to resign in the wake of the mid-term drubbing.
And lame-duck Bush showed all his usual political insight when he said of his humiliating defeat: “Actually, I thought we were going to do fine yesterday.”
About defanging Lieberman: Dems 50, Reps 48, Ind. 2.
Bernie will surely caucus with the Dems, 51. So even if the other hangs out with the Reps, a distinct possibility, it still works out to 51-49. Am I wrong?
Seems to work, at least number-wise. Do y’all think the gang of thirteen plus one got the voters’ message?
It was a thumpin’ osage, a thumpin’ and a drubbing!
The youth vote made a big difference this year.
From a diary over on Daily Kos. (Actually, this is my editing of the info there, rather than a direct quote.)
and how did they vote?
VG. Amen. Thank you for that.
For some reason I am still very bitter about the echo and hype on how much Lamont spent. The CT media was very pro-Lieberman in that, sometimes even exaggerating, and of course not mentioning Lieberman’s outrageous war chest. Again the media did damage with voters by not giving fair and equal coverage, even glossing over the thuggery of Lieberman during the Vet parade.
Valley Girl @ 27
Joe is going to play with whatever party is in power. I doubt the minority power has enough energy to feed his massive ego trip.
Prof at 51 — yeah, the youth vote and the hispanic vote (which was overwhelmingly Democratic-leaning after the GOP-controlled House’s idiocy on immigration this fall — something like 75% for Dems).
WaPo says the suburbs in N. Virginia were decisive.
[cheerful whistling]
It’s been quite the wild ride. Now I’m resting a bit while my O’Glake cools off after the battle.
Who’s Next?
ReneND @ 44
Oh, you and me both. Actually, I have heard some gossip about Norm. I can’t repeat it verbatim, as it would mean my job. However, I can say that if some good looking young woman were to hang out in Norm’s favorite bar, and someone with a video camera happened to be there, something YouTube worthy might happen.
Bush to make statement from Rose Garden about 10:30 ET after Cabinet meeting. More news?
GOOD Morning Everyone!
and WHAT a GOOD MORNING it is indeed!
Oh Joy!
I hope you can take time for yourself now, Christy. Please rest as much as you can. You’ll be doing US a great service. We treasure you, dear gal!
I have a confession. In all the hubbub, I was checking the blog so constantly, I didn’t even notice the comments were coming so thick and fast that, by the time the blog comments said, “Christy’s ON CNN!” I was almost an hour behind actual time – aaarrrgh!.
DANG! So all I’ve seen of the tv coverage of our FDL darlings is that snippet on yesterday’s thread.
Is there tape anywhere? Youtube or such? I feel cheated, yes, by my own stoopidity. *hangs head in shame*
I am so proud of FDL’s crew at every level, I could pop!
BRAVO FOLKS! We’re gonna get our democracy back!
you ’spose dubya’s announcement this morning is that he is going to quit for health reasons and to spend more time with his family and enter rehab?
angie @
17
many congrats to all who’ve helped webb defeat allen! not only did you defeat a bigot – you helped make leahy chair of the senate judiciary committee… i’m with angie on that one – thrilled, thrilled, thrilled.
got back from CT yesterday, and then collapsed from exhaustion. wish we could have lamont joining webb in the senate… but i am very proud of the efforts of the lamont family, tom swan’s campaign staff and every volunteer.
OldCoastie @ 59
LOL!
OldCoastie @ 59
Presidential Medal of Freedom to Don “Heckuva Job” Rumsself?
debit @ 56
Ha. I’ve heard similar way over here in North Dakota. His reputation precedes him.
ReneND @
44
Can I tag along? I’ll share Michelle Bachmann.
selise @ 60
thank you selise for all of your work and passion. Ned Lamont is an amazing man and he is the future. Too bad that all of CT did not realize it.
angie @ 61
Maybe Ken Mehlman and Karl Rove are getting married in the Rose Garden?
Credit for predicting Virginia would be the 6th Senate victory as of last spring, when Webb was a relative unknown?
It’s somewhere on fdl comments.
Yeah!
“Edit this comment” is back!
Preview is my friend, but knowing edit is there to back me up is even better. Mad props to Jamie and the mods for keeping FDL running smoothly the last couple of days!
anyone seen deadeye recently? don’t suppose he shot hissownself in the toe or anything, eh?
bet that snarly-face is on permanent autopilot at the moment…
Anybody see Toles’ cartoon this morning? Charlie Brown (the kid not the candidate) finally kicked the field goal. Snoopy dances everywhere.
ReneND @
44
that is AL FRANKEN’s JOB. colman is on borrowed time.
Yesterday, there was discussion of an analysis of Rahm’s campaigning effectiveness vs Blue America. I’m wondering if someone is really doing it and where that might pop up? I’m happy to offer some decent skills with excel.
For what it’s worth, and it’s worth a hell of a lot less than it would have been two weeks ago: the data to put Lieberman’s expenditures in context is within reach. I may pursue it just for spite, academic research and to see if it turns up any further “irregularities”. There would be significant cost associated, but it would be an asset in real time response in future campaigns.
OT:
AP: Startling findings in Tillman probe
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/200…..warrior_10
Is the day after thanksgiving too early to start the target list for next cycle? And can we get more fine-grained next cycle? Like at the state house level? And don’t forget the upcoming special election coming up at CA-04, Go Nate!
i heart jane @ 71
Really think Franken will run? What a circus!
Best stock up on popcorn. I’m almost out.
Curious in Central Texas @ 57
It’s at 11:30 ET. Sorry.
angie @ 65
yet.
thanks angie… but, i’m not done yet, and from what i heard tuesday night, that is a common feeling. in just a couple of minutes i saw volunteer after volunteer go to tom swan to ask things like “what’s next?” or “we’re not stopping here, right?”.
in the last few months, i’ve really become a advocate for canvassing – this campaign was my first experience going door to door and i think i started out pretty bad… but experience is a great teacher (also going canvassing with an experienced local pro helps) and i think i got much better. the chance for honest respectful conversations about the issues that matter most to people is something that i treasure.
i am kinda hoping (wishful thinking, i know) that ned and tom would announce now their next campaign (or any combination of inspirational candidate and campaign manager) now… just so i could start canvassing right away.
Gnome de Plume @ 70
Go here. It’s WONDERFUL! heeheehee THANKS!
http://www.washingtonpost.com/….._main.html
egregious @ 67
Props to you, you were sharper than I was! I always hoped, but I also knew I’m always too optimistic.
Hey, egregious — WE DID IT!
I just keep saying that to myself over and over. It’s almost worth having this race be so close just to be able to do the Snoopy dance five times over — when Webb announced we were going to take the lead, when we did, when he declared victory, when the networks declared victory, and (coming soon) when Allen concedes!
CNN – Webb waiting for concession b4 he declares victory
ReneND @ 75
yep: he will kick colman’s ass — despite his ’show biz’ background, AL is a very smart, strong and compassionate Dem. He will IMHO be a great senator.
but: i am kind of biased. he and i both lived in st louis park Mn. a suburb of Minneapolis.
This election has just been the gift that keeps on giving. Take over of the House one day, Rummy resigns the next, followed by a take over of the Senate.
Boy, a person could get use to all this good stuff happening. Actually, I think I did once…in the 90’s.
Cheney is going to resign and McCain will replace him in preparation for 2008.
McCain is too darn old and all his brown nosing won’t change that.
howdy SharonW!
i haven’t forgotten that i owe you (and a ton of other people) CT pictures! later today for sure… but first i have to clean house and buy groceries…
Sally @ 83
you guessing in the ether up there, or do you know something *slaps foil hat on head*
Sally @ 83
and hard to see how two years in the bush administration wouldn’t tar him as a failure like the rest of them.
ReneND – being from Minnesota I totally advocate following Norm Coleman around with a camera. He is a Rovian made puppet. He moved to St. Paul years ago and quickly became Mayor of that city, acting as democrat but being funded all along by republican businesses.
When he changed to republican, no one was surprised. He, Pawlenty (saddness that he got by in ofice with that squeaker), and Bachman now make up the republican face of Minnesota.
BUT we got rid of Mark Kennedy. And that is something to celebrate. So, one down, three to go.
selise @ 77, I agree with you. I am not done yet, either. We have much work to do. Lamont is a very good man. There are many good men and women out there that can and should lead and many incumbents that should and can go. Talking to real folks and canvassing has certainly made a difference in my experience.
We need to get the $$$$$$$$$$ out of the elections.
Sally @ 83
I’m sure that Rove would love that, but I don’t think Cheney would go for it, and he’s probably the only person in the administration powerful enough to tell Rove to go Cheney himself. And honestly, I think it would be of questionable value for McCain. He’d gain the VP incumbency (but VP is not actually a historically strong platform for running) and he’d have to neuter himself even more than he has this year, canceling one of his few strengths.
IF the shooter resigns, I suggest a new thread topic:
List of uses for HIMSELF’s personal bunker, or whatever that was he carved out under the veep mansion’s basement lo those many months ago.
1. wine cellar? NOT
next?
A few months ago, I really agreed with this scenario as possible.
IIRC, AZ has a Dem, Governor. I am not familiar with AZ, but if McCain resigns, I suspect she would appoint a Dem to replace him. It still might happen, but that’s a heavy cost for the GOP to pay in the Senate. It would also cut into Lieberman4Lieberman’s leverage.
Adie:
Great storage for organic vegetables? (sorry the thought of Shooter eating vegetables, much less organic, makes me giggle!)
sofistic @ 74
We have off-year elections in VA, and the entire state legislature is on the table next year. So here we may rest until January, but no longer. Then Northern Virginia gets to flex its muscles again, and try to extend the blue wave to taking back the legislature, too.
John Casper:
As much a I’d love to see Shooter go, it’s probably a cabinet secretary. Who might have Had Enough? (sorry Teddy SF) :)
I’m getting old and my memory isn’t what it once was. Didn’t Senator McCain say he would do something if the Democrats took control of congress? Maybe someone here can refresh my memory. Thanks.
I also think Cheney is retiring for health reasons and Joe Lieberman is about to come out of the closet.
We really do need to keep going, as howard Dean said in his interview yesterday morning. Nothing stops – not the paid staff in the states, not the work to establish outposts of democracy in every state. We have a runnoff in TX for Ciro Rodriguez that we can work for. Let’s get reved up and donate to him.
martha @ 92
me too, tee hee – think those teeth are real or from the Halloween costume store?
. . . but I digress . . . veggiestorage?
not bad, but as an organic gardener & hoarder myself, I have concerns. . .
too toxic? too frigid?
CNN — “what a democratic weep could cost you at the pump” WTF
selise @ 84
Hey back at ya, Selise! I owe pics to TRex myself, too, so not to worry.
Adie @ 85, I don’t know a thing. Heard Bush went against Cheney to fire Rumsfeld so Cheney must be fired up about that and could show the prez just who the boss is by resigning. Also, Cheney ain’t gonna want to face any Democratic investigations.
I did think it was rather strange for McCain to have a press conference yesterday and share his ever so wise thoughts on Rumsfeld’s resignation, even considering the fact he very nimbly steps into the spotlight at every chance.
ummmmm. . . lessee. . .
toxic waste dump?
Found on CNN:
Welcome to the future
Be a part of CNN’s year-long look into the future.
Blogging is so 2006. What’s next?
Send us your thoughts, photos and videos and we’ll publish the best of your responses on CNN.com/Future and air them on CNN TV on Saturday, December 16, 3 p.m. ET.
Use the form below to send files from your computer, or e-mail ireport@cnn.com from your cell phone. (Need help? Use the Toolkit.)
Application here: http://www.cnn.com/exchange/ir…..ure.2.html
Knut Wicksell @
25
If the Repubs have any sense — and it’s a free-for-all as to what hue of red will be running that camp for the next election, except that it probably won’t be Karl Rove — they will move to the center to reclaim their true base. If they come to their senses even a little bit, we will lose many of the folks who held their noses and voted Dem this time. Dems need to move hard left to
1.) pick up the folks who held their noses and voted Dem even when their candidate did not have progressive values.
2.) reaffirm to supporters of ‘extreme’ ideas such as out of Iraq, universal healthcare, sufficient funding for schools, graduated income tax, individual over corporate rights, yada yada that their vote was actually for
3.) actually fix seriously broken things such as congressionao oversight, national dependence on oil and other poluting fuels, habeas corpus, posse comitatus, Gitmo and stupendous pork.
That said, right-left may not be a useful metaphor. There are too many issues that don’t line up neatly into one dimension for various reasons. Eg., since when was universal surveillence a ‘right’ idea?
Sally 101
Thanks. Intriguing. . . I hadn’t heard any of that. Certainly does make one wonder, alright.
All I know is, I’d be ecstatic to get deadeye OUT of governance, fenced off permanently, with razor-wire if necessary. He skeers me.
MOST DANGEROUS fella in the country, perhaps the world, IMO *shudder*
ouija @
43
Hear hear!
1.) net neutrality
2.) fair and transparent elections, preferably good old hand-counted paper ballots.
Lots o election dreck needs cleaning up, eg those robo calls. And campaign financing!!!!!
ccmask at 103
Think that’ll turn out like Lou Dobbs’ stupid rigged “faux-polls”?
I s’pose all we can do is try to use it, & see how their “filter” works.
Go for it, gang!
OldCoastie @ 28
That all may be true, but she folded time and time again to fall into line behind Bush, regardless of what her conscience told her.
Compare and contrast with Feingold’s single brave vote against the first iteration of the Patriot Act.
Sure, there are tactical reasons why it would be great if someone like that would come over, but they must always be held at arm’s length as the pure political opportunists that they are.
Adie @ 102
Maybe an alternative energy source–heck, if there is a toxic stew there, maybe it generates heat which can be captured and used to power Blair House?
;)
martha @ 109
Hey! You might be on ta somethin’ ….
I do wonder. Ya think it would be considered half empty or half full? or would that make any difference? hm-m-m
I would like to see the Democratic congress develop public policy on the basis of best practices, which would be based on real world data from countries all over the world. If you are a statistical junkie like I am, you will enjoy Nationmaster, and learn some amazing and useful facts.
http://www.nationmaster.com/index.php
>
There’s so much emotion these last few days. I was out working in the yard the Saturday taking down the Halloween decorations before the election, and my mind wandered off. My wife asked me what was wrong, I guess I had a scowl on my face.
Cheney and Bush asserting that support for democrats is supporting the terrorists. I couldn’t get that out of my head. He’s calling me a terrorist sympathizer! This election was already personal, but man, it can’t get much worse than this. Calling all of us traitors.
Hey Bush, “the votes are in and we won” screw you.
Good Morning Firedogs !
someone asked upthread about South Dakota election results for those who sponsored the Rapists Rights Bill
Per SD SoS -
this pig, who initially offered it up
http://tbogg.blogspot.com/2006…..and-i.html
Brock Greenfield – won w/ 61%
Julie Bartling – the Dem co-sponsor in leg – won w/59%
but,
the bill’s official sponsor in Leg
Roger Hunt – lost his 4 candidate race w/ 27%
Chuck Schumer Shows His Love For Bill O.
What can we do about Hoyer vs Murtha. IMHO Hoyer a piece of crap. Murtha took the hits while most of his fellow Dems ran and hid. He deserves to be majority leader.
Gotta go guys. Back later.
Got that turkey I started defrosting on election day. Now to bone the thing & stew the bones till, till, well . . . I was afraid to handle that sharp knife till today ;->
We like boneless turkey, and the broth makes terrific soup- & gravy base. No. Really.
I wish we could invite y’all to share a big kettle of piping-hot soup later!
Webb’s lead inching up, now at 7,512 according to SecState.
Yay our edit function is back!
forgot about this -
while researching the SD stuff, found this -
Senator-Elect James Webb is the screenwriter for Rob Reiner’s upcoming Whiskey River
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0477401/
selise 77 — if you really enjoyed canvassing, put that to work right away.
Become a precinct delegate in your own neighborhood, or work towards becoming one depending on how your local and state party organizations’ rules work. Get a list from the local/state party of the identified strong and leaning Dems in your precinct, begin canvassing them. It is critical that we start this dialogue NOW, so that our base voters are highly informed about issues before the 2008 election, and so that the party’s database is accurate in advance of the next election day. (The amount of work related to bad data is staggering. I don’t know how many times we must have called phonenumbers that were disconnected or wrong, time that could better have been spent on calls to good numbers, just as an example. We need to get a better handle on this; Repugs use automated systems to do this kind of checking.)
You can create your own canvassing script by using the talking points at the DNC’s website.
(ex: “What do you believe our representatives should begin work on first?
Security: (pick one of) Homeland security, military action overseas, support for active troops and veterans,
Opportunity: (pick one of) Economic development, Education, Retirement Security, Affordable Health Care
Responsibility: (pick one of) Honest Government, Election Reform, Environmental protection, Civil Rights & Justice”)
Be sure to communicate the feedback you gather back to local/state party, and to elected Dems. Representative democracy and all, you know.
You could also use the DNC’s Party Builder tool to set up regular house parties; invite the people you’ve canvassed to come and have coffee and talk about the issues, then write LTE’s as a joint effort at these events.
The opposition already knows who’s running in most of their open seats. They already know where they’re going to get the money. They will be checking on their base regularly. All this worked for them for the last 12-plus years.
We shouldn’t discount success; we should improve upon it, by taking the same processes and making them human and accountable.
Go for it, selise!!
so far this morning I have seen very graphic video of wounded combat troops in a hospital on CNN and troops coming home in CO.
Why not before the election?
hmmm.
OT, but too sweet not to share, Chairman Rangle needs more office space.
gooper sacrifice alert
Cliff Schecter is on MSNBC right now
John Casper @
91
You raise good objections, JC, and my jaw would drop if it happened today—but I suspect there are those who want Cheney gone that badly, and I think his leverage has slipped, somehow, especially with no more Rumsfeld to play keep-away with. Coming soon?
angie @ 120
They showed us what they had to show us so we would move on to the next program.
martha @
92
Of *course* he eats organic vegetables! He takes very good care of himself because he needs to live forever, don’t you know?
Angie@120: Probably because we own it now. They’ll be staked out in front of Walter Reed by the end of the weekend. Bastards.
I wonder if coffins can soon be shown?
prostrateddragon — Cheney really had no JAR leverage to speak of, with ratings persistently at 18% or so for years. 18% is the freak zone, where only automatons and lobotomized zombies reside.
Wouldn’t be surprised if Cheney did bail for this reason, but he cannot use any protections of office if he does. Can’t claim executive privilege any longer for his Energy Task Force papers, for example.
It’s a toss-up. I suspect Cheney hides out by doing a lot more canned hunting.
My fear:
Cheney resigns.
Lieberman replaces him.
The Senate goes back to R.
This morning, CNN said we’re all “gloating”… such a nice word, no connotations at all. Guess they haven’t reconfigured yet…yeah right.
Adie @
102
Easy there, Adie, one of ours is going to be in that mansion in a couple of years! Maybe sooner… ;)
Steve @ 115, I have no idea where Hoyer is on issues but we all know how Murtha feels about Iraq and know he wasn’t afraid to voice his opinion time and again to friend and foe. I have the impression Murtha is more conservative than we might like but Pelosi seems to be able to get the best out of people by working with them in good faith. I have been reading here and there about how she has been working quietly to get things done and is now set to put her plans in motion after her take-over. If I may say so, that’s how effective women work.
Pat_AlexVA @
112
Revenge is a dish which tastes best when cold.
ccmask @ 127
the very same thought occurred to me.
;(
angie @ 134
here too :(
cbl @ 122
If you can, give us a brief recap.
I’ve heard Hoyer is a first class sell out double dealing two faced triangulating money grubbing shifty eyed, ummmm…duplicitous, not to be trusted inside the beltway lobbyist loving not so very democratic or democrat acting first class sellout creep. Yah. That’s what I heard.
OT – Film’s ‘Jesus Camp’ closed over vandalism
crick @ 108
Got lotsa those with D after their name. I got me a little list.
Prof @ 129
Scary scenario, but not impossible to imagine. It sure would quiet down the calls (especially on the far/mid-Left) for a Shrub impeachment, too — who would want Joe for President now?
FishGuyDave @ 140
If Joe doesn’t get to be President, he will start his own country.
Eureka Springs — wasn’t Snowe out of pocket the day that the Senate voted on S.3930? I thought there was a death in the family…I could be wrong, but I don’t want to extend credit where not deserved.
On another note: the tech industry is really digging the blue shift, says it will save the internet. Also seeing little tidbits in tech sector that credit blogs for the shift.
(Bobo is carrying water; the opposition is still terrified of the blogs.)
arc parser -
sorry I actually missed it while getting ready for work – if it’s not up on C & L soon, check over at young turks
OT: David Brooks, http://select.nytimes.com/2006…..amp;emc=th spins the Democratic victory as all about the blue dogs and a repudiation of the liberal bloggers:
“So voters kicked out Republicans but did not swing to the left. For the most part they exchanged moderate Republicans for conservative Democrats. It was a great day for the centrist Joe Lieberman, who defeated the scion of the Daily Kos net roots, Ned Lamont.”
And:
“If Democrats are going to take advantage of their victory, they will have to do two things. They will have to show they have not been taken over by their bloggers or their economic nationalists”
Looks like we still have our work cut out to convince the party that the victory really came from the left, not from the center.
Cheney resign?… not while his fangs are still sharp and his appetite is so expansive.
About potential Republicans who might jump party ship and join Democrats. Snowe was the only one who did not vote out Habeas Corpus or for torture. She declined to vote at all that day.
David Brooks…who was he?
Connecticut statutes:
Rayne @
128
Yes, I certainly don’t think he’ll jump—I doubt if he really cares about being shelved for two years. I’m still suspecting that he might get pushed, and I doubt that he has as much heft to stave that off as he did, say, last year. And with his fingerprints all over everything, who could he really have blackmailed, anyway?
Prof @ 148
Prof, I *love* you!
new thread
Franco @
26
We have tried for years to say bye to Hatch…he is in too tight with the local religion and has proven very difficult to remove. Although this election he was sounding more angry and unhinged when given real questions by reporters and Ashdown….
HotFlash @ 139
Agreed. Absolutely. I could name many on that list by heart, but I tucked it away just in case my advancing age leads to memory failure.
Mornin Redd- hope you get rested up soon.
Interesting speculation this morning. I doubt if any goopers will join the dem ship- but the Maine twins and Arlan have ta see the writing on the wall. They’re endangered species– the current gooper party cannot support senators in blue states-particularly in the north east- an area they used to dominate.
The second shoe of Nixon’s southern strategy falls- decades later.
Gooper victories under Clusterfuck have all been war aided. He got in without winning the popular vote thanks to friends in high places- and then 9/11 put a wind at his back.
Sans war and terrorism- goopers probably can’t win the White House- particularly a gooper as conservative as Clusterfuck.
Gooper party has PLENTY of problems right now.
Rover’s thousand year reich lasted less time than the Nazi’s.
OldCoastie @
59
707! I wish!
GrandmaJ @
97
I tried to donate to his campaign this morning through blue america…it wasn’t working.
ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh – this just feels soooooooo wonderful america we’re reclaiming america!! i dont care what the corporate media says – THE NETROOTS ROCK!! make no mistake the progressive blogs especially FDL deserve a BIG PAT on the back again thanks to all who did the grunt work!
Jesus B. Ochoa @ 31
Edwards is an opportunist. He is off my list.
HotFlash @
131
I know, I know. But look what’s been IN there for the last several years. Eeeeeeewwww! At the very least, it needs a good flushing, no?!
It certainly isn’t going to be sufficient just to stick a box of baking soda & an air freshener in there… whew!
WOW!!! oh what a relief it is!! this would not repeat not have been accomplished without the progressive blogosphere – especially my fave FDL!! and ned lamont’s bid for senatorial office helped to galvanize us even more. thanks ned do try again – it aint over lol.ok dems make us proud!!
Christy,
You are quite welcome. This Virginian from Virginia Beach never thought that when I walked out of the voting booth on Tuesday, after having voting on the infamous DIEBOLD vapor ballot machine, that my vote would make the difference in our gaining the majority in the Senate. I guess that all of the calls I made for Moveon.org and the Webb campaign did indeed make the difference. And I thank you for your tireless efforts in exposing all of the lies and hypocrisy of Republicans. You are witty and eloquent, and your articles are illuminating.
i heart jane @ 81
I am a long-time Franken listener. I got started listening when I was a yo-yo and I-25 was my string. I bought a Sirius unit for the car because I couldn’t stand losing the signal. When AirAmerica moved to XM, my Sirius unit crapped out and I replaced it with an XM (unsolicited plug: XM >> Sirius).
It’s clear that Al has a jones for Norm Coleman. He’s being a little coy about it, but if you listen to him for any period of time a few things become clear.
Paul Wellstone is one of Al’s heroes.
Norm Coleman and the R’s shit all over Wellstone’s memorial service, in order to win that seat.
Al thinks very little of Coleman. (Al’s a smart guy.)
And payback time comes in 2 years. If I were Coleman, I’d be looking for a new gig…
BC
HotFlash @ 104
If my aunt had balls, she’d be my uncle.
For better or worse, the Rethugs have gotten into bed with the Fundagelicals. E.J. Dionne got right in yesterday’s column when he said that the R’s are going to spend the next period arguing over who cost them the election and why.
It’s unclear that they are capable of a move to the center at this point. A move to the center is unlikely (and difficult) as long as their current crowd of asshats stays in control.
So much for Bushie’s permanent Rethuglican majority, eh?
BC