So Ciro Rodriguez beats Henry Bonilla. I have to say, I did not think this one was in the bag at all:
The apparent key to Rodriguez's come-from-behind victory was a heavy focus by national Democrats on identifying and turning out Latino voters — especially in Bexar County. The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee spent $100,000 on ads on Hispanic radio in the district and paid for thousands of get-out-the-vote calls. All told, the DCCC spent more than $900,000 on this race — more than two-thirds of which went into television advertising that sought to undermine Bonilla's seeming strengths on military issues. The DCCC also gained considerable traction with spots that attacked the incumbent for supporting multiple congressional pay raises.
[]
In contrast to the heavy spending by the DCCC, the National Republican Congressional Committee chose not to spend a dime on this race — under the belief that Bonilla's massive financial edge (he outspent Rodriguez at a better than four-to-one clip) would be more than enough to hold the seat. It's hard not to wonder if the chaos caused within the Republican Party following its losses on Nov. 7 led to a lack of focus on the Texas runoff.
And Sean-Paul says:
The ad that Henry Bonilla ran killed him. I'll see if I can find a link to the ad. It was so over the top that even the conservative guys at my station disliked it.
It was, no question, one of the uglier ads of the season.
Ciro is a true pro-labor, pro-choice progressive and having him in the House again is wonderful. We raised a lot of money this year on his behalf and thanks to everyone who answered the recent call to phone bank for him.
And, it must be said, thanks to the DCCC who went in and used their resources to pull Ciro through. It's one more kick in the nads to Tom DeLay and his redistricting scheme, which makes it an extra delight.
Suppose the Bugman's gonna blog about it? Nah.
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FITZ!
Fitzmas!
Better batten down the hatches today Jane.
Supposed to be a big one going to blow through.
It certainly doesn’t look good for those poor guys stuck on Mt. Hood. They are predicting 90 mph winds up there today.
they have been up there dang near a week in freezing weather.
it would be a miracle if all 3 got out.
Yay, Ciro!
YAY, US!
Wow, great news. And someone I supported actually won! How did that happen?
I put a few bucks on Ciro at !ElGatoNegro’s urging. Ciro won and I helped! Amazing how participatory that feels.
Good on the DCCC, too, I guess.
But interesting about lack of RNC machine action. I’d remarked last night on the conspicuous lack of any R presidential hopefuls. Are we seeing a rout?
when it the bugman going to jail?
OldCoastie @ 6
That may be a good question to pose to ‘him’ in the comments section of ‘his’ blog.
HotFlash @
6
Good on you HF! I had exactly the same feeling when John Tester brought in on home. It’s more than a good feeling, it was an awesome feeling.
It’s so easy to forget that, now, in light of the truly dire circumstances building in Iraq and the realities of the Democratic congress having a huge uphill battle on everything from foreign policy on down to domestic issues that have been all but forgotten in six years.
I’m trying to remember that the good guys are starting to win. Now I just have to figure out who all the good guys really are.
The first night I was front paging the blog, Ciro lost his special election bid. Everyone was bummed, bummed, bummed, and I was in full shrink mode, talking about movement building, the long view, etc.
Lots of things have happened since then, but this victory is for me a real poetic event that signals real change over the last year, or somehow bookends the year for me.
Yay!
So much for the GOP’s re-districting, voter suppression, lying ads, corrupt fundraising. and character assassination. This is a win for the good guys. Good riddance, Henry Bonilla.
Bustednuckles @
3
You,too, batten, Busted. I read something a few minutes ago about the hikers. One guy had called 911 from his cell phone, from inside a snow cave. His buddies had gone for help.
The rescuers say if you’re prepared, a snow cave can keep you safe for days, and they have triangulated (ah, a good use for that notion) his position from the earlier cell call. They seem confident they’ll find him, at least.
Prayers their way.
Bustednuckles @
3
I’m telling you, Kobe was so freaked out last night I thought I never was going to be able to get him calmed down. And the weather wasn’t even that bad so it must have been something he sensed.
congrats to Ciro
as to the bugman, ok y’all, time to ‘fess up
The person now bird-dogging the former leading light of the Republican party’s comments seems blind to that clever and ancient form of secret message-making known as the acrostic.
When is Henry Bonilla starting his blog?
Pachacutec @
10
I thought about that when I threw up the post, Pach. Yes you did offer us your professional services that night and they were very much appreciated. People were really disappointed and defeated.
Its an object lesson in the value of hanging in there.
Good guys = us.
FDL introduced me to Ciro, and put me in touch with that campaign’s remote phonebank, and got me to contribute. Pach, that was a long, dark night of the soul when Ciro lost a year ago. Your post that night framed the long view for me, and made me realize this was going to be a long slog, but one we had to undertake.
Sweet that Ciro’s loss’s been undone only one year later — but it’s still gonna be a long slog.
Thanks to FDL. This is a real victory. I gotta go train some new California community health outreach workers about AIDS/HIV, so if elGatoNegro comes by later today, please say woo-hoo for me!
More proof that the conservatives really won the 2006 midterms.
-Dave Broder’s Left Nut
Kicking DeLay in the nads is really addictive, and extremely pleasureful. I am SO glad he has a new blog out there. Boy, he’s playin’ right into our hands.
http://www.seriouskidding.com
This was a very sweet victory in a hard year for Texas Dems.
DCCC came through big time for us, with money and expertise. TDP stepped up to do what they could, and lots and lots of diehard activists worked their butts off to make this happen. Take any of these elements away, and we’re talking about “maybe next time” again.
Special thanks to the Big Dog for a high profile campaign stop that suggested this seat was both important and winnable, and special, special thanks to all those of you from out of state who sent money or phone banked for our hero, Ciro.
Ciro!!! Rootz!!!!
OT – General foresees ‘generational war’ against terrorism
Santorum: Fox News’ newest pundit?
TeddySanFran @ 17
Good on you too Teddy! Good on FDL!
Good news is a sorely needed tonic. I (being he-man, patriarchal and infallible in my ways) do not like to entertain the thought that I am susceptible to winter depression…but it was getting to me, it really was; must be the war on Xmas.
Yay for Ciro and TX 23!
twolf1 @ 22– why not just call it The Crusades? Notice he’s Air Force???
Oh, and Santorum as a pundit? Great, the biggest hate- speaker that was in the Senate.
gah.
Pachacutec @ 10
I remember your post. It seemed an opportunity to take a look at the long arc of time, and see what we could start doing. You had some really good ideas and inspiring phrases. Time for a vintage re-post?
That makes the not-quite-final score for the 2006 House elections 234 Dems, 200 Republicans, and one Florida seat still in dispute.
(It’s getting to be that you can’t have a real election without something if Florida being in dispute. Maybe this is why the ISG moved its report up from January to last week, so James Baker could get back to Florida to clean things up.)
So . . . who won the poll to be named the FDL prognosticator in chief?
Difficult to distinguish between winter depression and political angst.
Sheik Abdel Rahmen did not attack the world trade center.
Apparently Bonilla said that this election was the first election for the 2008 season. Count it as a loss for Team GOP.
Republicans are destroying their brand name by allying themselves so firmly in the religious nut bag camp.
Keep it up kooks.
-GSD
fyi–Leahy on cspan1 now @ Georgetown,
our new Chairman of the Judiciary!
klyde @ 28
Nope… Barack Obama did
angie @ 30
thanks for the heads-up!
Man, that Al Ortiz is a major whore! Glad to see he was on the losing side of this campaign.
El Clusterfucko is broadcasting the US military punch a month in advance.
The US will embark on a modified 80% solution. Shunning the Sunnis and also taking on Al Sadr.
The Saudis are going to align themselves with the Sunni and are looking at back channels to Israel too—hope the King has his personal guards well vetted if he plans on cozying up to Israel….
Pakistan is also another big thorn in Bush’s side. I imagine the AEI crowd must think that Pakistan falls into the “if you harbor terrorists, you are an enemy” camp.
Yep, the slow fuse is lit on this pile dynamite.
-GSD
The BurntOrangeReport was the first to call the race for Ciro –
And they have a link to a way cool Swing State Project map of blue Texas!!!
twolf1 @
32
me too, thanks
Leahy is one that I consider to be a leader.
Wow! all those $5 count! even mine. yipee!
angie @ 24
If only to watch Dan Savage operate, I wish, oh how I wish that Rick Santorum would be foolish enough to expose himself to the slings and arrows of outrageous blogosphere!
Peterr @
26
I wasn’t keeping track, but I think Watertiger had the most outrageously optimistic bet. Was it egregious or rayne keeping track?
twolf1 @
31
Is Jeff Greenfield going to point out that Sheik Rahman looks like Santa Claus in his ongoing brilliant political separated at birth series?
-GSD
twolf1 @ 31
Barack Hussein Obama. A certain segment of MSM is trying to get some mileage out of that middle name. But as Obama said: “I don’t think Americans are that concerned about middle names.”
“A month after suffering the largest defeat by a Senate incumbent in a quarter-century,” Sen. Rick Santorum (R-PA) is “negotiating a cable deal, which political insiders say most likely is with Fox — though MSNBC and CNN have been mentioned as well.”
Rumors that Santorum has also submitted a job application to Bob Woodward haven’t been confirmed or denied….
ot–
Leahy wrt Habeas Corpus:
People said remember 9/11.
I said remember 1215!
(this is a fabulous speech, imho)
Moral dilemma.
I really loathe drunk, rowdy rednecks in cowboy hats……but I also am no fan of Pauly Shore.
So I don’t know how to feel about this clip.
-GSD
Ed*ard Teller @ 42
If he takes a job with Woodward, there might be opportunity for both his surname and Dan Savage’s definition to be uttered in complete disgust within Woodward’s office walls.
GSD @ 39
Sheik Rahman looks like Santa Claus
Jane, If I recall, you are on the central Oregon Coast. My brother lives near Tillamook, and I live to the south in Eureka. It looks as if you are in for a big blow tomorrow (with gusts near 60mph) so Busted is right. Batten down the hatches. Maybe Kobe sensed the changing barometric pressure?
GSD @ 43
The chief of police of Odessa Texas has issued a press release saying that the incident with Pauly Shore getting punched out at a Odessa comedy club was a hoax.
Jane Hamsher @
13
Jane and other readers in states affected by this storm – to monitor all weather warnings where you are, please click on your location on the map on the page for which I’m providing a link: http://www.weather.gov/
sofistic @
47
I think that is probably it. He’s a sensitive guy and I suspect he feels something a-comin’.
GSD @ 44
Dang good thing I wear a baseball cap then.
johnSwifty @
45
LOL!! I think Ricky should blog. http://www.manondog.blogspot.com…
OT – FEC Fines Swift Boat Vets $300K
via huffpo
Go Ciro!
egregious – Does that bring the House total to 31 new Dems?
OT – Heard this last night, not sure it’s been included in the mix. Saudi Arabia has decided to develop (along with several sunni gulf countries) a nuclear energy program, like Irans program.
So dear Bush Jr., in your time in office, India, North Korea, Iran and Saudi Arabia actually have plans for programs that will enable later inclusion of WMD programs. Who are we fighting again and where are their WMD’s?
Is anyone actually surprised the Saudi’s are reiterating their support of the sunnis in Iraq. Cheney’s meeting may have discussed Saudi sunni support but it could not have been a surprise, imo.
sofistic @ 47
This pressure chart tells me that this storm’s central pressure is 28.47 inches as of 7 AM Pacific Standard Time when I convert from metric to English units of measure: http://www.hpc.ncep.noaa.gov/sfc/90fbw.gif
Its gonna blow .
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PORTLAND OR
226 PM PST TUE DEC 12 2006
ORZ001>004-006>008-010>013-WAZ019>022-039-040-132300-
NORTH OREGON COAST-CENTRAL OREGON COAST-
COAST RANGE OF NORTHWEST OREGON-
snip
..VANCOUVER..
BATTLE GROUND…WASHOUGAL…
snip
.MAJOR WINDSTORM POSSIBLE FOR THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST INCLUDING
NORTHWEST OREGON AND SOUTHWEST WASHINGTON LATER THIS WEEK..
Only just now am watching Leahy @ Georgetown Law. Striking difference in crowd reaction compared to Gonzo’s fairly recent foray in front of that audience.
VT is blessed w/Leahy and Sanders (any word on Sanders’ committee assignments? I’d think Teddy’s Health/Labor would be one?)
question for Leahy about when will he get Gonzo to testify?
Seemed to say “All things in time…” sidestep. But w/humor.
Didn’t know he was Georgetown Law during JFK/RFK as AG.
More proof that John Solomon, formerly of AP, is a hack and a liar.
Now he can spread his fake stories at the Washington Post.
-GSD
Stephen at 55:
Yikes! Looks like Seattle/Vancouver will be hit really hard.
rumi @ 14
Click on the link. This is so clever!
Leahy says he told Cheney last time he saw him on the floor when he was being sworn in and he said:
“It’s far better to be sworn in than to be sworn at.”
Looseheadprop @ 60
707
Ciro Rodriguez, TX-23 in 2006.
Roberto Rodriguez, CA-25 in 2008!
Ciro’s election is yet another sign that the times are a-changing. I remember W lecturing us some time ago not to get all isolationist (translation: we need international trade so we can get richer). Yet, today, we have a windpower engineer from California and an organic farmer from Montana in congress. Isolationist? No. Self sufficient, Yes.
new thread.
http://www.firedoglake.com/200…../#comments
Surf’s up at Cannon Beach:
COMBINED SEAS 30 FT…BUILDING TO 40 FT AFTER MIDNIGHT
Whoa! Surf like that will close the Columbia Bar, let alone the smaller bars along the Oregon coast. The USCG’s going to have a busy week.
Blank Kludge @ 57
Don’t know, but suspect he will. Certainly the confrontation between Leahy and Muller a couple weeks ago caused a lot of heartburn in the FBI–or so I hear.
hunker down, Pacific Northwesterners…
LHP and Busted – some just show more vocabulatorial tact than others in their imaginative communications.
Nobody here is happier to see Bonilla gone than the ordinary people unlucky enough to have him as a rep. People like me. There was a lot of worry about Ciro here; he’s one of those guys who just doesn’t do the campaign fundraising thing well, but he got some huge boosts from the DCCC, but the clincher was bringing Clinton here this past Sunday.
The most encouraging thing that told me Ciro had a chance was when two union members came to my house to encourage me to vote, as a fellow union worker. They weren’t from my union, but my local had coordinated the labor GOTV effort. They were contacting union members all over San Antonio, and we have lots of them here. This is the first time anyone has come to my house as part of GOTV from a union. Ever. It’s the first time anyone representing a Dem has done it. And it’s the first time people had come from a long way away to GOTV. The people at my door were from Denton and Austin. Made my recovery a lot better to see them here.
So, no, Rahm Douchebag doesn’t get all of the credit. A lot goes to one hell of an effort on the ground, and having a demoralized Republican base. And that Clinton visit.
So much for the Virgen of Guadalupe day making an impact. Honestly, I don’t know how people started worrying about that. I’ve lived in South Texas 14 years now, right on the border for half of it, and I was starting to wonder if I lived in a parallel South Texas where Guadalupe day had become such a huge holiday that people dropped everything else in their life to honor her.
forgive any typos. I’m on my son’s laptop because my computer is in the shop after a power surge took out my ethernet card. Grrr.