Georgia GOP Chairwoman Sue Everhart said Wednesday morning that she anticipated a runoff between Republican Saxby Chambliss and Democrat Jim Martin for the U.S. Senate seat in Georgia.

Neither candidate had 50 percent of the vote. Chambliss, the incumbent, held a 49.9 percent to 46.7 percent advantage over Martin with 96 percent of the state precincts counted, according to the Georgia Secretary of State’s Office as of 9:45 a.m. Wednesday. Libertarian Allen Buckley had 3.4 percent of the vote.

i’ve read conflicting info on what happens if stevens retains his seat but is expelled from congress. does palin name the replacement or is there a special election or some combination of the two?

If Stevens wins and then resigns, then Palin appoints herself Senator to fulfill the term?

Palin names the replacement who then must stand for election in ‘10. I’m not sure if the Alaska Lege has to confirm the choice.

I believe ET discussed that yesterday on a thread that seems eons ago.
Since Murkowski replaced himself with his daughter Lisa, the legislature now holds a special election asap. I hope that is what I surmised. Too tired to check*g*

that will turn the Senate into a farce – on the order of Bachmann

Obama needs to get his New Model Army into Georgia for Martin.

Defeating Chambliss in a run-off would make it clear that the New Model Army is here to stay.

It’s a pity Minnesota doesn’t have a run-off requirement.

That Minnesota result is within the MOLF… margin of likely fraud. In light of the deceptive campaign Coleman has run, I believe he is quite possible.

We’ll welcome him with open arms!

Senator would be a demotion from governor.

should have been IT is quite possible.

Howard Dean needs to move his office to Alaska for the next two months and get that shit straightened out!

Either that, or BlackBoxVoting.org needs to move to AK for a couple of months. We have a Repub Guv who was just found to have violated state ethics law by the only independent investigator on the case. We have a powerful convicted felon Repub Senator get “elected,” defying a huge deficit in poll averages going in. We have a Repub Rep under federal investigation get “elected” after trailing in polls for a long time and often in double digits.

Is it a stretch to think the incredibly corrupt AK Repub party has cheated to keep their buddies in office?

Now that the election is over, we’ll start to hear how bad the economy really is. If there is a runoff in GA, it could sink Saxby Chambliss (who names their kid that, anyway?)

The first strafing run in the GOP civil war of 2008 has been reported.

McCain camp reporting that Palin spent much more on clothes than reported….

The McCain campaign found out last week when the aides sought reimbursement. One aide estimated that she spent “tens of thousands” more than the reported $150,000, and that $20,000 to $40,000 went to buy clothes for her husband. Some articles of clothing have apparently been lost. An angry aide characterized the shopping spree as “Wasilla hillbillies looting Neiman Marcus from coast to coast,” and said the truth will eventually come out when the Republican Party audits its books.

Operation Put Down the Pitbull has begun.

-G

Here’s hoping we can get Martin elected. I’ll trade a bit of sanity over the next 4 weeks in order to get Saxby out.

Saxby Chambliss (who names their kid that, anyway?)

Probably his parents.:)

Sounds like yet another Republican chicken-hawk. From his Wikipedia bio.

In the 1960s, during the Vietnam War, Chambliss was given five student deferments and he received a medical deferment (1-Y) for bad knees due to a football injury.
(snip)
His campaign used the refrain of national defense and security, but drew criticism for television ads that paired images of Cleland and Osama bin Laden and Saddam Hussein, and for questioning the commitment to homeland security of his opponent, a triple amputee and decorated Vietnam veteran.

Somewhat lost in the excitement is that we have a Blue America Liberal in Jim Himes take out a “moderate” 20+ year Repub incumbent in ShaShays. And Himes picked a DFH blogger to run his campaign!! This is very good news. And of course Alan Grayson took out another “moderate” Repub incumbent. Breathtaking.

Which one of you fellow readers is going to be the big success story in the 2010 elections?!?

In Oregon the remaining votes to be counted are from mostly well populated Democratic counties. I am cautiously optimistic for Jeff Merkley.

There is an update about AP withdrawing their Call for Coleman.

UPDATE: The AP has uncalled the race for Coleman

from Atlanta reporting Saxby only has 49.89% of the vote.

Whoops. Should be http://www.11alive.com from Atlanta…

…and we won’t get results until December

Doesn’t matter. She got a taste of DC, and she needs someplace to sport her new wardrobe.

OT: have you seen the slideshow at the top of HuffPo’s front page? After seven years lost in the desert, I think we have achieved another “we are all Americans” moment. I might add, under happier circumstances this time.

In Oregon the remaining votes to be counted are from mostly well populated Democratic counties. I am cautiously optimistic for Jeff Merkley.

I’m a bit less enthusiastic about vote-by-mail after this. Shouldn’t they be able to count all the ballots a lot quicker than this?

Don’t we already know that Stevens’ seat is lost anyway? Even if he actually does win, he loses because Shumer has already stated he is OUTA THERE! Stevens’ seat doesn’t belong to him even if he actually wins. There will be a new election in Alaska if Stevens wins.

There will be a new election in Alaska if Stevens wins.

A Senate seat in the hand is worth two in the special election.

The Stevens seat is STILL a potential pickup for the Dems regardless of a Stevens win right now.

My question is, why isn’t the OTHER criminal senator from Alaska facing expulsion too?

totally ot: author Michael Crichton has died. cancer. no further details.

No, I’ll go look now!

There is a good thing to come of not actually getting 60 seats: the expulsion and banishment of LIEBERMAN! If we had hit 60 seats WITH Lieberman, the Dems would have to spend the next 4 years kissing his ass and his ring to coax him to play nice on tough votes. Now that we cannot get 60 with or without Lieberman, he is superfluous. He is an infected appendix and can be excised out and tossed in the garbage.

Not only should he be stripped of his committee chair, he should become persona non grata amongst the Dems. His political career is effectively OVER. If only CT had a law on the books allowing for recall elections on senators…

Senator would be a demotion from governor.

Maybe, but it would have two benefits.

One, Alaska is kinda far away from the media spotlight, and if she wants to stay in the public eye, Alaska is not the place to do it.

Two, Washington is a lot warmer than Alaska all year ’round, and I’ll bet it has better stores to buy those fancy duds in.

Can’t believe Alaska votes for a convicted felon.

I know Al is going into a run-off but with a more “serious” candidate I do not see how Colman would have pulled it out.

So does Sara get to appoint the first dude or herself to go to the Senate when Ted Tubes Stevens gets ejected from the Senate? Mabye first dude will move to cede Alaska as is his wish.

I also would expect the R’s to filibuster any attempt to remove Stevens before his appeals have all been exhausted. He could drag that out for two years or more. The last convicted Senator (a D) did just that.

OT: Good to see that the leadership can be challenged. Waxman going for Commerce chair. I wish someone could make a run on Pelosi and Reid.

They are wet fish and not that great leaders. I do not see the gains as something they brought. Just saw Pelosi talk on CSPAN, sooo boring. Also the “off the table” thing.

Buh Bye, Lieberweasel.

http://firedoglake.com/2008/11…..a-races-2/

howie upstairs

What’s off the table now, the progressive agenda?

If only CT had a law on the books allowing for recall elections on senators…

Even if CT had a recall provision in their state constitution, it would not affect Senators or Representatives. Those are considered “Federal” offices and would require a US Constitutional amendment. Once seated after election, Senators and Reps are there until either the next election or Expulsion by their peers.

The last Rep expelled was James Traficant, OH in ‘02 after his conviction. Toobz Ted is a likely candidate for the next expulsion (requires 2/3s of the Senate)

I know the law is the law, but a runoff seems like such a waste of money.

The GOP gave us the “nuclear option” in the Senate. I hope the Dems wield that option well, and widely.

The “nuclear option”…it isn’t just for judicial appointments anymore!

The perks and prestige of being in the legislature are nice but the work is really boring unless you’re a policy wonk. Seems like she’d be happier in the entertainment industry. Maybe she and Elisabeth Hasselbeck can co-host a conservative talk show called The NARROW View.

Her ethical problems in Alaska haven’t disappeared. She STILL faces problems, and Cthulhu willing, impeachment.

IF there are any consipiracy theory I thought that keeping the lid on the corruption in Alaska was a big part of picking Palin. It did have a spotlight effect so lets see if that mess truly gets cleaned up.

People…consider a “bug in the ear” campaign. How about writing to Obama and suggesting he consider Hillary Clinton as his first nominee for SCOTUS when a seat opens up? It would be solid on several levels: it would help solidify the connection and support of the Clinton political machine for Obama, it would place an excellent Justice on the Court, and she would be there as long as Roberts or Alito, being in the same age range (and being a woman, probably a bit longer).

ANY nominees that Obama does select need to be NO OLDER than Roberts or Alito (exception Hillary, if she is a wee bit older). Seats need to be filled with LEFT-leaning Justices and they need to be young enough to shut down for as long as possible the ability of future GOPers to drive the Court further right. Young Justices who have internalized 21st century sensibilities and tolerance. Young Justices who will be there a LONG TIME.

Whatcha think?

Another reason for her to get out of politics. If she makes it in the infotainment biz, she can as unethical as she wants and at most she’ll have to do an occasional stint in rehab… which, by the way is GREAT publicity.

SCOTUS appointments should not be used to curry or reward political favors. I don’t think he should nominate anyone who lacks prior judiciary experience.

I don’t see it as political favor. I see it as win-win. She would be every bit as valid a pick as Roberts or Alito OR CLARENCE was. She IS a lawyer, afterall.

It is just icing on the cake that it could also help solidify the Obama political backing as a side effect.

She hasn’t been a practicing lawyer for a long time. Hillary is a quick study but the job is too important and detail oriented to give to people that lack pertinent experience. The fact that recent Republican presidents have nominated under-qualified individuals is not a precedent Obama should follow.

Hope they do try to block it, the closer to the election of 2010 then the best for us to keep a hook to hang corrupt R’s on.

She was trying to thread that needle. Big thing I see from her leadership team is doing the middle (Pelosi) and that they don’t want to pass anything without Repblican votes (Coburn).

She did not that the definition of liberal/middle/etc.

Voting theory has come a very long way since the Framers wrote the constitution. We wouldn’t need run-offs if we’d got to a STV system.

We wouldn’t have had President Bush if we had a STV system, either.

Maybe we needs us a constitutional amendment?

Unfortunately, three things really hurt Al Franken:

1) The extremely dirty primary campaign waged against him by Mike Ciresi and Ciresi’s allies, such as Betty McCollum (who led the charge on tsk-tsk-ing Franken’s allegedly naughty work for Hugh Hefner’s Playboy magazine, even though she is a happy recipient of EMILY’s List money, which of course comes from the Hefner family coffers).

2) The existence of a semi-viable third-party candidate to Hoover up disaffected voters who would have voted for Franken if Betty McCollum hadn’t gone after him.

3) The Texas lawsuits, which Coleman and his allies in the local media falsely yet successfully spun as originating from Franken’s camp (which as the plaintiff in question says is funny, as he’s a Republican).

This is the war between the TheoCons and the CorporateCons. Palin is the TheoCons’ standard-bearer; they’re going to try and argue that she helped McCain be a lot closer than he would have been without her. But while her presence on the ticket helped keep the Fundies in line, she scared everyone else.

It’s going to be a nasty war, and with any luck they’ll stay distracted by it long enough for Obama to get some key things done.

Why do Democrats persist in doing Republican’s dirty work for them?

Hey, PW. Last night somebody said you were a myth. I want you know I stuck up for you and said I was pretty sure you’re a mythus.

Longtime Oregon pollster Tim Hibbets actually called it for Merkley last night, based on the fact that, with 40% of the statewide vote counted, only 12% of Multnomah county’s vote (Portland and suburbs) had been counted. As of 10:00 PST this morning, only 49%.

If you go to The Oregonian newspaper’s website here:
Oregon U.S. Senate Results
and mouse over the map, you’ll see that the largely rural red counties, which are voting Smith by margins of 2-1 and 3-1, have been mostly counted, while the populous blue ones lag behind. That it is this close now is a very good sign that it will tip to Merkley.

As to FrankProbst’s question why votes by mail can’t be counted faster: my guess is because they are being careful with the crush of people dropping off ballots last night — too late to mail; postmarks don’t count — and provisional ballots. IMO, being careful is a good thing.

Next Multnomah Co. update at approx. 11:00 PST. Here.

Updates:

Multnomah Co. still lagging in count, with only 51% reported as of 10:55 am.

And pollster Hibbetts this morning:

Despite the closeness of the count, expert number cruncher Tim Hibbitts said he still expects Merkley to win, but he hedged his bet.
“I still think Merkley is going to win,” Hibbitts said. “But it’s going to be tight, and a lot tighter than I thought it was going to be. We shall see.”

Hibbitts said that in his 32 years as an election analyst, he has incorrectly predicted only two out of 900 races. “This could be a third,” he said. “But I still feel confident that Merkley will win.”

Thanks BT. digg