How Soon They Forget

The Times casts about for heroes to applaud in anticipation of the Dem victory in the House next Tuesday:

THE last time there was a seismic upset in Congress, there was little doubt as to who was the hero on election night and who would lead the party for the next two years: Newt Gingrich.

But if Democrats win on Tuesday, which even many Republicans morbidly concede might happen, who should get the credit? Nancy Pelosi or Rahm Emanuel? Charles Schumer or Harry Reid? Howard Dean?

Or should the lion’s share of the credit go to George W. Bush?

As the curtain falls on a spellbinding midterm election campaign, even the most superstitious of Democrats are awash in optimism. But a Democratic triumph, should such a rarity occur, will not necessarily provide a roadmap for the party’s future. And it almost certainly will not produce a new hero for the party.

When Democrats lost control of the House in 1994 after four decades of dominance, Mr. Gingrich clearly was the father of the takeover and could rightfully claim full credit. But this year, Democratic leaders could be tripping over one another on the way to the victory party.

Well before the outlook brightened for Democrats, episodes of bickering and elbow-throwing among party leaders were commonplace. The duo of Mr. Schumer, the New York senator and chairman of the senatorial campaign committee, and Mr. Emanuel, the Illinois representative who oversees the Congressional committee, frequently tangled with Mr. Dean, chairman of the Democratic National Committee.

Please - allow me to nominate Mark Foley.

Since the Times seems to have forgotten - when Congress adjourned they had just passed the detainee bill, prompting despair amongst libs (cf Jack Balkin, " Spineless Democrats Deserve to Lose"), and they had passed the immigration fence, which looked like a sure Republican base-pleaser.

And at TradeSports the probability of Republicans keeping control of the House had rallied from about 40% to 58% during the previous couple of weeks.

But before I had a chance to complete a little post describing how it was all coming back together for Team Karl, ABC News broke the Foley story and the back of the Republican rally.

Ancient history now, apparently - it is the story that Times forgot.

LONGER TERM MEMORY LOSS:  It would take a person who doesn't own a gun, doesn't know anyone who owns a gun, doesn't know anyone who is interested in gun owner's rights, and thinks that gun control is an unalloyed Good - in other words, a typical Times reporter - to interpret the 1994 election as follows:

[National political waves] come about once every decade or two, the last time in 1994 when Republicans took Congress handily, capitalizing on public disaffection over the economy, the Clinton administration’s health care proposal and a controversy over gays in the military.

Can you say, and write, "assault weapons ban"?  David Broder of the WaPo could: here is his third paragraph on The Morning After, explaining what happend to Dems in 1994:

Exit polls indicated that the push to the right was fueled both by the makeup of the electorate and by the issues that were uppermost on voters' minds. Those identifying themselves as born-again or Evangelical Christians accounted for more than one-quarter of the voters and went 3 to 2 for the GOP. Supporters of the National Rifle Association - which mounted a massive effort to punish Democrats who supported the Brady handgun law and the crime bill's ban on assault weapons - were even more numerous and more Republican.

Here is a follow-up on the now-lapsed ban:

The federal assault-weapons ban, scheduled to expire in September, is not responsible for the nation's steady decline in gun-related violence and its renewal likely will achieve little, according to an independent study commissioned by the National Institute of Justice (NIJ).

...NIJ is the Justice Department's research, development and evaluation agency — assigned the job of providing objective, independent, evidence-based information to the department through independent studies and other data collection activities. 

Comments

[Other Tom]

Off-topic: Saddam verdict handed down. ("You have to question the timing.") I understand Rove placed a discreet call to the judge.

[capitano]

Commenting this morning on the poll that shows Harold Ford trailing by 12% in the Tennessee Senate race, Chris Matthews puts on his "sad face" to blame it all on the racists in the South who still refuse to elect a black man to the Senate.

[Martin]

How fitting that it was Foley who broke the elephant's back.

The Republicans had complete control over how Foley would play out, and it was only their own arrogance, denial, and incompetence that created the spectacular flameout.

[ed]

Hmmm.

What exactly is the big deal about this Foley nonsense? Frankly it seems to be the only sex scandal in living memory that didn't actually involve sex.

So you liberals out there: explain why this idiotic nonsense about Foley actually is a scandal.

I really want to know because all I see is utter bullshit.

[owl]

The Dem's MSM brought us this election with ABC leading the parade.

Then credit goes to all the self centered wingers that decided to persue their own little power agendas regardless of the harm. After all, They are the Party, They are the Ones that brought us to power, blah, blah, blah.

Issue by issue.....ya want NSA terrorist watched or do you want Specter's civil rights? Ya want to get info from the captured or do you want to soothe McCain's moral outrage? You want to knock off a few of these killers or do you want to employ Graham's lawyers? Ya want to fry those Dems who sat 2 hours up the road and refused to let those Katrina trapped people even cross a bridge (much less offer them the hundreds of dry busses they have AVAILABLE) or had you rather fry Brownie? Immigration? Do Not Even Get Me Started on that destruction force. This parade was started with a 'speechwriter' named Frum who decided that he had been insulted by the nomination of someone who HE decided was inferior. Heck, I even read yesterday, that HE is still giving out HIS valued opinions.

Glue. This bunch does not understand glue. La de dah....it's principle over survival and wearing hair shirts. The MSM only had to 'shape' this mess and supply The Silence. Throw in a generous amout of Traitors.....and.....

Just hoping there are still enough out there like me, who has already voted a straight Republican ticket because I can no longer afford to vote personalities. I appreciate the chance to LIVE without the UN deciding my taxes or who gets first chance to kill me. Ya can't chase me out of the Party with a Stick or the MSM.

[Les Nessman]

"Ancient history now, apparently - it is the story that Times forgot."

But of course. As the actual facts of this story, as opposed to the media-hyped innuendo, come out it becomes apparent that there is less to this than we were led to believe. By now, this story has served it's main purpose (derail the GOP) so it goes down the memory hole.

[Sue]

Just as their Al Qaqaa story disappeared, never to be written about again, as soon as the election was over.

[windansea]

A new Washington Post-ABC News poll shows some narrowing in the Democratic advantage in House races. The survey gives the Democrats a six-percentage-point lead nationally among likely voters asked which party they prefer for Congress. It was 14 points two weeks ago, but this remains a larger advantage than they have had in recent midterm elections.

we're surging, surging I tell you

I'll take a WAPO without the special sauce

kkkkkkkkkarl

[jerry]

I can't wait to see less of Elizabeth Dole on my TV, does the woman ever stop to listen to other people? She might learn somethings.

[Other Tom]

I want to see more of John Kerry on mine. He's doing exactly as Rove ordere him to.

[windansea]

History Suggests A 6% Democrat Generic Advantage Gives Republicans 223-228 House Seats

We know that the final Washington Post/ABC News Congressional Generic Ballot poll shows only a 6% lead for the Democrats. It was 14% in the last poll. So what?

For historic final generic poll information, go HERE.

For Congressional Partisan historic breakdown go HERE.

Conclusion: In 1998, Democrats had a poll advantage of 8.03% and that lead to a partisan breakdown of 223 Republican and 212 Democrat/Socialist. There is absolutely no reason to suggest that the current generic Congressional Ballot is leading to large Democrat gains and control of the House.

PoliPundit

[SunnyDay]

Cheney just said that neither he nor the President would appear before congress if subpoenaed.

[cboldt]

-- "Cheney just said that neither he nor the President would appear before congress if subpoenaed." --

That's it? That's all? No context? Libby case? NSA? CIA detention? Renditions? Vote fraud?

[TexasIsHeaven]

OT - Dan Blather on Fox - went to sleep last night with TV on - woke up this morning and thought I had died and gone to the bad place. There is Dan Blather - on Fox - staring me in the face.

Will this fool never go away? And why in the hell would Fox give him the time of day?

[Doug]

Before the Times begins the Icky Shuffle in the end-zone, there's that little, teeny, weeny issue of the real election.

And consider this a manual trackback.

[anonymous]

We the undersigned,extend our support to the Democratic Party of America in the Impeachment of the warmonger George W.Bush.

President Jacques Chirac.
President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.
President Bashar al-Assad.
President Kim Jong Il.
President Hugo Chavez.
United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan.

[Semanticleo]

Newt and the fellow 'Promisers' defaulted on their pretext and so the decent conservatives who truly believed such had the moral highground find themselves dispirited.

All the rest of the conservative crew still sticking with the Deciderer had no such lofty ideals so they are content to stay because it is too painful to lose power and gloating rights. They deserve the same fate as the failed President; ignominous history.

[PeterUK]

Glad you decided to come and skulk here Septic,perhaps you can answer a question,if your party of millionaires and moonbats wins power what exactly are you going to do?

[PeterUK]

"Deciderer",'kin' what????????????

[Semanticleo]

"Cheney just said that neither he nor the President would appear before congress if subpoenaed."

I can hear the 'pffts' as I write this. Think about the possibility that the executive branch has gone totally barmy and reuses to step down in '08. Martial law on the pretext
'National Security Concerns' (what else?)
would make a half-witted Mushareff type regime
for the good of America. Preposterous?

Read the quote above, again.

[maryrose]

Elizabeth Dole got off one zinger on MTP before they literally shut her down in responding. Russert kept interrupting to push his own personal partisan agenda and shouted her down in allowing her to speak. Rahm and Schumer got all the time they wanted. Disgusting display!

[clarice]

Well maybe Russert read Walton's footnote and was preoccupied.

[maryrose]

Why Should President Bush and Vice-president Cheney waste any of their precious fighting against terrorism on the loser democrats in Congress that want us to lose.

[maryrose]

should have included the word "time" in above post.

[PeterUK]

"I can hear the 'pffts' as I write this."

No Septic,more "Faaaarrrpp!"

[SunnyDay]

cbolt -
That's it? That's all? No context? Libby case? NSA? CIA detention? Renditions? Vote fraud?

that's it, really. Steph. said that there is talk that if the dems win the house there will be investigations (now referred to as oversight). Then he asked if Cheney would testify if subpoenaed. Cheney said no, and that President Bush wouldn't either.

C. said they don't have to, and that no president ever has. Steph said the Gerald Ford did. Cheney replied that it was not in answer to a subpoena, that Ford testified voluntarily. Steph dropped the subject and went on to another question.

[Jane]

Liddy Dole needs to be replaced. I don't think she does us any favors. I had to turn the channel when all the backtalk started, so maybe she accomplished something.

[SunnyDay]

Well maybe Russert read Walton's footnote and was preoccupied.

BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!

She can talk rings around all of them. And she's never shrill, always a lady, always smiling.

[SunnyDay]

Really, Jane? I love watching her on TV. Almost as much as watching Rummy's press conferences. ;)

[SunnyDay]

Cleo, that's why we call ya'll the nutroots.

[Semanticleo]

The arrogance of power requires investigative oversight. In Cheney's case, some compassion might reduce his sentence;

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[Semanticleo]

strike 'rightroots', insert 'dementiaroots'

[PeterUK]

Semanticleo,
We don't want your analyst's report,answer the question what is your party of millionaires and moonbats going to do if you win?
You wouldn't want us to think that all you wanted was power for its own sake,now would you.

[Patrick R. Sullivan]

'A vain thin-skinned condescending blueblood with no sense of his own ridiculousness, Senator Nuancy Boy is secure in little else except his belief in his indispensability.'

Guess who said that about whom.

[Charles Martin]

Leo, do you have any idea how many times I've heard idiots make that same supposition in the last 50 years?

Let's see:

- Clinton in 99
- Clinton in 95
- Bush the Elder in 192
- Reagan in the 84 election
- Nixon in 72
- Johnson in 67=68

That's six. The only exceptions seem to be Ford, who no one thought had any particular power, and Carter, who everyone knew was vulnerable to the power of supernatural rabbits and so couldn't have made it work.

[Jane]

Really, Jane? I love watching her on TV. Almost as much as watching Rummy's press conferences. ;)

Not me. Last week on Stephanopolus was the last straw. I just don't think she ever says anything.

[anonymous]

Why Should President Bush and Vice-president Cheney waste any of their precious fighting against terrorism on the loser democrats in Congress that want us to lose.

Posted by: maryrose | November 05, 2006 at 09:47 AM

For the answer to your question, you might want to look into the meaning of the word "subpoena." A review of the Constitution of the U.S. may provide further enlightenment.

[PeterUK]

Don't just stand there,shoot something,even if it is only your foot.

[clarice]

WaPo and NYT ombudsmen come clean on slanted coverage--sort of:

http://www.democracy-project.com/

[SunnyDay]

Oh oh oh - I get it - free the terrorists, subpoena the President!!!

[clarice]

I keep reading headlines like "The national mood is so grim".
Is it?
Gas is cheap.
The economy is booming.
The stock market is setting new highs.
There is no real unemployment.

The Iraqi reconstruction is taking longer than I' d like, but, gee, no one said that part would be easy and unbelievably high numbers of Iraqi thrice voted to be free.

Maybe the mood is grim in the pressrooms, cause it isn't anywhere else I can see.

[T Miller]

Gas is cheap? What planet are you driving on?

[Terrye]

Gas is cheaper, put it that way. Of course if the Democrats were not so damn worried about the freaking caribou it would be cheaper.

[MikeM]

MTP showed true colors this morning. All subject matter anti-administration. Nearly all air time given to Dems (TR pretty much telling Dole to shut-up several times). We probably deserve better government but we darn sure deserve better MSM.

[Larry]

Gas is cheap? What planet are you driving on?
Posted by: T Miller | November 05, 2006 at 12:08 PM
Earth, Mr T. Adjusted for inflation, 50's gas would be $2.34 a gallon. How much are you paying?

[T Miller]

Maybe the new Democrats (the so-called moderates and conservatives) will not be so worried about the caribou.

[Old Dad]

T Miller,

If you adjust for inflation, gas today is relatively cheap. I paid $2.09 last fill-up. That's well below historic averages.

http://www.factsonfuel.org/gasoline/index.html

[Terrye]

I wonder if the Democrats win on Tuesday and terrorists all over the world start shooting off their AKs and burning American flags in mad clelebration if it will make any difference to the Democrats? Or in fact if it will spur them on in their desire to surrender and make a mockery of America's word?

[clarice]

I doubt it. I The laws of economics are inexorable but the Dems, like neurotics, keep making the wrong choices and hoping the next time they'll yield the results they like.

[Terrye]

I live in one of those districts where a new Democrat is running. Ellsworth. He sounds further to the right than Lieberman. Martin would hate him.

My guess is he will shift left when he gets to DC. Bayh did. Evan Bayh was a moderate and popular governor. Now he is sucking up to the Pelosi wing of the party and acting like someone we never heard of. But the Bayh name is a big deal in Indiana so the Hoosiers will probably overlook it.