We Won! So Why Is Harry Reid Still Around?

Republicans have an historic night in the House and a good but not great night in the Senate.

Comments

[peter]

The consolation is that superputz Chuck Schumer won't be Majority Leader. Hairplugs loses to dodgy syrup( I'm trying to channel the late great PUK )
With just the house under GOP control, what will happen to Obamacare? Can't simply repeal it. Our hopes are now with the Supreme Court. God, so frustrating.

[Donald]

Vegas is dead to me. I'll never see Area 51. I don't give a damn about that damned dam either.

I'm bitterly disappointed.

Beau Rivage, here I come.

I am now completely re-invested personally in the outcome of our nation. That is the good news.

[Janet the tea-vangelist!]

For all the Americans that stepped forward to run as small government conservatives...I say thank you. Great effort. In the Minnesota House race I was watching..Dave Thul did not win.

[Mike Giles]

So how much of Reid's "victory" was due to SEIU machinations. Seemed a lot of the races, the GOP lost, were close, with the GOP candidate closing, when - just like that - the Dems jump out to these "victories".

[Captain Hate]

The consolation is that superputz Chuck Schumer won't be Majority Leader.

Name your poison: The wheezing dowager hump that looks like he smells like mothballs and soaked cat litter or the smarmy, oily weasel with the vocal mannerisms of a child molester.

[hit and run]

Brushing up on some uncalled races...

IL Gov (99% reporting)
Quinn (D) 1,694,196 - 46.48%
Brady (R) 1,685,847 - 46.25%
Difference: 8,349

[hit and run]

MN Gov (100% reporting)
Dayton (D) 917,100 - 43.67%
Emmer (R) 907,843 - 43.24%
Difference: 9,257

[hit and run]

VT Gov (89% reporting)
Shumlin (D) 103,317 - 49.40%
Dubie (R) 100,232 - 47.92%
Difference: 3,085

[hit and run]

CO Senate (87% reporting)
Bennet (D) 771,939 - 47.44%
Buck (R) 766,371 - 47.10%
Difference: 5,568

[bunkerbuster]

So what happened to all that voter fraud? Looks like the vast majority of races came in exactly as pre-vote polls said they would.
Seems pretty obvious that while some fraud surely exists, it's inconsequential...

[hit and run]

WA Senate (62% reporting)
Murray (D) 722,396 - 50.49%
Rossi (R) 708,391 - 49.51%
Difference: 14,005

[PDinDetroit]

We take the good with the bad.

In Michigan, the GOP won Governor, Attorney General, Secretary of State, and have Majorities in the Senate (Super Majority), House, and Supreme Court.

It appears that the Ultra-Idiot Liberals in my area have chosen to keep Peters as our US House Rep. How the heck can these people agree to keep this idiot? I guess the old saying is true: Water seeks it's own level.

[hit and run]

AK Senate (99% reporting)
Write-In 81,876 - 41.00%
Miller (R) 68,288 - 34.20%
McAdams (D) 47,414 - 23.74%
Difference (Write-In minus Miller): 13,588

Mur***ski needs 83.40% of the total Write-In vote to stay ahead of Miller.

[hit and run]

I'm stopping now. No way I'm trying to get my arms around any close House races. Feel free to chime in if I've missed a Sen or Gov race still undecided that's close enough to mention...

[Janet the tea-vangelist!]

Seems pretty obvious that while some fraud surely exists, it's inconsequential...

So it never gets cleaned up. I find the whole idea of hunting up voters to get them registered & rounding them up to vote pretty sickening. Citizens have the responsibility to make the effort themselves.

[Ignatz Ratzkywatzky]

--So what happened to all that voter fraud? Looks like the vast majority of races came in exactly as pre-vote polls said they would.
Seems pretty obvious that while some fraud surely exists, it's inconsequential...--

Of course various polls say different things so your claim is stupid on its face, but additionally it only takes a small amount of fraud to turn a close loser into a close winner, an amount undetectable by polls.
However, your implicit assumption that vote fraud is a Democrat phenomenon is uncharacteristicly astute.

[narciso]

So Rove he was so clever dissing Christine, and by proxy, Sarah, while funding Angle and company, well in the end, they are more devious, because the Dmocrats count on ignorance more readily, I know it's that mirroring effect

[Ignatz Ratzkywatzky]

California is headed for even more trouble.
Brown is a union stooge but more importantly the idiot voters repealed the requirement of a 2/3 majority needed to pass a budget. This was the only thing which gave the few fiscally sane legislators any power come budget time.

[Captain Hate]

An under-reported nice win in Ohio was for John Boccieri, the hold-out on Bammycare who caved at the last second and whose wife went into labor when confronted by the Harlequin Romance from Dogpatch charms of Bent Willy, to be able to spend time with his newborn because John Renacci sent him packing. Boccieri must've gained a lot of campaigning money for cravenly changing his vote because some of his ads which blanketed the area were extremely well produced; all complete lies and garbage but very well crafted. Another example of Clenis's inability to successfully campaign for anybody other than himself.

[Captain Hate]

narc, I'm waiting for somebody to ask pudgy Karl what "lesson" we're supposed to learn from all the non-COD defeats that have his pasty fingerprints on them?

[hit and run]

No,seriously. I can stop watching elections any time.

I may have missed some uncalled house races,but these I did not:

CA-11
R up by 23(!!!!) votes out of ~170K+ total
(holy smokes people,tell me your vote doesn't count!)

CA-20
R up by ~700 votes out of ~60K

WA-2
R up by 1,400 votes out of ~174K

AZ-7
D up by ~3,500 votes out of ~127K

AZ-8
D up by 2,400 votes out of ~245K

TX-27
R up by exactly 799 votes out of ~104K

KY-6
D up by exactly 600 votes out of ~239K

VA-11
D up by ~500 votes out of ~225K

IL-8
R up by ~800 votes out of ~197K

MI-9
D up by ~4,600 votes out of ~251K

NY25
D up by 2,200 votes out of ~188K

[Captain Hate]

more importantly the idiot voters repealed the requirement of a 2/3 majority needed to pass a budget.

Dear God, what a ticking time bomb. What could go wrong with that?

Btw, why is the troll yammering about voting fraud? I don't think that was a topic that anybody here was obsessing over; unlike its "side" and fixations on eeeeeeeeeeeevil Diebolt. Or are those just hastily assembled talking points that Axe sent out.

[Janet the tea-vangelist!]

23 most offensive signs at the sanity rally.

Look how many are ugly toward Palin & O'Donnell. It isn't just about hating GOP women...they REALLY hate Christian GOP women. I think the entrenched GOP hate Christian GOP women too....they are afraid the Bible believers are gonna embarrass them by saying God created mankind or homosexuality is a sin or abortion is wrong.

I remember when heroes of our country read from Genesis.

[Jack is Back!]

What I am finding interesting is that there are still stubborn pockets of resistance to resistance especially in the northeast and California.

California is going to become ground zero in the game of bailouts. They will now need it more than ever with Governor Moonbeam back and a very strong tea-party/repubican House in DC. There is only one way for California to go - more taxes or less spening - which one do they pick? The great migration will become a tsunami of refugees. Will Arizona, Idaho, Montana and Wyoming have to create new camps like they do in the middle east for Paleo's?

[peter]

I know that this is really miniscule in the big scheme of things but here on the north shore of Long Island a race between Republican Jack Martins and obnoxious Dem incumbent Craig Johnson for state senate 7th district is too close to call. This is a completely blue district, so I am really keeping my fingers crossed on this one.

[Army of Davids]

Here in California....5,000+ SEIU canvassers for Brown and Boxer. Unions were huge in Nevada also. Teacher's unions were after Angle in particular. AFL-CIO, SEIU, AFSCME, NEA....Democrats are wholly owned by the public sector unions.

Must see documentary..."Waiting for Superman"

[narciso]

So Christine won the Independents, but the Eeyore in the state GOP, all one thousand or so, new ones, turned their back on her

[Sue]

I'm so sad about Reid and Murkowski I can't appreciate what happened last night. In Texas, we took down Chet Edwards. However, we left Eddie Bernice Johnson standing. In a few days, I might get over the anger of having to listen to Harry Reid tell us how when the bell rang, he got up off the mat and the fight isn't over but he won the round. Gag me with a spoon, little man.

[narciso]

The quotes in this piece are choice, I'm sure they voted for Biden, they really keep dodging
bullets there, in the LUN

[Sue]

The republican candidate for state representative lost by the same percentage points as O'Donnell did.

Coons(D) - 56.8%
O'Donnell(R) - 40.0%

Carney (D) - 56.8%
Urquhart (R) - 41.0%

O'Donnell wasn't going to win. No matter what Rove said about her.

[narciso]

They voted for Biden, three times after his plagiarism, after he stammered through his
'Walter Mittyesque' debate with Sarah, we expect sentient life over there

[Jim Ryan]

The patient is in a stupor, the victim of a malicious poisoning.

He tries to wake up, his only chance at survival. Stirring, he opens his eyes - glazed, pleading, panicked, a fire burning deeply in each one, yet only partially focused on what lies before them. A leg jerks. A hand grasps. Some sounds are heard, sincere and urgent, yet garbled and muddled. The eyelids narrow once more, the pupils still gazing out from between them. The poison courses through the veins toward the heart, half of the body still, accepting, at peace. It won't be long. The throat emits moans, a fist clenches, the chest strains.

[Sue]

The MFM can continue to talk about Angle and O'Donnell losing and the clout of the tea party not what we thought it was, but that just keeps them from discussing Marco Rubio, Ron Johnson and Rand Paul. The problem is the tea party started so fast it allowed some flawed candidates to fill spots they shouldn't have. What Rubio, Johnson and Paul project is the tea party can win with good candidates. They (MFM) can go ahead and bury the tea party, but we are alive and kicking. And next go round, we will have the machine to vet the candidates and then we'll sing "how you like me now?".

And not to ignore Miller up in Alaska. He was and is a good candidate. The idiot that was defeated in the primary is to blame for this thing not ending with a Miller. I'd bet you my last paycheck democrats put Murkowski over the top. Not republicans and indys.

[Porchlight]

O'Donnell wasn't going to win. No matter what Rove said about her.

I agree with you, Sue. I had been assuming before that if she lost, it would be by a much narrower margin.

[centralcal]

This is a happy morning and a depressing morning at the same time.

Most of the U.S. is moving toward the future - we won the House, increased Republican Governors and State legislatures in time for the all important redistricting.

In California - the Titanic continues on its course to certain disaster. Billions in debt and a population oblivious to reality. God works his wonders in mysterious ways. California, be afraid, be very, very afraid.

[Sue]

Narciso,

I think it was Charlie last night that reminded us of the quote about yeller dogs. There are just some places a democrat is going to win no matter who the candidate is and Delaware seems to be one of those places. For now anyway.

[Extraneus]

Dems have to defend 21 of the 33 Senate seats up in 2012. Having Harry Reid as their face during that effort is almost as good as it would have been to have Charles Schumer.

[Sue]

Porch,

I would even allow Rove hurt her if the other republican running statewide hadn't lost by the same numbers. They weren't going to elect a republican. And Palin said last night the exit polls showed Castle wouldn't have won either.

Either way, O'Donnell didn't deserve the hateful things said about her. But I'm ready for her to move on. Don't be going on national tv whining about republicans and Rove.

[Porchlight]

And next go round, we will have the machine to vet the candidates and then we'll sing "how you like me now?".

Agreed again. We have a much better view of 2012 from 2010 than we had of 2010 from 2008, so both recruiting and vetting will b easier. The better candidates will be lining up to run now.

Another Tea Party factor: There are 33 Senate seats up for grabs in two years. How many of those candidates will be tempted to move *left* between now and then in order to get re-elected?

[Sue]

And I keep reminding myself that Pelosi has to give up the private air taxi service and go back to commercial. How sweet it is...

[Wright]

I would rather see dismal Harry in charge of the senate dems than Schumer.

[DebinNC]

Michael Barone offers a cautionary note.

Biden Jr. won his AG race with 80% of the vote. He'll eventually be their senator. At least Reid Jr. lost his guv bid.

[Porchlight]

And Palin said last night the exit polls showed Castle wouldn't have won either.

I was wondering about that too. DE didn't seem really interested in putting a Republican in Biden's seat.

Next time we will have more Rubios and Toomeys and fewer O'Donnells and Angles.

Still, party unity is important, perhaps more important than ever. I hope Rove thinks twice about how he handles it if his preferred candidates don't make it through the primary.

[Sue]

Porch,

The tea party didn't start in 2008. It showed up in April 2009 and built up steam. I'm so dang proud of Marco Rubio I could just pinch his little cheeks. Which cheeks are you talking about? Leave me alone. ::grin::

[hit and run]

Oops. Forgot the state of our altogether lovely host!

CT Gov (90% reporting)
Foley (R) 508,658 - 49.74%
Malloy (D) 497,575 - 48.66%
Difference: 11,083

Qui Transtulit Sustinet!

[DebinNC]

For those JOMers sad this morning, take comfort in the fact that Obama, despite whatever magnanimous words TOTUS gives him this afternoon, is and will remain the clueless, out of touch, self-absorbed elitist repudiated in last night's Demolition.

[Porchlight]

Sue,

I meant "we" more broadly, meaning Republicans, when I was talking about 2008. In the dark days of the early Obama administration, not many people were willing to throw their hat in. That has obviously changed and the Tea Party will be a big factor in recruitment now.

I'm headed to FL (West's new district!) for Thanksgiving - pretty cool to know there'll be a new R Senator, Congressman and governor to say hello to.

[Sue]

Porch,

It isn't just the house that we won. The governorships and state houses is nothing to sneeze at. We have helped ourselves tremendously by being in charge of redistricting.

[Porchlight]

DebinNC,

Obama is still an idiot, no doubt about it. And now we get to watch him make a fool out of himself in Asia.

Extraneus,

As satisfying as it would have been to beat him, I'd rather have Reid than Schumer. Heaven forbid Dems be energized by a new Senate majority leader who might turn out to be more effective than the one we've got. You almost wonder if Obama didn't hope Reid would be defeated, for the same reason.

When does Nancy make a statement?

[narciso]

Of course, my fellow paisan, Rubio which the Cornyn crew wrote off early in the deal, and then had to come around, which was emblematic
of the whole way they operated. The same pattern applied across a dozen states, THe Clique as an Australian Palin fan of Indian descent on the C4P blog long pointed out, works exactly this way,

[Porchlight]

Redistricting will be huge, Sue. If the Dems have nothing much to be depressed about today (ha) they can be depressed about that.

[Sue]

Narc,

I'm still angry at Cornyn over the Geithner vote. I wasn't kidding when I wrote him saying I was through supporting him.

[Sue]

Porch,

Dems are depressed, no matter what they say today. They lost huge last night. We won. Just because we didn't take the senate doesn't mean we didn't make huge gains. And those senators remaining, the ones who portray themselves as moderates, are going to have to be mighty careful here on out.

[Jim Ryan]

I had my Cafe Bustelo this morning, Narciso.

[ruralcounsel]

Why did Reid not lose? Vote fraud in Las Vegas that will never be investigated.

[Threadkiller]

Reid 50.24%

Angle 44.59%

O'Donnell Angle wasn't going to win. No matter what Rove said about her.

[Captain Hate]

The problem is the tea party started so fast it allowed some flawed candidates to fill spots they shouldn't have.

I'm gonna respectfully disagree with this from the standpoint that I believe that the MFM has been allowed to designate the "flawed candidates". I mean look at some of the human garbage the donks have in place and tell me they aren't flawed. And the MFM was allowed to push the "Dan Quayle is stupid crock" that had otherwise reasonably intelligent people buying into it. The Tea Party was and is about the country being run by ordinary citizens, which is something I believe we should all be behind. I want the MFM snots to be completely marginalized; until that happens it will be an uphill climb.

But let's not lose touch with yesterday being historically great and take a day to celebrate before we get back to work. Btw everybody that Il Douche stumped for late, lost.

[cathyf]

I'm still reeling from the shocked pleasure of Phil Hare losing and Kirk winning in IL. They are going to steal the governors election for Quinn, but Kirk must really have won big for The Machine to have failed to manufacture enough votes for The Mob's Banker.

[narciso]

That's what gets me up in the morning, and into the wee hours, at night. Although I often go for other named brands, isexpensive. Congrats on dispatching Toriello, by the way

[Sara (Pal2Pal)]

I enjoyed hanging out here last night and celebrating the wins, especially those in PA. I'm more than deeply disappointed about CA, I'm terrified. You cannot imagine how difficult it is to try to have any kind of decent life here when you are on a low and limited fixed income. I do not understand the asshats in San Fran and the LA inner city who continue to make it impossible for any real reform in this state. Jerry Brown, good God, are we nuts out here?

Some time between approx. 2 am and 5 am this morning I have gotten very sick. I went to bed feeling dead dog tired, but thought that was just the high/low emotion and late hour draining my body of energy, but this morning I'm going thru the chills/fever cycle and the thermometer just told me the reason is a high temp of 102.8. A coughing fit jerked me awake after just a couple of hours of sleep. Hopefully the hot cup of Theraflu will calm the coughing and make me sleepy enough to go back to bed and sleep this off.

[jimmyk]

I believe that the MFM has been allowed to designate the "flawed candidates".

100% true, but unfortunately that is the reality. We've got nothing right now but Fox News to provide balance, and that doesn't seem to be enough. I'd still rather have a true conservative lose than a RINO win, because eventually we'll get enough Rubios and Wests, and we don't want more Grahams and Snowes messing it up. But the Repubs need to make their candidates as presentable as possible.

Somehow this reminds me of what my (Jewish) mother used to say: Jews (and Israel) have to be above reproach because the rest of the world holds them to a higher standard and will jump all over the slightest transgression. Thanks to the MFM, Republicans are the new Jews.

[Sue]

Capt'n,

By flawed, I mean not able to overcome the negative press, I suppose. They tried with Paul. He handled it. They tried with Rubio. He handled it. I didn't really hear much about Johnson so I don't know if they tried with him or not. I don't believe republicans will ever get the pass in the press that democrats do. We have to have candidates that can handle the negative press that will inevitably be used against them. I think Angle and O'Donnell were weak candidates. Super nice people. Would have loved for them to be senator-elects today. I haven't made a secret that my one and only desire is to defeat democrats. If I have to have a squishy republican to do that, I'm in. So while I might not campaign for or contribute to Cornyn, I will vote for him next time around. Because he can beat a democrat in Texas.

[narciso]

Maybe he'll get around to actually reading the Constitution, this time. Ohio has to be like Balaclava (where the 600 hundred went down)or Kabul in 1841, with Kunicich being
Dryden

[Ranger]

A couple of thoughts...

First, this means that 2012 will absolutely be a reforendum on Obamacare. The new Republican house needs to hold non-stop hearings to make clear just what a fiscal disaster Obamacare will be and drive repeal numbers up into the 60% over the next two years.

Second, its time to hold Obama to his campaign promise of net spending cuts from the 2007 budget levels. The problem right now is not lack of revinue, but an explosion of spending. The Republicans need to make clear that capping federal spending at the 2007 level isn't even as "draconian" as Obama's plan when he ran for President in 2008.

Today is the first day of the 2012 campaign!

[Jim Ryan]

Thanks, Narciso. The campaign team here had a joyous party last night. Robert Hurt has impressed us as a very nice man who really seems to understand the dire situation we are in. He has little record, though, and from now on he will be under our microscope whenever he makes a move. If he does well, a pat on the back. If he does poorly, a tough primary awaits him.

[hit and run]

Anybody else stand in line to vote yesterday thinking,"Hmmm,I wonder if my lib neighbor has voted yet? Since they don't ask for ID,maybe I'll say I'm him and then vote straight R just to spite him!" mostly as a joke,but then after you vote and are walking to your car you run into his wife who says,"How far back in line is "Joe" in there?" only to then think to yourself, "Dangit! I shoulda done it. I coulda hung around and watched his expression when they told him he couldn't vote twice!"?

Or was I the only one?

[Appalled]

Jim Ryan:

If the Bustelo is leaving you over-caffinated, consider Cafe Pilon.

[Rick Ballard]

"Thanks to the MFM, Republicans are the new Jews."

jimmyk,

Do you have any idea about when my new smarts will be delivered? I've been a Republican for 45 years so I should get a little preference on delivery.

[jimmyk]

Rick, if you had any more smarts it would be downright scary.

[peter]

I had to read Nordlinger's column to learn that Ben Quayle was elected to Congress. How do you like them potatoes?

[Captain Hate]

Yeah I understand where you're coming from, Sue. We're definitely on the same page and I don't want to mar the good feelings with petty disagreements. I feel so much better today than I did two years ago.

narc I don't understand your reference and am interested in where you're coming from re: Kucinich. I feel bad for maryrose because I know she worked hard to dump his worthless ass; but on the other hand I believe he's effectively gelded for the future. And the clock is ticking on the end of his political career.

[Jim Ryan]

Appalled, you in Miami? I got a degree at U. of Miami in the 90's.

Ha, there's two Jim's in here with Jewish moms. My mom and I don't talk politics. No point.

Speaking of which my neighbor the Israeli (not American) lady this morning said glumly, "What do you think of election?" I said I was pleased Robert Hurt won. She said she was on the left and would have preferred Democrats, Republicans being so evil. I said, "The Dems just spent $3 trillion we don't have. We're going the way of Greece." She had never considered such a point, but seemed to ponder it sincerely.

[boris]

"... defeat democrats. If I have to have a squishy republican to do that, I'm in."

People here are going to disagree on this point. It seem like a fine debate topic but IMO should not involve rancor.

One counter argument is a squish swing vote controlled majority is worse than useless. The public starts looking for a third party rather than choose between tweedle dumb and tweedle dumber.

[Jim Ryan]

Yes, Rick, not to worry. I refer to you as "this brainiac I know who's to the right of Attila the Hun."

[narciso]

Well he survived to tell the tale, like Dryden, sorry for being so cryptic, Pilon's stronger than Bustelo, I don't know if you were aware of that

[jimmyk]

Ha, there's two Jim's in here with Jewish moms. My mom and I don't talk politics. No point.

Same here, except about Israel, where we can sometimes agree. (I have a Jewish dad too, can't talk politics with him either, or with my three siblings.)

[Rick Ballard]

I don't believe we'll fully savor the breadth and depth of yesterday's victory until we hear the shrieks and howls coming from redistricting. The GOP firmed up control of the state legislature in Texas (perhaps Florida as well?), took over North Carolina, Tennessee, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Indiana, Alabama, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota?, Maine?? and New Hampshire.

With the purse in GOP hands, the majorities in the Blue Hell Beggars Band (California, Illinois, New York and Massachusetts will not be hearing the ring of much coin in their cups as they sink into truly progressive insolvency.

[Jim Ryan]

Sorry to hear that, Jimmy. But at least you don't live in Charlottesville. 80% Dem vote every time here.

[Sue]

boris,

I'm looking at the majority leader, the speaker, committees, etc. We can slow down progressives if we control those. And while we are slowing them down, if we can elect a true conservative, sure, that's where my heart is. My brain is we have to control as much as we possibly can. The last two years proved that. If we had control of the house, we wouldn't have Obamacare. Even with squishy republicans willing to cross the aisle and vote for it.

[Captain Hate]

That's a great point Rick; the clamor by the commiecrats over redistricting will make people think that Halloween haunted houses are open year round.

[Sue]

Rick,

My county, which normally votes pure democratic, except for national elections, just sent a republican to the state. Erwin Cain defeated Mark Homer, handily. And on the local level, more people voted straight republican than ever before. The south is indeed gonna rise again. As republicans.

[Janet the tea-vangelist!]

I'm gonna respectfully disagree with this from the standpoint that I believe that the MFM has been allowed to designate the "flawed candidates". I mean look at some of the human garbage the donks have in place and tell me they aren't flawed.

Amen.

[jimmyk]

But at least you don't live in Charlottesville. 80% Dem vote every time here.

C'mon, I'm on the upper west side of Manhattan. I could more easily talk politics with my family than with my neighbors.

[Jim Ryan]

redistricting

At the party last night for Hurt an old-timer who worked in several administrations back in the day told me this was the huge event of the night.

[Appalled]

Jim Ryan:

No, Georgia, but fell in love with Cuban coffee years ago.

narcisco:

The taste is mellower, in my humble opinion. For a true caffine assault, I used to get stuff in an Eastern European market here in town I am convinced was really what kept Dracula going all those years after death...

[Captain Hate]

Hope you feel better shortly Sara and glad that you could take some vicarious pleasure in the non-California results. To think that I was seriously considering relocating there about a decade ago makes me shudder although I hope yesterday was day 1 on Ohio regaining its sanity.

[Janet the tea-vangelist!]

OT -
I'm mailing a pkg to Soylent today...they are just always ongoing. If you'd like to send something special to him for Christmas, you might start planning. Pkgs seem to make it over in about a week or a week & a half, but it might slow down in December. My church does the Christmas troop mailing at the end of November. So I'll use the end of Nov., EARLY Dec. as my target for the JOM pkgs.

[Ranger]

If you want to understand the significance of the Phil Hare loss, you need to take a look at the http://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/2010/house/il/illinois_17th_district_schilling_vs_hare-1458.html>district map. It was drawn to be the safest of safe Dem districts. That long, thin strip that works its way across Central Illinois includes the state capital, and Decatur, which is a heavy Dem stronghold. Schilling won by 10%, a true landslide.

[Jim Ryan]

Touche, Jimmy, touche. But at least your only Repub cousin doesn't support Obama and amnesty and ask you why you are against immigration.

[Pagar]

I believe fraud was a major factor in some of these races. Go back and look at the Washington State 2004 election fraud based on the great reporting by Stefan Sharkansky at www.soundpolitics.com

He found thousands of cases of pure voter fraud. The result-- Washington State Democrats passed laws making it impossible to trace down voter fraud and then to top it off when to mostly mail in ballots. No greater hiding place exists for voter fraud and they have made it impossible to trace.

When the people responsible for handling election administration are public employees and the public employees unions spend more on elections than any other group and all of it is spend on Democrats there is no incentive for them to eliminate voter fraud.

When the proof of citizenship is a check off box on an application and the last 4 digits of a social security number, and it is all done by mail, claiming illegals aren't going to register or are going to get caught is a joke.

The 2012 election is going to be even more critical. The day to start making it a fraud free election is today.

[NK]

The Dems are a rump party stretching from Mass. thru ct- NY/NJ/Maryland and on the west coast from Calif to Wash State, with soon to be redistricted urban outposts in the vast American Middle. The Electoral College map for Dems looks hideous now. Like Jimmy K, I live and work in the Dem controlled rump. I will forever soldier on to educate my besotted liberal neighbors so that some day they will see the light.

[Porchlight]

Sue,

It's not just about control, it's about purpose and principle. We were a little weak on the latter two the last time we had full control and the party felt moribund. (Much as I love GWB.) Losing control, and seeing just what unchecked Dems can do, is what woke us up and created the Tea Party.

Now that the sleeping giant is up and about, hopefully the next fully Repub Congress will be a lot more conservative and a lot smarter. I'm not a total purge the RINOs person, but I am still grateful for the clarity that the last election cycle has provided.

[Extraneus]

Anyone see a nice before/after blue/red map of the House anywhere?

[Jim Ryan]

MSNBC STAFFER: Yeah, um, see, we're not really interested in...

GRAYSON: But I could do a great show! I'd have Garafalo on a lot and -

MSNBC STAFFER: Sir, is there anything else I can help you with?

GRAYSON: B-b-but...I....hello?...Hello?

[peter]

The pickup of the Ohio governor is big, since that will likely be a swing state in 2012. Anyone know if the secretary of state of Ohio is now a Dem or a Repub?

[Porchlight]

Extraneus,

I was JUST wondering the same thing after reading NK's comment. If Cravaack takes MN-08 there should be a lot more red up top than there was on the maps last night. I hope that race hasn't been called for Oberstar...

[boris]

"The last two years proved that"

Don't think so. Holding on to squishies didn't save the House in 2006 or the rest of the enchilada in 2008. I'm not one that claims squishes cost those losses but OTOH fighting back in is no time to favor them because they're "more electable". BS. They have to play by the same rules as TeaParty candidates.

Obviously TPs and Squishes are going to snipe at each other. IMO that's their business and picking sides for comity or strategery is misguided.

[Porchlight]

I think the prog Jennifer Brunner is still in place, peter, but Wiki said she was running for OH State Senate this year and that her term is up in 2011. I can't seem to find much info - maybe Cap'n will know.

[Sara (Pal2Pal)]

Sink has conceded in Florida, the R Scott wins the governership there.

[Porchlight]

Term as OH SOS, that is.