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November 8, 2006

POSTMORTEMS....I'm a little blogged out at the moment, but there are a couple of good post-election comments over at Showdown '06. First, Zack Roth talks about Rahm Emanuel and the blogosphere:

Beyond the rightness or wrongness of Emanuel's strategy, the larger point is that there's no need to set up the netroots and the Democratic establishment in opposition to each other. Many of the most successful Democratic candidates — Tester and Webb, for example — had strong backing both from the blogosphere and the party apparatus. And with a victory this big, surely there's enough credit to go around.

This is something we should all stitch on our foreheads. Yesterday's results were a tribute to Howard Dean's 50-state strategy and a tribute to Emanuel's fundraising ability and general energy level. I note that Dean said nice things about Emanuel last night, and I hope Emanuel returns the favor. Bickering is bad enough when you lose, but it's even worse when you win.

Elsewhere, Christina Larson documents the pain of the Club for Growth's Pat Toomey. It seems the Club took a poll before the election and they didn't like the results:

Two-thirds agreed with the notion that the GOP used to be the party of fiscal responsibility and limited government but was not today. By an 11-point margin, likely voters expressed greater confidence in Democrats to handle select fiscal matters responsibly. “We have lost our brand,” Toomey bemoaned.

Get real, guys. The Club for Growth and its ilk have never cared a tenth as much about lower spending as they have about lower taxes. They know perfectly well that if a Republican administration actually cut spending to match its tax cuts it would get voted out of office for the next century.

And they've never cared. They just want low taxes (the easy part of fiscal responsibility) without the spending cuts (the part that gets you voted out of office). It's similar to the GOP's Iraq strategy: they want the glory of winning a war, but without the pain of making the hard choices it would take to actually do so.

At the moment, the Republican Party is the Party of Magic. That's the brand they need to fix.

Kevin Drum 7:41 PM Permalink | Trackbacks | Comments (67)
 
Comments

Another shoe due to drop is the comeback of the paleocons. There should be some interesting battles for turf -- I wonder how public they will be.

Posted by: JS on November 8, 2006 at 7:46 PM | PERMALINK

One does wonder how much worse we would have kicked their sorry asses had they not cheated.

One also wonders whether; now that Dems are in control, will the cheaters be investigated and tossed in prison?

(yes, wingnuts, I'm not excluding the couple of "bad ACORNs").

Posted by: Osama_Been_Forgotten on November 8, 2006 at 7:46 PM | PERMALINK

"Yesterday's results were a tribute to Howard Dean's 50-state strategy..."

Much as I'd like to give props to Dean, I have to ask: what 50 state strategy??

I'm here in Alaska, where Rep. Don Young (the only member to appear on Radar's Top Ten Dumbest AND Rolling Stone's Top Ten Worst Member of Congress) got just 56% of the vote yesterday. His opponent, a slight improvement over the nobodies Young has faced in recent years, had zero national funding. What might she have accomplished with a little help??

Posted by: Grumpy on November 8, 2006 at 7:47 PM | PERMALINK

What's amazing is that even with the wave of Democratic victories, the Kos Kidz Kandidate Lamont still lost. He is the kiss of death.

Anyway, one simple proposal: Every citizen should, at the end of the year, receive a postcard f rom the Treasury Department estimating their tax burden (federal, state, property, etc.). If people see how much they're paying, they'll revolt more against government spending.

One of the greatest evils in the US tax system is the automatic payroll deduction; most people have no idea how much they're paying. If we all wrote a big check to the government on April 15th, there would be more outrage.

Posted by: American Hawk on November 8, 2006 at 7:48 PM | PERMALINK

I'm a little blogged out at the moment, but there are a couple of good post-election comments over at Showdown '06.

I found some better ones by Mitt Romney:

Link

"Americans across the country over the past year didn’t say they want higher taxes. They didn’t say they want more run-away wasteful spending or a Congress that continues irresponsible pork projects. Nobody ever said that this nation needs a bigger deficit.

Americans didn’t say they wanted more activist judges who legislate from the bench and they don’t want less secure borders.

No one said they want more rights for terrorists, nor did they ask that we stop terrorist surveillance … and nobody suggested that we should make life even harder for our brave men and women fighting terror around the world.

We didn’t hear a mandate for a more liberal direction because the Democrats didn’t present one. Americans don’t share those liberal ideas.

What voters told us is that America is stuck and Washington is broken. Voters told us to move forward by embracing our conservative convictions that Americans agree with and value – and we will."

Posted by: Al on November 8, 2006 at 7:48 PM | PERMALINK

Sorry, I can't take seriously any group called " The Club for Growth".

Posted by: Tilli (Mojave Desert) on November 8, 2006 at 7:49 PM | PERMALINK

OBF: "One also wonders whether; now that Dems are in control, will the cheaters be investigated and tossed in prison?"

Incidentally, I was thinking this very thing in regards to Don Young. Yesterday proved that a lightweight (everybody told me, "I hate Young, but at least he gets things done") can almost topple the incumbent. There's blood in the water. Young, and those like him, are vulnerable. And the corruption cloud won't get any better -- with Waxman & co. on the case, in two years we'll have a bill of particulars to wave at these crooks.

Posted by: Grumpy on November 8, 2006 at 7:51 PM | PERMALINK

Rumsfeld.

Gone Baby Gone:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nSxkAZcnMPA

Posted by: Richard Bottoms on November 8, 2006 at 7:56 PM | PERMALINK

Anyway, one simple proposal: Every citizen should, at the end of the year, receive a postcard f rom the Treasury Department estimating their tax burden (federal, state, property, etc.). If people see how much they're paying, they'll revolt more against government spending.
Posted by: American Hawk on November 8, 2006 at 7:48 PM | PERMALINK

Better yet - line-by-line. If people see how much they're paying for pork like no-bid defense contracts to MZM and how much Interest they owe on Bush's Iraq War, they'll revolt MORE against the immoral Borrow-n-spend (on war-profiteering) policies of the now-irrelevant Republican Party.

Posted by: Osama_Been_Forgotten on November 8, 2006 at 7:58 PM | PERMALINK

Too bad Rahm couldn't have stifled Dean's 50 state strategy. It would have saved the Union, as pointed out here:

http://www.mydd.com/story/2006/11/8/13534/5744

Posted by: Al's Mommy on November 8, 2006 at 7:59 PM | PERMALINK

I hope Emanuel returns the favor...

Yeah. Good luck with that. Let me know how it turns out.

Posted by: collin on November 8, 2006 at 8:00 PM | PERMALINK

The Party of Magic. I love it.

Posted by: BRussell on November 8, 2006 at 8:01 PM | PERMALINK

Great idea, Hawk! And send every newborn a bill for their share of the debt run up by Reagan and the Bushes. Over $30k right now!

Posted by: Al's Mommy on November 8, 2006 at 8:01 PM | PERMALINK

Might I suggest the "Independent Green Party" for you all next time?
Posted by: Chuck on November 8, 2006 at 7:58 PM | PERMALINK

Might I suggest sitting in your idling car in a closed garage for an hour next time?

Posted by: Osama_Been_Forgotten on November 8, 2006 at 8:01 PM | PERMALINK

Earth to Al

No Democrat is in favor of doing any of those things. You righties just imagine that they do, and build your worldview around opposing straw men.

Yesterday reality took a big honking bite out of the right's ass. If you didn't like it, you might try populating your concept of how things work with a few actual facts instead of silly fantasies. Maybe then in a few decades people might think about trusting your side with power again (but I wouldn't count on it.)

Posted by: jimBOB on November 8, 2006 at 8:03 PM | PERMALINK

"the Republican Party is the Party of Magic."

That kinda sounds like they might one day succeed in their attempts to pull a rabbit from the hat. How about the Party of Magical Thinking?

Posted by: Jess on November 8, 2006 at 8:06 PM | PERMALINK

The Club for Growth should just hang it up, and sell the name to a marketing company running late-nite TV ads for erectile dysfunction products.

Posted by: Tom on November 8, 2006 at 8:06 PM | PERMALINK

Hopefully there won't be an intra-party feud, but hopefully Emanuel also won't be able to stay in the driver's seat and misrepresent what happened. Two to one that's what he'll try to do, though.

Al: "They didn’t say they want more run-away wasteful spending or a Congress that continues irresponsible pork projects. Nobody ever said that this nation needs a bigger deficit."

Then why did they elect and re-elect Bush and the Republicans?

Grumpy: Fine, 49-state strategy.

Posted by: John Emerson on November 8, 2006 at 8:11 PM | PERMALINK

"Voters told us to move forward by embracing our conservative convictions that Americans agree with and value – and we will."

Quite, quite astounding. Having been handed their asses on a plate, it took these jokers just a couple of heartbeats to to get the denial mechanism working overtime. Irrelevant, pointless and just plain stupid conclusions like this are just the beginning. The first thing Pelosi and co. need to do is fund scientific research into what is clearly a medical condition: living in a fantsay world. (ok... first is impeach bush, then help the crazies.)

Posted by: billy on November 8, 2006 at 8:15 PM | PERMALINK

No need for anyone to get the least little bit upset with the maniac ravings of Al and A Hawk.As I recall they both predicted the repubs would win this election thus showing ineptitude on both there parts.I think you would pay as much attention to them as you would to a raving lunatic that you might pass on the street.Feeling pity for there sad state and passing them by.

Posted by: gandalf on November 8, 2006 at 8:19 PM | PERMALINK

the Republican Party is the Party of Magic. That's the brand they need to fix.

Man, I fucking like this, Kevin.

Rather than telling the Repukes what they need to fix, how about you and everyone else who claims to give a shit about America continue heaping scorn and ridicule on this Party of Magic, aka the Party of Jesus, aka the Party of "Intelligent Design," aka the Party of Fundie Shitheads.

Until I hear a Republican come out and say that politics and religion is bad business, the Republicans should be forced to wear the magic-loving corpse of fundie political power like a still-born fetus strangled by its worthless umbilical cord.

Posted by: Nancy Seligmund on November 8, 2006 at 8:24 PM | PERMALINK


Doug Henning (R) 2008!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Posted by: Walter Concrete on November 8, 2006 at 8:25 PM | PERMALINK

Kevin, what do you have against magic?

Posted by: slanted tom on November 8, 2006 at 8:25 PM | PERMALINK

Kevin-

Um. Magic is when the woman you just sawed in half dances safely across the stage.

Having a penchant for the sawing part - without the requisite dancing part - that ain't magic.

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Posted by: 手机图片 on November 8, 2006 at 8:34 PM | PERMALINK

The GOP isn't quite so much the Party of Magic (although that's close) as the party of Free Ponies for Everyone (Except Them Evil Libruls).

But other than that, Kevin, you're right on track.

Posted by: RT on November 8, 2006 at 8:44 PM | PERMALINK

Yee Effin Haw!

I just saw some guy running around like an

American ChickenHawk with its head cut off!!

Bwa ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!

Common Sense Party

Posted by: Ralphy D on November 8, 2006 at 8:51 PM | PERMALINK

The 50-state strategy is intended to be a long-term thing - its not to be judged on one mid-term election.
Its designed to make things happen between elections, so that good things happen every second November.

Cut Taxes, Not Deficits
It should be on the Republicun_ letterhead.

Posted by: Pierre Asciutto on November 8, 2006 at 8:53 PM | PERMALINK

And with a victory this big, surely there's enough credit to go around.

This is something we should all stitch on our foreheads. Yesterday's results were a tribute to Howard Dean's 50-state strategy and a tribute to Emanuel's fundraising ability and general energy level. I note that Dean said nice things about Emanuel last night, and I hope Emanuel returns the favor. Bickering is bad enough when you lose, but it's even worse when you win.

All except for one thing. Emmanuel, in claiming credit, is trying to exclude the progressives from the table.

Posted by: workingclassannie on November 8, 2006 at 8:54 PM | PERMALINK

Yesterday's results were a tribute to Howard Dean's 50-state strategy and a tribute to Emanuel's fundraising ability and general energy level.

Sure, Howard gets some of the credit but consider that voters cited Republican corruption as their #1 issue when they walked out of the polling booths. What group of dedicated, tireless, and determined people dug up those stories, organized the information, spread the word, and made the Abramoff, Cunningham, and Foley scandals the determinant factors in this election? It wasn't those dinosaurs in the MSM.

Take a bow Kevin, along with your cohorts at TPM, Daily KOS, etc. etc.

Posted by: Rick on November 8, 2006 at 8:54 PM | PERMALINK

What voters told us is that America is stuck and Washington is broken. Voters told us to move forward by embracing our conservative convictions that Americans agree with and value – and we will.

Oh good! I hope Romney and other Republicans continue to think this way. As long as the GOP continues to resolutely refuse to accept reality, we can feel guaranteed of further Democratic electoral gains in 2008, and a solid win for President Clinton or Obama.

Posted by: brooksfoe on November 8, 2006 at 8:57 PM | PERMALINK

Incidentally, amazingly enough, judging by his speech yesterday, President Bush is more tuned in to the real message of this election than Romney seems to be.

Maybe the election returns finally managed to puncture the bubble Rove and Cheney had built for him these last 6 years (and which he seems to have dwelled in happily enough, to date).

Posted by: brooksfoe on November 8, 2006 at 9:02 PM | PERMALINK

CBS just called Virginia for Webb. The scroll is crawling across the bottom of Jericho.

Posted by: Global Citizen on November 8, 2006 at 9:06 PM | PERMALINK
It should be on the Republicun_ letterhead.

"Letterhead"? Surely, you mean "tombstone".

Posted by: cmdicely on November 8, 2006 at 9:12 PM | PERMALINK

"Incidentally, amazingly enough, judging by his speech yesterday, President Bush is more tuned in to the real message of this election than Romney seems to be."

Hmm. I think not...

From http://uggabugga.blogspot.com/2006/11/ladies-like-shoes-and-home-decor-and.html

........................
From Bush's opening statement during his press conference:
I told Congresswoman Pelosi that I look forward to working with her and her colleagues to find common ground in the next two years. As the majority party in the House of Representatives, they recognize that in their new role they now have greater responsibilities. And in my first act of bipartisan outreach since the election, I shared with her the names of some Republican interior decorators who can help her pick out the new drapes in her new offices.
First act of bipartisanship. Nice.

White House transcript has that remark followed by:
(Laughter.)
There was no laughter. Only complete and utter silence.
.......................

Sounds like Bush remains the fratboy twit he always was, with a WH behind him as dedicated to Orwellian rewrites as always.

Posted by: Maynard Handley on November 8, 2006 at 9:16 PM | PERMALINK

Don't let Repugs take the win away from Webb?

Here is why:

Dems winning the Senate, a serious problem for BIG OIL, since, as I recall, Sen. Carl Levin will most likely be looking into price fixing again, like he did with Marathon oil executives, and other oil companies, that had a meeting in Phoenix, AZ to conspire to price fix by cutting production right after 9/11, then Levin was Interrupted by the GOP with next election phase and thus control of the Senate.

It's the very least that Sen. Levin can do to help Ford and GM, right? Big oil claimed low amounts of oil, of course there would be a shortage if big oil cut production in refineries, time to open up the oil refineries, get the rest of America back on track.

Posted by: Cheryl on November 8, 2006 at 9:22 PM | PERMALINK

The heart of Bush's press conference:

************************

I'm obviously disappointed with the outcome of the election, and as the head of the Republican Party, I share a large part of the responsibility...

The message yesterday was clear: The American people want their leaders in Washington to set aside partisan differences, conduct ourselves in an ethical manner, and work together to address the challenges facing our nation. [Fair enough.]

We live in historic times. The challenges and opportunities are plain for all to see: Will this country continue to strengthen our economy today and over the long run? [could be code for cutting taxes, but previously Bush would have actually called for cutting taxes, not used code.]

Will we provide a first-class education for our children? And will we be prepared for the global challenges of the 21st century? Will we build upon the recent progress we've made in addressing our energy dependence by aggressively pursuing new technologies to break our addiction to foreign sources of energy? [If he makes this his #1 priority, he has a decent chance of actually passing a bill in this session.]

And most importantly, will this generation of leaders meet our obligation to protect the American people? [again, no mention of accommodating terror, shrinking in the fight to preserve liberty, or other rhetoric of yesterday.]

I know there's a lot of speculation on what the election means for the battle we're waging in Iraq. I recognize that many Americans voted last night to register their displeasure with the lack of progress being made there. [Wow! This is reality, baby.]

Yet I also believe most Americans and leaders here in Washington from both political parties understand we cannot accept defeat. [What do you expect him to say? The withdrawal begins tomorrow?]

*******************************

For Bush, this counts as a serious shift to bipartisanship. The question will be how he actually behaves over the next couple of months. I would not count out the power of a huge shift in congressional reality to force Bush to change his behavior. It is true that the only language he understands is pure political force, but this election WAS pure political force, and he may actually understand that language.

Posted by: brooksfoe on November 8, 2006 at 9:37 PM | PERMALINK

Ha, Bruce Reed over at Slate Magazine:

In contrast to Democratic leaders, who succeeded in striking measured tones at their post-election press appearances, President Bush's news conference didn't do much to contain yesterday's damage. To escape being pinned, he probably needs to follow Schwarzenegger's lead and pursue bipartisanship with gusto. Today wasn't even a half-Arnold.

Yeah, don't button-up and refused to work with Dems little Bushie. I"m sure the Dems would just hate have to supoena you’re sorry ass, no more trashing liberal lady House Speaker Nancy P. anymore. Be curious to see if Bush knows how to get over his childish, visceral hate for Nancy and all Dems.

Posted by: Cheryl on November 8, 2006 at 9:42 PM | PERMALINK

Lemme see - Gates is on the Baker commission - Baker starting to appear to have more oversight - More of GWHB's cohorts on the horizon - Could it be that Shrub has stopped listening to Mama and has had a couple of drinks in the Library with good old Dad?

Posted by: thethirdPaul on November 8, 2006 at 9:47 PM | PERMALINK

At the moment, the Republican Party is the Party of Magic. That's the brand they need to fix.

It'd be OK with me if they didn't, really.

What's more, even more ruinous than their ruining their brand on fiscal management -- which has been going on for some time, but stalled with the Clinton surplus -- the GOP has squandered its decades-long branding effort in national security over Bush's disastrous Iraqi adventure.

It's just a pity they've squandered American lives, treasure, and national security in the process. but Americans won't trust th GOP on defense for a generation.

Posted by: Gregory on November 8, 2006 at 10:17 PM | PERMALINK

I think I've decided I want to move to Connecticut. Only 10 percent of the voters there are Republican!?

Of, course it will have to wait at least 6 years, until after Lieberman retires...

Posted by: Brian on November 8, 2006 at 10:18 PM | PERMALINK

Americans don’t share those liberal ideas.

Actually they do. As in Kentucky 3. Yarmuth is an unabashed liberal running on liberal policies. He beat the woman who last won 60-40.

The country tried magical capitalism, perpetual resentments, and lies and found they didn't work.

Posted by: Jeffrey Davis on November 8, 2006 at 10:30 PM | PERMALINK

'They [Republicans] just want low taxes (the easy part of fiscal responsibility) without the spending cuts (the part that gets you voted out of office). It's similar to the GOP's Iraq strategy: they want the glory of winning a war, but without the pain of making the hard choices it would take to actually do so.'
--Kevin Drum

Indeed, Kevin. Like their cute little slogan, "The Ownership Society" - they [conservatives] want to own their assets, but not their liabilities. Life don't work that way.

A tactic I have always advocated using against the Iraq war hawks is "if you think this war is so damn important, and it is the moral equivalent of WWII, then step up to the plate and pay for it! Don't ask my children to fund it for you". Of course, they don't want to raise taxes and do the responsible thing.


Posted by: The Conservative Deflator on November 8, 2006 at 10:38 PM | PERMALINK

What's amazing is that even with the wave of Democratic victories, the Kos Kidz Kandidate Lamont still lost. He is the kiss of death.

So how did the Republican candidate in that race do, chickenhawk?

Lamont had 2 candidates to beat, following Lieberman's decision to take the ball away if he wasn't allowed to play anymore. The Kos supporters of Lamont had one of the toughest fights in the country, and Lamont almost pulled it off.

If Lieberman had done what everyone else does and support the winner of a fair primary, it would have been Lamont in a canter.

Much like it was in most of the rest of the country - which is why the only way that a democrat got beaten in this election was by another democrat. I don't know why the right-wingers think that's something to cheer about.

Posted by: slightly peeved on November 8, 2006 at 10:54 PM | PERMALINK

Kevin nailed it. Even the bewilderingly popular Ronald Reagan couldn't pull off the spending cuts he would have needed to make his tax policy sane.

Posted by: DK2 on November 8, 2006 at 11:23 PM | PERMALINK

The Democrats deserve very little credit for what at bottom was a mostly unearned victory. The Democrats have pussied out every step of the way for the last 6 years

The Democrats taking the House is the political equivalent of a Republican own goal. It is be simply the byproduct of 1) the disaster in Iraq which has become so obvious that the Republicans can no longer lie and spin their way out of it and 2) Mark Foley. -- and the Democrats deserve no credit at all for the political benefits that flow out of the Iraq debacle. They have been pathetic on Iraq and everyone knows it. The Democrats, including Rahm Emanuel, get no credit for anything except for just happening to be there to pick up the pieces.

It is vitally important that the current leaders of the party and various groups that claim to speak for the party not be allowed to claim credit for our success this November. Simply stated, our "leadership" has been a joke. The gains we made in a midterm election in the 6th year of the worst president in history are only loosely related to anything any of them did. If they hadn't been such a bunch of pussies, we might be well on the way to a full-scale long-term partisan realignment, as they held the Republicans accountable for having fucked up every aspect of government. Instead we came away with significantly fewer seats than did the Republicans in 1994.

In policy terms, it will be a long time before we face a president or a Republican party that has as bad a record as this one. Flagrant disasters like the Iraq War, thankfully, are few and far between. It is far from certain that the Iraq War will will have the same nationalizing effect in 2008 as it did in 2006, and the water will be muddied by some degreee of imputed responsibility to the new Democratic Congress, which may or may not learn how to stand up and defend itself against Republican demagoguery. Then what will we do?

Posted by: The Fool on November 8, 2006 at 11:50 PM | PERMALINK

It is vitally important that the current leaders of the party and various groups that claim to speak for the party not be allowed to claim credit for our success this November.

Well, you earn your moniker, Fool. Let's sneer at and ridicule our elected Democratic leaders. That'll surely lead to better things in 2008.

Posted by: brooksfoe on November 8, 2006 at 11:59 PM | PERMALINK

Uh, Webb and Tester's victories weren't that big.

Posted by: catherineD on November 9, 2006 at 12:05 AM | PERMALINK

In very red states, a W is a W, no matter how close.

In terms of taking back the Senate, they were huge.

However, the shocker for the evening, for myself, was the loss of Lincoln Chaffey. Was not long ago, he had been courted by the Democratic Party to come on board. Stayed at the fair too long playing nice with Shrub.

Posted by: thethirdPaul on November 9, 2006 at 12:16 AM | PERMALINK

I was really hoping the paid trolls would get a short vacation after the election, but they just keep on going and going...

Posted by: Snorri Sturluson on November 9, 2006 at 12:24 AM | PERMALINK

Sorry, I can't take seriously any group called "The Club for Growth".

Isn't that the gay bar where Foley and Haggard met?

Posted by: Disputo on November 9, 2006 at 12:45 AM | PERMALINK

brooksfoe: For Bush, this counts as a serious shift to bipartisanship.

I didn't read it quite that way when I watched it. I read it as the advisors forcing him to marginally acknowledge a Dem rout by emphasizing "bipartisanship." (It's not surprising, but still hilarious, that this is the word the Repubs are all stressing since Tuesday night, as though they'd just woken up to the concept of two parties after their long six years' nap.) But he was just paying lip service, I think, and it seemed clear that it really irritated him to have to be saying this. I saw no graciousness or good faith in his delivery.

The question will be how he actually behaves over the next couple of months. I would not count out the power of a huge shift in congressional reality to force Bush to change his behavior. It is true that the only language he understands is pure political force, but this election WAS pure political force, and he may actually understand that language.

Maybe. Remember, from college to the National Guard to business to government, he has zero track record of being told "no" and having to compromise or adapt. I think it's more likely that he'll attempt to keep governing by fiat and bluster, and become palpably more annoyed and frustrated when it doesn't work.

A political analyst friend believes The Final Meltdown (on national TV, please) will come over something really petty and ridiculous, not over a major difference in policy. I don't doubt it!

Posted by: shortstop on November 9, 2006 at 8:02 AM | PERMALINK

Pity for the Club for Growth.

Stephen Moore will have to fall back on his earnings from being a stunt double for Colbert.

Posted by: thethirdPaul on November 9, 2006 at 9:33 AM | PERMALINK

I read it as the advisors forcing him to marginally acknowledge a Dem rout by emphasizing "bipartisanship." (It's not surprising, but still hilarious, that this is the word the Repubs are all stressing since Tuesday night, as though they'd just woken up to the concept of two parties after their long six years' nap.)

No kidding. Bush's so-called "bipartisanship" in Texas was in uniting conservatives and ultra-conservatives -- which is exactly what he did in Washington. It's just that this time there were other players in the game.

But he was just paying lip service, I think, and it seemed clear that it really irritated him to have to be saying this. I saw no graciousness or good faith in his delivery.

Bush wouldn't know good faith if it was tattooed on Jeff Gannon's bald head.

Posted by: Gregory on November 9, 2006 at 9:37 AM | PERMALINK

The call for bi-partitanship by the Pugs makes me think of a horse racing story told by the late great Bill Shoemaker.

A week before the Santa Anita Handicap, the also late great trainer Charlie Whittingham had three horses - He assigned the Shoe to one, Jerry Lambert to another and Don Pierce to the seemingly outclassed third.

The general agreement among jockeys riding "coupled horses" was to share the winning purse. However, prior to race, Shoe told Pierce that, as he didn't really have the best mount, Jerry and he had decided to not include him.

The race went off - Shoe took the lead at the top of the lane - He heard a horse fast approaching and, thinking it was Lambert, looked over his shoulder. However, it was Don Pierce, and his steed was flying. Shoe, immediately, called out, "Don, You're In, You're In" - A very pissed Pierce flipped him off.

So, if we flip off the "bi-partitans?" out there on occasion, so be it.

Posted by: thethirdPaul on November 9, 2006 at 9:56 AM | PERMALINK

"...the GOP has squandered its decades-long branding effort in national security..."

I agree, gregory, but can the public be trusted to remember this, or anything, for even as long as two years, let alone a generation?

I will say that they have zero stars on the horizon, and that Bush was always an experiment on building a cult-of-personality with no personality. Guess the project failed. Only no-brainers like Chickenhawk et al (et Al?) are left to do the worshipping. And they are relatively quiet.

Posted by: Kenji on November 9, 2006 at 10:58 AM | PERMALINK

Has anyone discussed a Hilary Clinton / Eliot Spitzer ticket for 2008?

Posted by: hopeful2008 on November 9, 2006 at 10:58 AM | PERMALINK

"There are one hundred and ninety-nine ways to get beat, but only one way to win: get there first."~Willie Shoemaker

Ah, yes, the Great Shoe. One of the all time greats.

I shook his hand once at the Super Derby as they came through from the saddling enclosure to the main track. He leaned down, took my hand and winked at me. I was practically giddy. Not, however, so giddy that I bet on him though...good thing, too. In the money but off the board.

Posted by: CFShep on November 9, 2006 at 10:59 AM | PERMALINK

Much as I'd like to give props to Dean, I have to ask: what 50 state strategy??

Mike Stagg (LA 3) probably wants to know that too. LA 1 - 10: No change. Only good news is the D incumbent Melacon (LA 7) survived a truly vicious and dirty campaign.

(Melacon's not pronounced the way it looks. It ain't Mel-an-con' and I don't know how to make that little curly bit under the 'c' show up here. Like the second 'c' in Curacao...shortstop, honey - can you help me out here?)

Posted by: CFShep on November 9, 2006 at 11:08 AM | PERMALINK

Lower taxes is not fiscal responsibility.

Full Stop.

Fiscal responsibility is balancing taxes and spending. Finding new revenue for new spending, cutting spending when cutting taxes.

Cutting taxes by itself is Fiscal Irresponsibility, and has been a key plank in the platform of the Republican Party for 27 years and counting.

Posted by: OwnedByTwoCats on November 9, 2006 at 12:12 PM | PERMALINK

jonny

Posted by: jonny on November 9, 2006 at 12:26 PM | PERMALINK

jonny

Posted by: jonny on November 9, 2006 at 12:26 PM | PERMALINK

Uh, Webb and Tester's victories weren't that big.
Posted by: catherineD

Yeah, about as thin as Shrub's "mandate" from the 2004 election.

Posted by: cyntax on November 9, 2006 at 1:21 PM | PERMALINK


shortstop: A political analyst friend believes The Final Meltdown (on national TV, please) will come over something really petty and ridiculous, not over a major difference in policy. I don't doubt it!


is it too soon to begin making the popcorn?

Posted by: mr. irony on November 9, 2006 at 2:45 PM | PERMALINK

YOU VOTED NOW BOYCOTT
The Democrats had a great victory yesterday. Their majorities in the House of Representatives and the Senate coupled with the resignation of Donald Rumsfeld already illustrate this "power" shift in Washington.
The question remains whether today’s Democratic Party is the vehicle to eradicate poverty and usher in a wave of much needed social change.
If the party of FDR and LBJ, who lead a Second American Revolution, will today’s Democrats follow true to their political ancestors and lead a “Third Revolution”? Or, will these Democrats be a reincarnation of the Know-Nothings.
More:
http://www.garart.org/we-voted-now-we-must-boycott/

Posted by: joe garcia on November 9, 2006 at 8:39 PM | PERMALINK

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