What a great night! It finally appears that people are seeing the light about the Republicans and their corruption, ill-conceived wars, and scare tactics. The party that has been so quick to judge everybody else on moral values showed that they are not quite as worthy of the moral high-ground as they thought. Hopefully we will also gain control of the Senate as well, given the current state of the vote count in Virgina and Montana. What remains to be seen is if the Democrats can use this new-found majority to really put pressure on Bush and Rumsfeld to change their failed policies, end the domestic spying programs, and find an effective way to end the U.S. occupation of Iraq. Although today, the Iowa Republican Chairman was quoted in teh DSM Register as saying this election was a "victory for the terrorists". Apparently, he didn't learn his lesson from last night. People are not buying the "a vote for a Democrat is a vote for terror" song-and-dance anymore. Finally. As if anyone is going to let terrorists waltz right in and attack us. The Democrats believe that we can stop terrorists without taking away all rights from citizens and giving the president total, authoritarian power to do as he pleases. Our rights as Americans do not have to be sacrificed in order to keep us safe, no matter what the Republicans say.
On the state level, we kept that crap-weasel Jim Nussle out of office and his former House seat goes to a Democrat also. Yes, despite how hard the GOP tried to paint Bruce Braley as the spawn of Satan who liked to kill puppies and eat them, the Dems won the 1st district seat as well. Another surprise was the 2nd District. I respect Jim Leach and his independence from his party. Hell, he was an anti-war Republican and in any other election, I actually might have considered voting for him. However, the fact is he is an incumbent and a Republican, which meant that voting for him was voting for more of the same, and this was an election that was clearly set on changing the course of things in Washington. His votes for leadership roles in Congress alone could be damaging (Dennis Hastert). So bye-bye Jim-bo, thanks for playing. And really, 30 years is enough in Congress.
Terrace Hill stays with the Democrats, and now the state House and Senate are in Democrat hands as well. Hopefully this will mean good things for education, alternative fuels, and health care in our state.
And in keeping with the theme of kicking sleazy, no-good, worthless people to the curb, Britney Spears filed for divorce from Kevin Federline.
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I agree that probably not much will change. However, I think the message was so clear yesterday that we need change. My point is that I HOPE the Dems can get their shit together and do something constructive in light of this mandate from the voters. Hell, even Bush sees the writing on the wall and canned Runsfeld. Although I do see your point, it is very easy and likely that it will all break down into partisan tactics, seeking revenge for the years outside of the majority.
As for the deficit, the last Democrat to take the White House erased a large, Republican led deficit and it has taken little time for the GOP to turn the surplus back into a deficit. Again, unlikely, but not impossible, that a Democratic White House in 2008 could reverse the deficit again.
And as for Leach, I think he fell victim to the overwhelming push for change. There are many Democrats who were in Congress and supported the war, not doing enough to stand up to Bush and Rumsfeld. If I had the chance I would have voted to oust them as well (see Joe Lieberman). Leach, although more independent than most, still functions within the two-party, partisan system and for that reason, I am glad to see him go. He really needed to be more vocal in his independence and stress that voting for him is not a vote for the Republicans.
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