Decision ‘08

Say Hello To Speaker Pelosi

Well, I’m killing the updates to the open thread, as we clearly have reached a point of closure in the House, even as the Senate hangs in the balance. The Democrats have won a big victory, and we can be Kos-style jerks about it, or we can accept the slap in the face the voters of America delivered to us and move forward.

In a welcome sign, President Bush has already called a news conference for tomorrow. I hope he makes a genuine effort at sounding a bipartisan note. I’m going to take a possibly unpopular stance here (though God knows it won’t be the first time) and give the Democrats the benefit of the doubt. Let us remember that they are not the enemy, they are the opposition. It’s politics, but we’re all Americans here.

I hope the Democrats restrain their more ‘progressive’ elements and try to exercise their regained power in a responsible manner. That’s probably a fool’s hope…but let’s hope it nonetheless.

I’m not saying we should give the Democrats a pass or switch allegiances. What I am saying is what’s done is done…let’s wait for the outrages before we get outraged. I have a feeling they’ll come soon enough…but for now, we should congratulate the victors and begin a pretty intense process of navel-gazing, so we can figure out how to return to our conservative principles in areas where we have clearly fallen short.

As for the Republican congressional leadership, well…let’s just say that for now, Hastert must go. Not because of any ridiculous second-guessing about his conduct in the Foley affair, but for the very lackluster leadership he has shown during his tenure. We’ve had six years to reform social security, make the Bush tax cuts permanent, reform immigration, and all the other agenda items near and dear to the conservative heart. Six years, with Republican control of every branch of government. And we didn’t deliver…and Hastert didn’t deliver.

Further bloodletting can wait…this is the Democrats’ night. Congratulations to my rivals (not my enemies)…and remember, folks, you don’t REALLY want the Democrats to do poorly in their new position of power. After all, that means America does poorly, and at the risk of being repetitive, I’m an American before I’m a Republican…always…

Best of luck, Speaker Pelosi…for the good of America…

UPDATE 11:00 p.m.: I don’t want to start another election update post, because I want to give this post pride of position at least overnight…but Webb has pulled forward in Virginia by 3,000 votes with 99% of the precints in. The Senate may not officially be known until tomorrow, or even for days, but right now, it’s leaning Democratic, or perhaps headed toward a 50-50 split…still, that’s getting a little ahead of things. We’ll see…

On the other hand, the Virginia SOS shows Allen still up 2,000 with 99.18% in…it’s hard to imagine that this race won’t go into a recount…it may even be mandated by Virginia law, but I missed that discussion…

UPDATE 11:15 p.m.: Well, 100% of the Virginia vote in, and Webb by about 3,000…sigh…I really wanted that one (though the recount apparently IS on)…is the Senate gone? Montana holds the key now…

In all likelihood, however, the Democrats have won the Senate, as well…from a strictly partisan standpoint, a disastrous evening…

19 Responses to “Say Hello To Speaker Pelosi”

1 Ryan Bonneville Says:
November 7th, 2006 at 11:58 pm
I’m willing to be convinced that the Democrats can do a better job of governing. I’ll withhold judgment until I see what they’ve got up their sleeves.
2 Knemon Says:
November 8th, 2006 at 12:29 am
Rudy can’t fail?
3 mtl Says:
November 8th, 2006 at 12:42 am
I concede Va.

but I don’t think Allen will.
Talk about torturing the dems with lawyers. There’s a certain poetic justice.
4 mtl Says:
November 8th, 2006 at 12:45 am
a fig leaf?

lieberman chair of armed services?
5 Andy Says:
November 8th, 2006 at 1:15 am
Mark, I couldn’t agree less. After watching about an hour of CNN/Fox, I’m calling it a night.

1) Let the Donks do what they will. No matter how Kos slices it, the moonbats blew it, otherwise, the Senate balance would be more firmly on the dem side. Yeah, so Ol’ Joe will be caucusing with the dems–small consolation if it’s a 50/50 split. Hardly a cause for gloating. Simply put, they didn’t win on any particular message. Anyone but Bush is hardly a mandate. In any case, come ‘08, if the DNC can prove that they really do have adults at the reins. then more power to the DNC. Otherwise, if they’ve misinterpreted the “will of the people” it’s gonna be a long trek in the wilderness for the DNC.

2) More importantly, what are we gonna do about the RINOs? The GOP had better get serious about prepping the next generation of conservatives and wooing back the disgusted & disenfranchised conservative/constitutionalist/independent/libertarian voters. Consider DeWine & Santorum as our canaries in the coalmine. Hastert leads the line of the survivors who will get their wings clipped -if I were Lindsay Graham or Boehner etc, I’d be thinking hard about a ‘come-to-Jesus’ moment.

The party had best get their act together, hammer out a Contract With America part 2 and start showing some principled backbone. Unless one signs onto the CWA2, don’t count on any financial or campaign support, period!!!

Yawn!!! I think my missing the OK voter registration deadline was a Freudian slip sublime. I can’t get too worked up for the next 2 years, cause I didn’t vote, or as my daughter would put it: ‘No Stake, No Heartburn’
6 Mark Says:
November 8th, 2006 at 1:44 am
Well, there were some good discussion points going on at Fox this evening that really resonated with me…but I’m saving that post for tomorrow. Yes, Knemon, Rudy is suddenly looking very, very good…
7 JB Says:
November 8th, 2006 at 2:05 am
I’m confused. Following a Dem takover or Congress, why should we hope for a liberal (Rudy) president? Why should a conservative hope for that?
8 Polimom, Too Says:
November 8th, 2006 at 2:16 am
Please. No mandates.

It’s pretty glum in the GOP blogosphere tonight, where they had evidently started to believe their own spin. On the other side, it’s a “happy happy joy joy” Democratic night, and some are flat-out giddy: As the news keeps pouring…
9 too many steves Says:
November 8th, 2006 at 5:56 am
“Hey, I know we’ve had our differences, but I want to be clear on something: when the alien invaders from outerspace attack, we’ll be on the same side, right?”
10 pigilito Says:
November 8th, 2006 at 8:03 am
I don’t see Dem control of Congress as necessarily a bad thing. Bush will veto what he doesn’t like, and the Dems will be on their guard not to appear too weak on terror, etc.

If it holds down government spending for the next two years (hard to imagine the next Congress spending more than what the Repubs have over the past few years) while not compromising national security, I’ll be reasonably happy.
11 Mark Says:
November 8th, 2006 at 8:18 am
JB, he’s looking good because we’re going to need a winner in 2008, one who can appeal to the Independents who have so decisively let us know of their discontent yesterday…
12 Fargus Says:
November 8th, 2006 at 8:36 am
Anybody seen jwest and his “cold, hard numbers” around?
13 Dennis Says:
November 8th, 2006 at 8:42 am
Not to mention calling Giuliani a “liberal” makes as much sense as the bitter Lamont supporters calling Lieberman a right-winger. Giuliani’s “liberalness” comes down to pretty much two things: 1) abortion, where’s admittedly to the left of the party, and; 2) gay marriage, where he holds the exact same position as President Bush - he favors civil unions, not marriage. I happen to think the latter is a silly semantic point, but then again, I’m of a libertarian bent and favor gay marriage myself.

The country is nowhere near any kind of consensus about banning abortion, so I don’t think it makes much difference who the president is; it obviously hasn’t so far. And gay marriage as a practical matter is something over which the president has pretty much no say anyway. But the president does make a real impact on things like taxes and defense, and Giuliani’s right on the money for me in those areas.
14 Dmac Says:
November 8th, 2006 at 10:26 am
Rudy is socially liberal, but is also a fiscal and foreign policy conservative. That’s why I’ve always liked him, and why I’ll vote for him in ‘08. For his bona fides on the latter two, may I recount just two efforts that made him my #1 candidate for ‘08:

- his stewardship of the previously “ungovernable” New York City was textbook - he slashed corporate taxes, got many citizens off the welfare rolls, tangled with the previously - intractable public unions and won concessions from them, and beefed up the Police Department substantially - all of which allowed NYC to rise from the ashes and assume it’s prominent standing today;

- he had his security detail throw Yasser Arafat out of the New York Met during a performance, and said that terrorists didn’t deserve to have the same priviledges as US citizens, and the hell with his UN bona fides.

Sure, that last point is more amusing than substantial, but the guy puts his money where his mouth is, every time. He was exactly the same way during his tenure as the AG, when he went up against the mob in order to close down their racketeering efforts on the docks.
15 too many steves Says:
November 8th, 2006 at 12:53 pm
“Rudy is socially liberal, but is also a fiscal and foreign policy conservative.” Which makes him mostly, depending on how he feels about “international adventures”, a Libertarian in Republican clothing. Kinda like former governor of MA, William Weld.
16 Aaron Says:
November 8th, 2006 at 1:02 pm
The only problem that conservatives should have with Rudy is his stance on abortion, but John Paul Stevens leaves the SCOTUS before 2008, then W will be able to appoint another conservative justice. Earlier I worried that if we lost the Senate, Bush would have to appoint another Kennedy (Anthony, not Ted), but I don’t think that Jim Webb, John Tester, and Bob Casey would have voted any differently than their predecessors on Alito, much less Roberts.

And if another conservative joins Scalia, Thomas, Alito, and Roberts, then it wouldn’t matter what the president’s views on abortion are, as the justices most likely to step down sooner are the more liberal ones.
17 Knemon Says:
November 8th, 2006 at 9:45 pm
“a Libertarian in Republican clothing.”

Here come the purge! Growth through shrinkage.
18 Knemon Says:
November 8th, 2006 at 9:46 pm
“then W will be able to appoint another conservative justice.”

Not with a Democratic Senate he won’t.
19 Joe Weaver Says:
November 8th, 2006 at 11:24 pm
The Democrats will attempt to raise taxes of the rich. Massive increases. It’s so sad, too bad, but that’s the only way to close the gap, bring down the deficit and to bring some fiscal sanity back. You can’t spend more than you make for a prolonged a period as we’ve seen. Bush has racked up nearly 6 years of deficit spending. Massive tax breaks for the wealthy while the country is at war. The national debt stands at well over 8 trillion. But no other president before him, Dem or Republican has ever followed such a reckless prescription. It was time for a change, take the toy away from the Boy President, ground him for a while and to restore some order to Congress and the financial purse.