posted November 07, 2006 11:33 PM              

I am so happy and excited!!!!

Jwhop put in a thread just the other day asking "Where is Radical Leftist Nancy Pelosi?" Well, Jwhop, I can now tell you that Nancy Pelosi along with John Conyers is now the leader of The House of Reps.

It is as Democratic Gov. Granholm of Michigan stated in accepting her win for her second term as governor "the people voted out of hope not out of fear."

The Republican National Committee poured billions of dollars into slander ads in Michigan against Granholm, Debbie Stabenow, Carl Levin, and especially John Conyers, and they all won re-election by large margins. From the looks of it all across America the Karl Rove/Bush administrations use of fear as a political tactic does not work any longer on the majority of Americans.

I am especially happy that John Conyers won by a landslide with his Republican opponent only getting 7% of the votes because the Republicans went after him with a vengeance. Conyers has over 26 charges of Constitutional violations against Bush and Cheney and has called for their impeachment. If the Democrats get the 3 seats they need to control Congress and with the Dems in control of the House now, impeachment may become a reality.

At any rate, Bush can go back to Crawford and sit on his hands for the rest of his term because his reign of fear on the world is over. He will not be able to harm this country and the world any longer. So this is a victory for the whole world. Not just the U.S.

If the Dems get those 3 seats they need for control of the Congress Bush is a lame duck president after today.

America has spoken. We want a change!!!!! We do not like the direction that the Republican Neo Cons of the Bush administration are leading this country and the world.

posted November 07, 2006 11:52 PM              

Democrats Take Control of House, Need 3 More Seats in Senate

Tuesday, November 07, 2006

By Liza Porteus

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Democrats shifted the balance of power on Capitol Hill Tuesday night, capturing control of the U.S. House of Representatives and gaining ground in the Senate.

Four GOP Senate races — Virginia, Tennessee, Missouri and Montana — were still up for grabs late Tuesday night, with Democrats needing three to complete a sweep of Congress.

In Virginia, incumbent George Allen was locked in a virtual dead heat with Democratic challenger Jim Webb, with indications the final outcome could be contested.

Overall, Democrats shifted three Senate seats across the aisle as of 11:25 p.m. ET, as Pennsylvania Republican Rick Santorum lost his seat to challenger Bob Casey.

Republicans also lost a Senate seat in Ohio, when incumbent Sen. Mike DeWine was beaten by Democratic Rep. Sherrod Brown.

In Rhode Island, longtime Republican Sen. Lincoln Chafee lost to Democratic challenger Sheldon Whitehouse.

Virginia voters also passed constitutional amendment that bans gay marriage and does not recognize same-sex civil unions performed in other states. Similar measures passed in Tennessee, South Carolina and Wisconsin.

Click here to read more on the ballot initiatives

At stake in the midterm election is all 435 House seats, 33 in the Senate, 36 races for governor, ballot measures on same-sex marriage, embryonic stem-cell research, the minimum wage, English language requirements, and more — plus the overarching vote of confidence in President Bush's policies.

"What I would say to folks is, grab a bag of pretzels, grab a cold one. It's going to be a long evening," Republican National Committee Ken Mehlman told FOX News.

Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean earlier in the night agreed that it was going to be a late night and said his party was being conservative in their expectations for the night.

But he said, "Republicans have lost touch with the American people" on issues such as the War on Terror, the economy and corruption issues.

Race for the Senate, House

In one of the most closely watched Senate races in the country, Joe Lieberman, an incumbent Democrat who ran as an independent, beat anti-war Democratic challenger Ned Lamont in Connecticut. Lieberman lost the Democratic primary three months ago to Lamont, a wealthy businessman and political unknown, in a race widely seen as a referendum on Iraq and a rejection of Lieberman's pro-war views.

"Dear friends, this year's campaign, to say the obvious, was a long journey on which you — my dear supporters — and I were tested as never before but we never wavered in our beliefs or in our purpose, did we? And we never gave up, did we?" Lieberman asked supporters Tuesday night, thanking the labor groups and firefighters who made up a large portion of his base.

"And tonight, tonight, thanks to the voters of Connecticut, our journey has ended in victory and hope and the opportunity to make a difference for six more years," added Lieberman, who will likely caucus with the Democrats.

In Maryland, incumbent Sen. Ben Cardin, a Democrat, held off a challenge from Lt. Gov. Michael Steele. But as of 11:30 p.m. ET, Steele was refusing to concede the race and has asked FOX News to retract its call of Cardin as the winner.

In New Jersey, Democratic incumbent Sen. Bob Menendez beat Republican state Sen. Tom Kean Jr., the son of popular former governor and Sept. 11 Commission Chairman Tom Kean.

In Tennessee, where Democratic Rep. Harold Ford Jr., was trying to become the first black senator elected in the South since Reconstruction, Republican Bob Corker held a lead. But the race was still too close to call at 11:30 p.m. ET.

Ford senior campaign adviser Tom Lee told FOX News that there are still voters in line at a few polling places across the state, specifically in Davidson County. Tennessee law requires polls to stay open until the last person has voted. Earlier Tuesday, Ford asked supporters to stand in line until their vote is counted; some have been waiting to vote for three hours.

The Ford campaign believes the race will come within 1 percent when all votes are counted. When asked if Ford would be willing to go to court to contest the outcome, Lee said, "we want it decided at the polls. No one wants to go to court."

Indiana Republican Sen. Richard Lugar was declared an easy winner in Indiana for a sixth term, and Rep. Bernie Sanders captured a Senate seat in Vermont to keep that seat independent after the retirement of James Jeffords.

Sen. Robert Byrd, the Democrat from West Virginia, won the title of being the most re-elected senator in U.S. history.

In Massachusetts, incumbent Sen. Edward Kennedy easily retained his seat, while Sen. Olympia Snowe was re-elected in Maine, and Sen. Trent Lott handily kept his seat in Mississippi, according to FOX News projections.

FOX projections also have incumbent Democratic Sen. Bill Nelson handily warding off a challenge by Republican Rep. Katherine Harris.

In the House, along with Hostettler and Chocola in Indiana, Kentucky GOP Rep. Anne Northup lost her bid for a sixth term representing the Louisville area to John Yarmuth, who runs an alternative weekly newspaper. Democrats Joe Donnelly and Brad Ellsworth, who defeated Chocola and Hostettler respectively, both campaigned as conservative Democrats in the seemingly red state. Democrat Baron Hill squeaked past Republican Rep. Mike Sodrel in southern Indiana's 9th District.

In Connecticut, 12-term GOP Rep. Nancy Johnson lost her House seat to Democrat Chris Murphy in the 5th district.

In Washington, House Democrats led by Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi were fired up, hoping to regain the majority in that chamber for the first time in 12 years. Democrats needed a net gain of 15 seats to prevail.

"Let's give a big cheer to the American people," said Pelosi, who could become the first female speaker if her party wins.

The Governors Races

As of 10 p.m. EDT, there were four gubernatorial turnovers in New York, Ohio, Maryland and Massachusetts.

New York went Democrat as voters chose to send Attorney General Eliot Spitzer to the statehouse to take the place of outgoing GOP Gov. George Pataki, instead of Republican opponent Republican John Faso.

Click here to read more on the governors' races

In Ohio, U.S. Rep. Ted Strickland defeated Republican Secretary of State Ken Blackwell to put a Democratic governor in office there for the first time in 16 years.

Baltimore Mayor Martin O'Malley, a Democrat, beat Gov. Robert Ehrlich, who had a tough fight battling against voter displeasure with the war in Iraq and his ties to President Bush.

And Democrat Deval Patrick became the first black governor of Massachusetts, receiving support from moderates who kept Republicans in the governor's office for the past 16 years.

Charlie Crist kept the Florida governorship now held by the president's brother, Jeb, in GOP hands.

In New Hampshire, Democratic Gov. John Lynch easily won a second term over Republican state Rep. Jim Coburn, while Democratic Gov. Phil Bredesen also won a second term by defeating little-known Republican challenger Jim Bryson. Other gubernatorial winners, as of 10:30 p.m. ET, were Republican incumbent Govs. M. Jodi Rell in Connecticut, Sonny Perdue in Georgia and Gov. Edward Rendell, among others.

Also in New York, Democrat Andrew Cuomo defeated Republican Jeanine Pirro in the race for attorney general, pledging to go after government corruption and continue Spitzer's work as a crusader against corruption.

Celebrations and 'Steep' Mountains

As the final hours of Campaign 2006 wound down, the big question was how voter discontent would translate into control of Congress in the last two years of President Bush's administration.

"We really care about taking our country back, about changing the course in Iraq overseas, about helping average people pay the bills — the tuition bills and the prescription drug bills and the health-care bills and the energy bills — and that is why we are so passionate and so concerned about this election," Sen. Charles Schumer, head of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, told supporters around 8:45 p.m. "We're not breaking out the champagne bottles yet — it's gonna be a long night."

But Elizabeth Dole, head of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, said Democrats are getting ahead of themselves with the celebratory mood.

After Lugar's win, the crowd at the GOP headquarters in Indianapolis welcomed him with applause and held up Lugar 2006 signs. Gov. Mitch Daniels, a former Lugar aide and campaign manager, wore a Lugar campaign button from 1976, when he was first elected to the Senate after a 1974 loss to Democrat Birch Bayh.

"This is a celebration tonight for Indiana," Lugar said.

Meanwhile, in Pennsylvania, shortly before 10 p.m., Santorum called Casey to concede the Senate race, said Larry Smar, a spokesman for Casey. "Santorum was gracious," Smar said.

The strong conservative Santorum later thanked all those who helped him this campaign season and during his years in Washington and said he has no regrets about any of his stances on the War on Terror, or other issues.

"To all of you out here and the tens of thousands of volunteers … we appreciate everything you have done and sacrificed for us ... This just was just a little too steep a mountain to climb," he said, flanked by his wife and children.

"It's now going to be a great opportunity for me to do more about what I write about and talk about all the time, and that is to be a better father and husband to this wonderful family."

In Rhode Island, Whitehouse told supporters who voted for him, "I will work my heart out to honor your trust."

He also thanked Chafee, who he said "very graciously conceded the race," and thanked the Chafee family for its "long and distinguished legacy of public service."

Voters on Iraq, Corruption and Bush

FOX News exit polls of five key states — Arizona, Maryland, Ohio, Rhode Island and Virginia — released at 6 p.m. ET, gave an early indication of voter sentiment.

Those polls of about 12,000 voters indicated 41 percent of voters who cast their ballots approved of Bush's job performance, while 58 percent disapproved.

Of the 37 percent who said the war in Iraq was an extremely important issue in how they voted, 61 percent indicated they voted Democrat, while 37 percent said they voted for the Republican.

Meanwhile, of the 42 percent of those polled who said corruption and scandal in government was extremely important in their vote, 61 percent said they voted for the Democrat, while 36 percent went Republican.

One of the big questions in this campaign is whether it turns out to be a referendum on national issues or hundreds of separate races on local issues.

Thirty-three percent of voters said local matters counted most, while 62 percent focused on national affairs, according to the exit polls.

Bush, meanwhile, flew to his home state of Texas to vote, finishing a restrained five-day campaign swing in mostly GOP strongholds.

Both parties sent thousands of volunteers to competitive districts to mobilize voters and assembled legal teams to watch for irregularities in balloting systems that continue to be error-prone six years after the hanging-chad debacle of 2000.

The Justice Department sent a record 850 poll watchers to 69 cities and counties to safeguard against fraud, discrimination or system malfunctions in tight races.

Spending by the two national parties surged in the final week as Democrats and Republicans invested in television commercials designed to sway the outcome in more than 60 House races and 10 Senate contests. In all, the two parties have spent about $225 million thus far in campaign activities independent of the candidates themselves.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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"WHATEVER the soul longs for, WILL be attained by the spirit"-Khalil Gibran

posted November 08, 2006 12:23 AM              

quote:

---

Rainbow, break out the champagne

---

You got it! Girl!

posted November 08, 2006 12:32 AM              

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"WHATEVER the soul longs for, WILL be attained by the spirit"-Khalil Gibran

posted November 08, 2006 02:24 AM              

It's 2:12 am. There are three important states. Virginia, Missouri, and Montana.

As of now, Democrat Claire McCaskill has been declared the winner over Talent in Missouri. Talent conceded the race to her. In Montana Tester is winning over the Republican candidate Burns by 51% to 41%. So it looks like the Democrat Tester is the winner there. In Virginia it is much closer but Webb is winning by 50%to 49% over Allen and just now he pulled ahead a bit more as the votes keep coming in.

So the Democrats are leading in the three states that will give them control over the Senate too!!!!!!!!! Horray!!!!!!!!!

posted November 08, 2006 02:59 AM              

quote:

---

However in Virginia Allen is going to be a whiner and drag it out by having the votes recounted. Remember how the Republican all said the Dems were whiners for asking for a recount in the 2000 election. Karma can suck huh? hee hee

---

Yupp!!!!

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"WHATEVER the soul longs for, WILL be attained by the spirit"-Khalil Gibran

posted November 08, 2006 11:38 AM            

Now that she is going to be making more public appearances, the American people will see just who is representing the Left and in two years, we'll see another shift back to the Conservative.

Another point - Here in AZ we ousted those conservatives that did not represent our needs. That is what politics is about. We, at least, have the fortitude to make changes when the old guard would rather hide their heads in the sand with issues such as immigration. Make no mistake though, people like Giffords won on a conservative platform and promised to be hard on immigration. The Democrats have two years to make changes- I don't think it's going to happen, with the exception of a bigger welfare system and higher taxes.

The bigger picture is that as Americans we have been afforded this right to make changes unlike other countries. Most of the contested races were won by slim margins. That is very telling about our situation and how people feel. Lamont, an extremely rabid leftest lost to Lieberman - a conservative Democrat that aligns himself most often with Republicans. What does that say?

posted November 08, 2006 12:55 PM            

There in Arizona you guys defeated the Protection of Marriage amendment. Bravo!

posted November 08, 2006 01:15 PM            

I am not demonizing Pelosi, I am stating a fact- which will become more evident as the shrew becomes more prolific on TV LMAO... Don't blame me for the fact the Democrats have a loud, shrill woman representing the House. I think it's WONDERFUL

As to the gay marriage ban, I am not sure what this has to do with the points that I brought up concerning illegal immigration and making a change.

Of course we voted down the amendment. I, as a Republican, also voted no on changing the constitution to ban same-sex marriage. Idiots here act like it is a Republican / Democrat thing - it is a basic human rights thing.

posted November 08, 2006 01:18 PM              

The law is that in a close election like the one in Virginia a recount can be called. However, that same law was in effect in 2000 but when Gore called for a recount under the law the Republicans called him and the Democrats sore losers and whiners. So I am calling Allen a whiner even though I know there is a law that he is following.

Because one more thing that the American voters proved in yesterday's election is how very fed up with are with all the damn of hypocrisy of the neo cons. lol

Yes, AG, though we can't officially say it yet, it looks like the Dems will control the other two branches of government and Bush will officially be a lame duck president.

posted November 08, 2006 01:24 PM              

AG is right. Demonizing the most powerful woman in the country did not win the elections for the Republicans and it isn't going to do any good now.

posted November 08, 2006 01:29 PM              

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"WHATEVER the soul longs for, WILL be attained by the spirit"-Khalil Gibran

posted November 08, 2006 01:32 PM            

**edit, it's uncertain whether Montana will be contested if Tester wins...or if Montana law provides for recounts**

I know you feel elated, like the world and America have somehow changed overnight and you have every reason to feel good about a democrat victory in the moment.

Pid is right, the democrats who won in hotly contested races were chosen because they are far more conservative than the run of the mill leftist leaning democrat...or they talked the conservative talk. Time will tell how they will vote on legislation coming out of committees which will have a definite far left flavor.

I know you would like to think a great deal is going to change but it isn't.

Even if democrats manage to take over the Senate, there are not going to be big structural changes. The democrat majorities are minuscule and those majorities have a definite conservative contingent.

If I were Bush, I would already have dispatched an aide to lay in a large supply of VETO pens. So far, he's only needed one.

A Bush veto on..raising taxes, removing troops, defunding the troops, rolling back the tax cuts etc., etc., etc., are not going to be overridden by Congress.

The legislation will fail to become law.

First because Senate Republicans will filibuster the legislation.

Second because the Senate can't muster the 60 votes to break the filibuster.

Third, Bush would VETO the legislation if it passed.

Fourth, there are not enough democrat votes in the House or Senate to override a Bush veto. The margins are far too thin. It requires a 2/3...66.6666666% majority vote to override a Presidential veto.

What is likely to happen is democrats will attempt to tie up the Executive Branch in endless hearings into matters already examined by 3 different commissions....for purely partisan purposes.

To the extent democrats engage in that activity, democrats will pay the price.

Again, congratulations.