The Democrats have won the necessary number of seats for control of the House of Representatives, and have won enough seats in the Senate so that it hangs on the race in Virginia, where Webb, a Democrat, leads Allen, the Republican candidate by a slender margin. That race will not be resolved for a few weeks, because according to Virginia state law (as in Washington State where I live), a margin of less that 1% requires a recount.

Nancy Pelosi is now Speaker of the House.

As I type this, Bush is acknowledging the Democratic victory and is trying to put a good face on it. And he has just announced that Secretary of Defense, Donald Rumsfeld, is resigning.

Now, who was it that was saying that a Democratic victory wouldn't change anything?

And I would also point out to those who like to blame me personally for the state of the country because I prefer to vote for the candidates who a) most closely represent my views, and b) actually have a chance of winning, rather than vote idealistically but unrealistically for a third party candidate who doesn't have a snowball's chance in Hell, and is only pulling quite possibly crucial votes away from progressive candidates that actually do have a chance. Example:    in the contest between Washington State Senator Maria Cantwell, Democrat, and Republican candidate Mike McGavick, Maria won with 57.59% of the vote to McGavick's 39.31%. The other candidates, Libertarian, Green, and Independent, garnered a total of 3.1%. Had the margin between Cantwell and McGavick been closer, Washington State might have a Republican Senator for the next six years. I'm not totally happy with a few of the decisions Maria has made (although I do believe that she now has her act together), but having heard McGavick speak, I would be a lot less happy had he won.

Jim McDermott, 7th District Congressional Representative (Democrat, very progressive, and royal pain in the ass to the Bush administration) won re-election by a huge margin. Something like 78% of the vote. Hosanna!!

Interesting note:   Pierce County, just south of King County in which Seattle resides, has started a Charter Amendment to eliminated Washington State's controversial primary election system and replace it with instant run-off voting. Go for it!! If so, I could make happy (or at least get them off my back) those who scream at me for advocating voting for viable candidates rather than the odd collection of Don Quixote candidates that they (and I) I may really prefer, but who don't stand a chance.

Just finished listening to Bush's press conference. He seems far more articulate than he's been in the past, but he did quack and limp quite a bit.

It's a pretty good day.

Don Firth