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BS: Election results

07 Nov 06 - 04:16 PM (#1878596)
Subject: BS: Election results
From: Donuel

As news comes in please post results here.

So far the only race that is final is that Kerry lost again.

07 Nov 06 - 07:13 PM (#1878626)
Subject: RE: BS: Election results
From: katlaughing

Could be quite awhile before we know anything...apparently there are voting machines problems everywhere and challenges to them as well. we need to go back to pen and paper ballots.

07 Nov 06 - 07:28 PM (#1878639)
Subject: RE: BS: Election results
From: curmudgeon

NPR has declared Bernie Sanders, Independat (Socialist) Vt. to be the winner for the senate seat.

07 Nov 06 - 07:30 PM (#1878642)
Subject: RE: BS: Election results
From: Peace

YEAH!

That's 1.

07 Nov 06 - 07:34 PM (#1878643)
Subject: RE: BS: Election results
From: GUEST,John O'L

Even if the machines are on the level, which appears to be questionable at least, there seem to be so many malfunctions it will be impossible to get a believable result anyway.

07 Nov 06 - 08:22 PM (#1878668)
Subject: RE: BS: Election results
From: artbrooks

Kat, New Mexico has pen and paper ballots.

07 Nov 06 - 08:27 PM (#1878670)
Subject: RE: BS: Election results
From: Rapparee

And Idaho uses "fill in the ovals" for everyone except those who can't because of physical handicap -- or at least in this part of the state.

07 Nov 06 - 08:31 PM (#1878676)
Subject: RE: BS: Election results
From: catspaw49

We have a boatload of problems here, both large and small. Ohio is really under the microscope owing to past ~~frauds~~ problems. No results will be reported til after 9 PM because a judge ordered polls in Cuyahoga county (Cleveland) to stay open until then because of problems getting underway this morning with voters in long lines and going home.

Even with no returns in yet, NBC is already calling the Governor's race for the Democrat, Strickland. The GOP ~~asshole~~ ~~dork~~ ~~dickhead~~ ~~broke-dick mook~~ buffoon (Blackwell) was the guy in charge of the last botched election and nobody wants his dumbass except of course the few really hardline Repubs.

I fully expect Sherrod Brown to unseat the Repub Mike DeWine in the US Senate race. He was leading the polls by a wide margin, almost as great as Strickland led over Blackwell.

Spaw

07 Nov 06 - 08:33 PM (#1878677)
Subject: RE: BS: Election results
From: Richard Bridge

What are the exit polls saying so far?

07 Nov 06 - 08:40 PM (#1878683)
Subject: RE: BS: Election results
From: Rapparee

Well, Ohio is gonna have a new gov, too. Taft is...dead meat and was rotten before the election. The Noe thing was just one nail in his coffin.

07 Nov 06 - 08:41 PM (#1878685)
Subject: RE: BS: Election results
From: catspaw49

Basically Richard, it looks to be a good night for Dems, much of that owing to the overwhelming negativity about the Iraq war. Bush's approval rating is waaaay down and by a wide margin polls are saying that there is great disapproval of the war.

Interestingly his brother Jeb is twice as popular as the Resident. With any luck this election will make the final years of his residency pass without further losses of what this country is really all about, or at least wants to be.

Spaw

07 Nov 06 - 08:44 PM (#1878687)
Subject: RE: BS: Election results
From: catspaw49

Yeah Rap.....I said that above. NBC called the election for Strickland without any results in yet.

Taft is the last gasp of "Taft Republicanism" and the worst gov we have had in a coon's age.....a complete horse's ass.

Spaw

07 Nov 06 - 08:46 PM (#1878688)
Subject: RE: BS: Election results
From: Bobert

The biggie for me is Virginia where I voted for my first Dem since Jimmy Carter...

But Virginians are about eat up stupid when it comes to votin'...

Ahhhh, let me change that... Other than Richmond and Northern Virginians, Virginians are about eat up stupid.... period... Bunch of rednecks...

But they is also my neigbors so like what's a guy to do??? Move back to Wes Ginny???

Bobert

07 Nov 06 - 08:53 PM (#1878695)
Subject: RE: BS: Election results
From: wysiwyg

+1 Dem in the Senate for PA.

Bye bye Santorum!

~S~

07 Nov 06 - 08:59 PM (#1878699)
Subject: RE: BS: Election results
From: Rapparee

I lived in Ohio 1971-1984 and lived in the Cincy area from 2000 to 2003. Ohio govs haven't been much to rave about. And good riddance to the Tafts!

07 Nov 06 - 09:10 PM (#1878709)
Subject: RE: BS: Election results
From: catspaw49

Why Rap....What about Jim Rhodes? He sent the troops to Kent State and had those lovely arches installed at the entrances to Ohio. AND although he kept running up against a brick wall, he tried, I mean he really tried............to build a bridge across Lake Erie. And there was John Gilligan, who should have stayed on the island with the Skipper.

Yeah, we've had some real doozies.............

Spaw

07 Nov 06 - 09:44 PM (#1878726)
Subject: RE: BS: Election results
From: Rapparee

Just before I moved to Indiana from Ohio I understand that the genital area of the statue of Jim Rhodes (gallantly carrying a briefcase!) in front of the capitol in Columbus was being painted bright blue. The State Patrol did a stakeout but never did catch the perpetrator.

'Spaw, you wouldn't know anything about that, would you?

(Our library also, courtesy of Jimmy Rhodes, received a copy of the song "Because I Love Ohio." All I (fortunately!) remember about it was the chorus, "Because, because I love Ohio," and that the flip side of the 45 disc had the same song in a calypso beat. Your tax money at work....)

07 Nov 06 - 09:56 PM (#1878729)
Subject: RE: BS: Election results
From: catspaw49

LMAO...........ohgawd..................."And if I laugh at any mortal thing, tis that I may not weep."

Spaw

07 Nov 06 - 10:07 PM (#1878732)
Subject: RE: BS: Election results
From: Jeri

One of our congressional seats (District 2) is being flipped from R to D. Another (District 1) was supposed to be solidly R, and the first time running, progressive D going against the incumbent had spent very little money on her campaign. They both have 50% of the votes, with 65% of precincts reporting. Of course, the R has 1,070 more votes. Even if the guy wins as expected, I think his world has been successfully rocked.

07 Nov 06 - 10:16 PM (#1878737)
Subject: RE: BS: Election results
From: kendall

Rep. Tom Allen D has been projected the winner.
Senator Snowe R is a sure winner.
Mike Michaud D winner in the second district. We only have two districts, keeps fraud to a minimum, and the paper ballots help.
Gov. Baldacci D incumbent projected winner.

It may not be a democrat bloodbath, but the repubs. are going to be anemic.

07 Nov 06 - 10:25 PM (#1878752)
Subject: RE: BS: Election results
From: Jeri

HA! 73% of the precincts in, and Carol Shea-Porter is now 479 votes ahead of Jeb Bradley. I really need to go to sleep...

07 Nov 06 - 10:30 PM (#1878756)
Subject: RE: BS: Election results
From: NH Dave

Yeppers, and Charley Bass just gave up the election. This could be a total sweep of the two House seats, if Carol Shea-Porter knocks Jeb Bradley out of the race. Our GOP party chair was just on the tubs saying that it looks as if Bush will be the lamest of lameducks for the next two years!!!

Dave

07 Nov 06 - 10:33 PM (#1878758)
Subject: RE: BS: Election results
From: GUEST

Doesn't look like a landslide victory for the Dems at this point in the race.

07 Nov 06 - 10:44 PM (#1878762)
Subject: RE: BS: Election results
From: katlaughing

artbrooks...lucky New Mexico and, Rapaire, Idaho, too! I've heard reports about Colorado having the worst problems of the whole country, today, esp. in the Denver area. There also seems to be some voter intimidation rumours:

DENVER -- At least two Hispanic voters in Weld County say they received calls from people telling them they might get arrested if they voted.

Jesus Torres of Evans said he received a call about two weeks ago and the man told him he would go to jail and be charged with a felony if he voted. Torres, 47, has been a U.S. citizen for 15 years and voted for the first time this year.

More about such things across the nation HERE.

So far, in CO, it's too soon and too close to tell much, except that we will keep our Dem Senator Slazar, thank goodness!

07 Nov 06 - 10:59 PM (#1878779)
Subject: RE: BS: Election results
From: George Papavgeris

Just announced on BBC News 24 that Dems have "broken" the House - they've taken over.

07 Nov 06 - 11:10 PM (#1878781)
Subject: RE: BS: Election results
From: GUEST

It looks that way. Senate is a tight one at this time.

07 Nov 06 - 11:18 PM (#1878783)
Subject: RE: BS: Election results
From: Stilly River Sage

NPR hasn't called it yet. Let's let the local talent make the call over the specatators across the pond.

SRS

07 Nov 06 - 11:21 PM (#1878786)
Subject: RE: BS: Election results
From: Stilly River Sage

10:20pm Central--Linda Werthheimer of National Public Radio just said that as of now NPR projects the Democrats will take the house. They have won 15 seats that were Republican.

SRS

07 Nov 06 - 11:40 PM (#1878790)
Subject: RE: BS: Election results
From: GUEST

I've heard Rove has phoned Mr. Bush to inform of the 'House'. Apparently he has not been watching the results. Needless to say he is said to be quite upset and will give a news conference tomorrow at 1:00 est.

08 Nov 06 - 12:53 AM (#1878798)
Subject: RE: BS: Election results
From: Desert Dancer

Well, southern Arizona is sending new Democrat to Congress, Gabrielle Giffords. (Baja Arizonans, unite!) Unfortunately, kept John Kyl (R) in, though.

We had a record 19 propositions on the ballot:

Bad results (as far as I'm concerned) on several mean anti-immigration props, including voting in English as the official language again (in spite of its being deemed unconstitutional last time). I suppose I shouldn't be surprised. Sigh.

On the plus side, we do seem to have passed a strong state-wide anti-smoking measure (making the rest of the state more like Tucson on that front), and knocked down a constitutional amendment for "man-woman-only" marriage (of course, there's alread a statute to that effect, anyway). Also a strong measure for land conservation. And, a state-wide minimum wage raise, which surprises me, pleasantly.

~ Becky in Tucson

08 Nov 06 - 01:04 AM (#1878799)
Subject: RE: BS: Election results
From: John on the Sunset Coast

It is a sad day for America. I believe that the Democrats will destroy the soul of the country. But this too shall pass.

08 Nov 06 - 01:08 AM (#1878800)
Subject: RE: BS: Election results
From: GUEST

The John Warner Defense Authorization Act of 2007 was passed unanimously in the Senate (all Democrats voted for it), and it was passed with 398 votes in the House (93% voted for it). Bush signed this on the same day he signed the Constitution-killing Military Commissions Act. Read on to see what the Defense Authorization Act does:

Bush legalizes martial law -- what Constitution?

On Oct 17, George Bush quietly signed a bill allowing him to declare martial law. The Toward Freedom website summarizes it:

For the current President, "enforcement of the laws to restore public order" means to commandeer guardsmen from any state, over the objections of local governmental, military and local police entities; ship them off to another state; conscript them in a law enforcement mode; and set them loose against "disorderly" citizenry - protesters, possibly, or those who object to forced vaccinations and quarantines in the event of a bio-terror event.

The law also facilitates militarized police round-ups and detention of protesters, so called "illegal aliens," "potential terrorists" and other "undesirables" for detention in facilities already contracted for and under construction by Halliburton. That's right. Under the cover of a trumped-up "immigration emergency" and the frenzied militarization of the southern border, detention camps are being constructed right under our noses, camps designed for anyone who resists the foreign and domestic agenda of the Bush administration.

It's easy to get scabbed over about the Bush White House's assault on the Bill of Rights, but every now and again, they rip loose with an attack so egregious, it rips the scab right off. Between the right-to-torture bill and this one, it's clear that Bush intends to bring back the pork-politics glory of the Cold War by reinventing the Soviet Union on American soil.

http://www.outpostnine.com/forum/showthread.php?p=282739

So, the Republicans have won a great victory tonight. The unified party in America has duped Democrats into thinking things will change. 100% of the Senate and 93% of the House voted for the above. Read it again.

08 Nov 06 - 01:16 AM (#1878801)
Subject: RE: BS: Election results
From: katlaughing

You really ought to get help, Janet...nothing but negative doom and gloom from you...must be a miserable life.

08 Nov 06 - 01:26 AM (#1878803)
Subject: RE: BS: Election results
From: Ron Davies

John--

"The Democrats will destroy the soul of the country". Interesting. It would be nice if you could provide some evidence--otherwise that sounds amazingly like absurd apocalyptic pontificating. And I'm sure you wouldn't want to convey that impression.

Meanwhile---this thing is just too amazing. At this point, about 2,000 votes separate Allen and Webb in Virginia. Unless things change drastically, it's likely we won't have an answer on that crucial Senate race til December. And at this point Webb is ahead. Truly stunning. So Bobert--don't write off your fellow Virginians as yahoos just yet. I just heard Pat Buchanan say the blue tide is coming into Virginia--and he may have to leave McLean to get away from it.

And Claire McCaskill now has a bit of a lead in Missouri--and may keep it---since the big cities--Kansas City and what is it--St Louis?-- are only now reporting. And that sure does throw my theory out the window--I always thought cities were first to report and the far-flung rural areas were last.

And Burns is behind in Montana.

And the Democrats have already taken Santorum's seat in Pennsylvania, Chafee's seat in Rhode Island, and DeWine's seat in Ohio.

So at this point it is definitely possible that the Democrats could take the Senate outright.

It's already clear that Bush, having lost the House--and 3 Senate seats so far, will be the lamest duck we've seen in awhile.

So it seems the US voting public has woken up--finally.

08 Nov 06 - 01:27 AM (#1878804)
Subject: RE: BS: Election results
From: Ron Davies

And all the fashionably dire predictions about how Diebold will steal this election--again--will have to be, shall we say, adjusted.

08 Nov 06 - 01:58 AM (#1878807)
Subject: RE: BS: Election results
From: JohnInKansas

Almost an aside:

In Kansas, and I believe in many places, one is legally entitled to elect whether to use the voting machine or a paper ballot.

I was clearly informed that this choice was available when I signed in to vote; but when it came my turn I was just led to the machine and was never asked if I'd like a paper ballot.

As to the "touch-screen" voting machines, I found the "touch" extremely sensitive. If you weren't really careful it could detect the wandering finger that was "close to" the screen and enter your vote for that one before "you gave them the real finger" you meant to use.

Once "selected," you had to "touch" that candidate a second time to toggle the selection, before you could "touch" your real choice. Some of the attendants understood this "feature" but others were needing help with it in order to help the confused voters.

The only real glitch reported in my area was that the voting machines all turned themselves off precisely at 7:00 pm when voting closed. The law is clear that anyone in the polling place is to be allowed to complete their voting, but it did take a while to get them turned back on (doesn't this suggest tampering is possible?) to allow those in line to vote.

It appears, from early reports, that incumbent Republican US Representative Jim Ryun probably has been defeated; but the results I've seen are too preliminary to be very reliable. My local newspaper site reports that he's lost, but doesn't say how many votes have been counted at this point.

John

08 Nov 06 - 03:20 AM (#1878836)
Subject: RE: BS: Election results
From: Richard Bridge

It is beginning to look as if the USA may (2 seats in the senate may need to go to 100% manual recount) have recovered its liberty from a tyranny worse than George III!

08 Nov 06 - 03:27 AM (#1878841)
Subject: RE: BS: Election results
From: akenaton

Don't get too excited folks...
Remember the Dems supported Bush in the run up to Iraq...and during the invasion.
Dont trust them.
Blair has led a so called "Liberal" govt in the UK for years, bringing in policies and involving us in a war which the Conservatives could never have persuaded the UK electorate to support.

Beware especially of Mrs Clinton....a she-wolf in sheeps clothing..Ake

08 Nov 06 - 04:10 AM (#1878865)
Subject: RE: BS: Election results
From: Terry K

Agreed Ake - for the life of me I can't ever tell the difference between the US parties, at least in terms of world policy. They all seem to operate in some kind of parallel universe, restricted by religion and the flag, positively refusing to acknowledge the rest of the world exists, oblivious to the metric system, driving on the wrong side etc etc. And I'm still amazed they never gave John Wayne a crack at being president.

08 Nov 06 - 04:18 AM (#1878869)
Subject: RE: BS: Election results
From: akenaton

I'm sure I remember at least five US presidents wearing "cowboy hats"

Does that count for NOTHING!!

08 Nov 06 - 06:01 AM (#1878930)
Subject: RE: BS: Election results
From: Peace

"It is a sad day for America. I believe that the Democrats will destroy the soul of the country."

I think in many ways that the US has had its soul ripped apart in the past six years. It may be finding it again.

08 Nov 06 - 07:52 AM (#1878981)
Subject: RE: BS: Election results
From: Ron Davies

" Dems supported Bush in the run-up to the Iraq war...."

1) Some did, some didn't.

2) We've discussed this ad nauseam already--the Bush regime ran a masterful propaganda campaign--in fact 2, one to persuade the US public to support the Iraq warm, and a second to win the 2004 election--"watch out for homosexuals and terrorists. Here in (your city's name here) a dirty bomb could be exploded. And if homosexuals can call themselves married, YOUR marriage is in danger."

As several of us have said before, it was all about hate and fear. And in a fearful country, it works like a charm.

Until people start thinking. Which it appears they have.

08 Nov 06 - 07:53 AM (#1878982)
Subject: RE: BS: Election results
From: GUEST

Overall, the country is still pretty much divided down the middle. Regardless of the results, it's still a long way from healing the tormented soul.

08 Nov 06 - 07:53 AM (#1878983)
Subject: RE: BS: Election results
From: Ron Davies

"Iraq war"

08 Nov 06 - 08:04 AM (#1878989)
Subject: RE: BS: Election results
From: Ron Davies

One of the ironies is that it seems there actually may be some positive developments in Iraq. The Shiite government is now saying it is willing to stop blacklisting all members of the Baathist party. If low-ranking Baathists can be hired, that may start to undercut support for the insurgency.

Though obviously the police problem and the oil revenue distribution still have to be addressed.

But--from the WSJ today:

The Shiite government "charged 57 policemen with torturing prisoners".

And "Al-Douri, Hussein aide turned insurgent, urged a ceasefire".

The question is whether this is too little, too late, to avoid full-blown civil war--according to the WSJ today: "Sunnis and Shiites traded mortar fire across the Tigris in Baghdad, killing 21." That sounds just like civil war.

08 Nov 06 - 08:09 AM (#1878994)
Subject: RE: BS: Election results
From: Donuel

My Diebold voting machine failed while I was voting yesterday.
The chief election judge shut it down after it beeped each time I mtried to make a touch screne selection (24 times) while not allowing my selection for a period of time.

08 Nov 06 - 08:15 AM (#1878996)
Subject: RE: BS: Election results
From: Donuel

In the lobby after trying to vote I met a blind couple who also had their Diebold machine fail when they tried to go into to a mode user friendly to the blind.

I went back hours later and made the election judge note in his log book the details of the Diebold machine failures.

There was nothing noted about the failures until I requested he do so.

08 Nov 06 - 08:26 AM (#1879006)
Subject: RE: BS: Election results
From: GUEST

You folks don't get it. Bush now has the power to suspend the Constitution and declare himself president for life. And the Democrats voted for this. And the public just went through another voting farce where votes were stored on memory cards. Now Bush will be impeached so the US can focus on his smirking face while the country is merged with Mexico. The paperwork has already been signed. It's a done deal. But you'll get hissy about stem cell research and "evangelicals" and all the other non-issues and wake up one morning to hear a blurb on TV about the dollar being floated, and the next morning you'll find the "new dollar" is worth a penny. Does any of this sink in? There's only one party at the national level.

08 Nov 06 - 08:33 AM (#1879012)
Subject: RE: BS: Election results
From: Ron Davies

" Guest"--

Get a name or a handle--or your contributions are worthless--and, as I've said before, I hope we will all treat them as such. I certainly will.

08 Nov 06 - 08:36 AM (#1879018)
Subject: RE: BS: Election results
From: Bobert

Wonder if George will bring his *smirk* with him to today's press conference???

Looks as if Jim Webb will carry Virginia...

As for Bush declaring himself president-for-life??? Well, yeah, we've always had to have had that in the backs of our minds but I think this is going to be more up to K Street and all indications are the K Street ain't up to having a king/dictator and they are the money people... But, yeah, there's always the fear, GUEST...

Bobert

08 Nov 06 - 08:44 AM (#1879024)
Subject: RE: BS: Election results
From: Ron Davies

If Webb does carry Virginia--(which is still unclear--may be so til December)--you will have to give your fellow Virginians a bit of credit, Bobert.

08 Nov 06 - 08:50 AM (#1879031)
Subject: RE: BS: Election results
From: Charley Noble

The local election officials and volunteers in my small Maine town still count the votes by hand. There was a 66% turnout which meant it took them over 4 hours to count 1524 votes. As Town Democractic Chair I was there until they were finished, around 12:15 AM, so I could report back to the candidates I'd been working with, and to the County and State officials.

We were gratified that our new young Democrat won 60% of the vote to the Maine House, helping keep a Democratic majority there. This is not an easy town for Democrats to win as it is almost equally divided between Democrats, Republicans, and unenrolled "Independents." And about 10% of the voters supported the Green Party candidate for Governor or other anti-war independents in other races. Our Maine Senate candidate won our town but may not win his district; a major town still hasn't reported in and it is heavily Republican; that candidate was a moderate Republican who two years ago switched to the Democrats and there is no love lost between him and his former party members.

Olympia Snowe, the Republican U. S. Senator, handily won re-election. She appears to be unbeatable.

Our two Democratic Congressional candidates also won re-election by comfortable margins.

Cheerily,
Charley Noble

08 Nov 06 - 09:14 AM (#1879045)
Subject: RE: BS: Election results
From: Donuel

60% of the independents swung for the Dems this time around.

No matter how deserving an impeachment would be there will not be an impeachment: unless Bush - Cheney strike another country with a pre emptive invasion without permission, or if they are caught on camera in a gay relationship.

Bush Cheney said 2 days ago that they will not listen to the people or Congress regarding their plans in Iraq. Taking the hard strident line in stepping up aggresion is their only plan. Not even the James Baker panel seems to be a workable plan to step back or change course. These lame ducks do not pan to go gentle into that good night.

In two years they could dump a pile of goo on the capital steps and call it the remains of bin Laden and it will still not save their eternal war plans and globalization/corporate rule tactics.
What they could run with would be another great terror disaster.
Emergency rules could go full goose bonkers and the fears of even the most polemic 'guest' could be realized.

What ought to happen:

Republican military industrial people should feel satsified that they have wrung all the money they possibly could out of the system.

Those with indescribable wealth should content themselves with sitting on their accumulated pile for at least 6 years.

As for trying to get any of the stolen funds back...not a chance.

08 Nov 06 - 09:16 AM (#1879048)
Subject: RE: BS: Election results
From: Rapparee

Olympia Snow, from a couple thousand miles away, doesn't appear to be a goose-stepping member of the Party. More of a moderate.

Idaho has apparently defeated an attempted land grab ("Protect Idaho land from the Supreme Court's Eminent Domain Decision!") by outside developers by over 76% of the vote. The initiative wasn't needed, since the Legislature (a rational act! huzzah!) dealt with it last Summer.

Looks like a Republican governor, senator, and reps -- maybe! Some of the optical scanning machines have broken down because the company who sold them recommended marking pens with too much red color in the ink! This area will again be Democratic, annoying the Idaho Republican Party greatly. Of course, this is also a stronghold of...(gasp!)...labor unions.....

08 Nov 06 - 09:50 AM (#1879076)
Subject: RE: BS: Election results
From: John on the Sunset Coast

Yeahn Ron, I really do feel that way. I very rarely say things here that I don't mean.

08 Nov 06 - 09:56 AM (#1879082)
Subject: RE: BS: Election results
From: Bobert

Yeah, Ron, I will have to give credit to my fellow Virginians, especially those in Northern Virginia who seem to bee too educated to buy into Bush's simplistic and dogmatic thinking... And credit to Richmonders... You take those two regions outta the equation and Allen wins in a landslide...

Bobert

08 Nov 06 - 10:54 AM (#1879124)
Subject: RE: BS: Election results
From: Grab

Not sure Bush will be a "lame duck", since Dems have only got equal pegging at best in the Senate, and IIRC Cheney gets the deciding vote. Still, barring major changes it looks like the result in 2 years time is a foregone conclusion.

Graham.

08 Nov 06 - 10:57 AM (#1879128)
Subject: RE: BS: Election results
From: Peace

The House can investigate. I think Bush and Cheney are going to be prosecuted. They are GOING DOWN! HARD!

08 Nov 06 - 11:05 AM (#1879134)
Subject: RE: BS: Election results
From: McGrath of Harlow

"It is beginning to look as if the USA may (2 seats in the senate may need to go to 100% manual recount) have recovered its liberty from a tyranny worse than George III!"

Actually, rather fittingly, Dubya is George III. His father was the only President since George Washington to have the name.

08 Nov 06 - 11:16 AM (#1879152)
Subject: RE: BS: Election results
From: Amos

Democrats will destroy the soul of the country

John:

Undermine the rights of free assembly, free speech? Oh, the Republicans have beaten them to it.

Oh, perhaps turn the nation's soul away from balance, love of fair play, and tolerance into a power-driven warmongering country that has no conscience about unilateral invasions and wreaking death for political reasons? Hmmmm....I think the Republicans got that one.

Undermine the freedom of religion that can only be assured by keeping religion out of issues of state? Whoops, already done.

Undermine the right of privacy by allowing any communication to be tapped at the will ofunidentified government operatives? Oooh, the neocons took care of that one.

Oh -- maybe destroy the soul of the country by trying to dilute the Constitution and making it a vehicle for short-sighted moralist autocrats? Nope, been done.

Well, there's always habeas corpus and the individual absolute right to due process under the law....oh, never mind.

So exactly what is it, in your view, that constitutes the soul of this country that is left for the Dems to have a swing at?

Sexual tolerance?

Sorry to be a bit bitter here, but these last eight years have hammered the soul of this country into a blind spin and left it reeling like a blind man walking across a merry-go-round.

The soul of this country stands in need, I agree. But not because it has been threatened by Democrats.

A

08 Nov 06 - 12:20 PM (#1879199)
Subject: RE: BS: Election results
From: Wolfgang

I'm pleased with the results, of course, and even my conservative countrymen are, though they might not say so if they are in office.

But please could the USAmericans tell me one thing: Before the elections, I have read here and elsewhere a lot about cheating and vote rigging by the Rebulicans. So what do I make now of these allegations?

(1) It was just paranoia on the left.
(2) The Republicans have cheated, but the swing was so large that it didn't matter.
(3) The evil men controlling the country in the background have decided not to use the vote rigging power this time for no one could have believed such a result.

Or is it another reason I have forgotten to think of?

Wolfgang

08 Nov 06 - 12:24 PM (#1879204)
Subject: RE: BS: Election results
From: Barry Finn

It's still a race for control of the Senate & will stay that way until Nov 27. Senator Allen of Virginia is behind & looking to beat Webb but is down 7000 or so votes & claims to have picked up 1000 on side of the road somewhere, I'm smelling a rat somewhere looking for the cheese. Still at 49 to 49
Tester (D) is still up by around 10,000 vote which is only a 1% lead over (R) Burns. The Senate needs both of these seats to win control but it looks as if it not gonna be decieded soon.

Good bye to 12 yrs or Rep control of the House, good-bye to bad trash & good-bye to Has-shit & hello to Nancy Pelosi. At present it 195 (R) to 227 (D) with 13 still unaccounted for.

So far there's 26 D Governors to the R's 20

America has spoken, will he lame duck listen. If he doesn't there's a possibility that there'll be no republicans left after the 2008 elections. Of course if the dems don't take the bull by the horns in the following 2 yrs there might be a purge of all incumbents, everywhere.

If it walks & talks like a duck with a limp in both legs it's gotta be the lamest duck that ever crawled out from under of the Bush.
Good-bye Shrub you've now been declared "USELESS"

Barry

08 Nov 06 - 12:24 PM (#1879205)
Subject: RE: BS: Election results
From: catspaw49

I'd get a laugh out of that wonderful post Amos if it weren't so sadly true. Well done. I was completely without words for the statement that Dems would destroy the soul of the country. Ranks high on the Dumbest Statement list...........

Spaw

08 Nov 06 - 12:44 PM (#1879226)
Subject: RE: BS: Election results
From: Bobert

Well, lets keep in mind that the Dems will need to have their chops busted on a regular basis to be an alternative voice in the discussion because the board rooms all up and down K Street are filled with folks ready and willin' to put lots of cash into Dem PAC's, Campaign Committees, 401(c)'s an' any other place they can find to stuff money...

So, yeah, enjoy the dismantlin' of the Repub stranglehold today but be leary of the "new boss"...

Bobert

08 Nov 06 - 01:00 PM (#1879243)
Subject: RE: BS: Election results
From: Rapparee

Wolfgang, it's just politicians throwing accusations at each other. Not that it can't and doesn't happen, but usually it's a local sort of thing -- like Daley in Chicago or McGinn county, Tennessee. Eventually their sins do catch up to them, either legally or politically.

08 Nov 06 - 01:00 PM (#1879244)
Subject: RE: BS: Election results
From: GUEST,PeteBoom (at work)

Wolfgang - Fair questions. I'll try to summarize.

In general, the concerns focused on technology issues. Most notably, the lack of a physical paper trail for voting transactions in some machines was top on the list of the professional software folks I know. That is, there is no way in some of the systems to work back to track precisely how a given voter cast their ballot. This is heightened by comments of a former CEO of Diebold on how he'd "deliver" the election for the Republicans.

Some of the systems generated a paper "receipt" (which corresponded to a "transaction record" within the file containing voter activities) that could be presented to the person voting. This was to act as a certainty of how they voted - it also was to be a confirmation of the summary displayed on the screen of the voting machine for the voter to approve the action ("Yes, I really am certain this is how I voted.") These systems are incredibly expensive, and were not deployed in many places at all as a result.

Other systems used a similar process, displaying a confirmation of votes to be cast on the voter's ballot and then saving the transaction - but not generating a paper receipt. These were not as expensive and were more commonly used, however, there were also concerns that some models of this type of machine and some releases of software were open to hacking.

Rather infamously, a Computer Science professor demonstrated what it took to hack into one model in a Congressional hearing - He succeeded in something like 90 seconds. Diebold claimed that it was an older system and was not current. However, there was no satisfactory answer on how many of these "obsolete" systems would be in use on election day.

The least expensive, and least technologically cool, systems were the straight optical scan machines. The trusty fill in the oval or complete the line and feed the paper ballot into a reader. The most advanced versions will scan the ballot for errors or improper marks, or in some cases spoilt ballots, and reject the ballot to be corrected by the voter.

This system gives an absolute paper trail that can be manually verified if needed - and the individual ballots can be tracked to a specific voter. This means that the voting records, recorded by hand by the election workers, can be matched by voting location to every single vote cast.

These machines are also more difficult to hack, as most systems are not actually recording votes - but presence or absence of complete records. These transactions are then fed to a central machine to interpret and tally the results. If there is a challenge, the paper ballots will be available for the purpose of auditing the transactions recorded by the machine.

The use of the new technology was central to the unrest. That combined with varying reliability of audit processes and political comments made by a business eejit fed into the maelstrom.

The simple fact is, old-fashioned electioneering and dirty tricks still work better than any of the high-tech solutions right now. There is also enough room for plausible deniability where these will be around for a while.

Regards -

Pete

08 Nov 06 - 01:12 PM (#1879260)
Subject: RE: BS: Election results - Rumsfeld Out!
From: GUEST,PeteBoom (at work)

NBC is reporting that the Montana senate seat has gone to the Democratic challenger and that Donald Rumsfeld is being replaced.

08 Nov 06 - 01:23 PM (#1879275)
Subject: RE: BS: Election results
From: Charley Noble

To capitalize on the "Democratic Wave" of 2006 in 2008 will require real leadership on the part of the Democratic Party, in success in overcoming whatever obstacles the Republicans and their President place in their way. If the voters who swung this election for the Democrats are frustrated by what the Democrats are able to achieve, they could easily rally behind a moderate Republican presidental candidate and sweep the Republicans back into majorities on his or her coat-tails.

It's always hard work to win elections, and harder work to accomplish something significant once in office.

It's going to be very difficult to unravel the international mess that Bush and his cronies have gotten us into, and the domestic mess could be equally challenging.

Time to catch up on some much needed sleep!

Charley Noble

08 Nov 06 - 01:38 PM (#1879289)
Subject: RE: BS: Election results
From: Grab

Beg pardon - got it wrong about the Senate before.

BBC results:-

MONTANA - 99% COUNTED
John Tester (D): 194,914
Conrad Burns (R): 193,179

VIRGINIA - 99% COUNTED
Jim Webb (D): 1,170,564
George Allen (R): 1,162,719

Graham.

08 Nov 06 - 01:40 PM (#1879293)
Subject: RE: BS: Election results
From: Sorcha

Wyoming House still too close to call. Many, many recounts...ad nauseum. Sigh....

08 Nov 06 - 02:00 PM (#1879310)
Subject: RE: BS: Election results
From: Don Firth

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

08 Nov 06 - 02:09 PM (#1879328)
Subject: RE: BS: Election results
From: Wesley S

I wonder if Rumsfield had fallen on his sword and resigned last weekend if the results would have been the same.

08 Nov 06 - 02:21 PM (#1879350)
Subject: RE: BS: Election results
From: Barry Finn

It's just confirmed Tester has taken Montana that puts the Senate at Dem's 50 to the Repub's 49 & it's gonna be awhile for the Virginia race to be settled, though it looks as if Allen is the loser which will give the control of the Senate to the Dem's.

RUMMY HAS BEEN SCUTTLED. Though the bad news is that Gates has been selected to replace Rummy, depending on he's ok'ed by the Dem's which may be doubtful seeing that he's an etreme rubber stamp for Georgie. To bad Ducky.

It doesn't seem that George gets it. The country just spoke but Bush is somethin else. He still thinks the nation is looking for victory in Iraq, what a thick headed idiot & the tone on his speech was still resistent to changing, he's still spouting "stay the course". He doesn't know he's been dumped. A bigger fool can't be found, anywhere.
It'll good to see him as a duck waddle off, "fuck the duck" is the new cry. Impeachment now would be the best course of action for him & his VP, that would give us a dem president & the 1st female in the White House, President Nancy. Sounds good to me. But I'm afraid it would look like a coup rather that the feather that it should be. She is 3rd in line now.

Barry

08 Nov 06 - 02:36 PM (#1879371)
Subject: RE: BS: Election results
From: Don Firth

Robert Gates, whom Bush has nominated to replace Rumsfeld, is not in yet. He has to be passed on by the Armed Sevices Committee, and if he gets by that, he must then be approved by the Senate. And right now, control of the Senate looks like it might go to the Democrats, but it's still up in the air.

Don Firth

08 Nov 06 - 03:24 PM (#1879419)
Subject: RE: BS: Election results
From: Sorcha

Wyoming House still too close to call, but Our Town has a new mayor. Blessed Be!

08 Nov 06 - 03:34 PM (#1879429)
Subject: RE: BS: Election results
From: DougR

Yes, you have, Wolfgang. Republicans do not own a franchise on corruption. There are corrupt Democrats too. From all reports I have heard, there was a lot of noise generated about voting fraud but nothing has been substantiated at least as far as I know. I doubt the Democrates will want to delve too deeply into charges of voter fraud. An investigation might show that they didn't really win the election. :>)

DougR

08 Nov 06 - 03:36 PM (#1879434)
Subject: RE: BS: Election results
From: Big Mick

Dougie ..... where is the smugness? ...... sounds a little like sour grapes, buddy. A simple "congratulations" will do.

Mick

08 Nov 06 - 04:06 PM (#1879463)
Subject: RE: BS: Election results
From: GUEST,TIA

The answer Wolfgang is your number 2.

A landslide was needed, and a landslide was had.

I think we will see a lot in the coming weeks about the last minute robo-calls.

08 Nov 06 - 04:39 PM (#1879493)
Subject: RE: BS: Election results
From: GUEST

Wolfgang -- There is only one party at the national level in the US. The wealthy elite. Some belong to the Democrats and some to the Republicans, but there is no real difference between the parties. In this election, the Democratic side was allowed to make some gains. The Republican side will now pretend to be "in trouble." There will be threats and counterthreats while the elite continues its destruction of the country. For example, Democrats are "for the aliens" in the US. 20-30 million criminals wandering my country will now be legalized by George Bush as one of his final bowel movements on the US. See how the two sides help each other? Both parties are owned by the same people...the same people (international banking consortiums) who financed both the Axis AND the Allied powers in WW2. Unfortunately, few Americans are able to admit they're controlled by murdering gangsters. We're going down the same road Germany traveled under Hitler. And that's sad, because we SHOULD have learned from history.

08 Nov 06 - 05:07 PM (#1879520)
Subject: RE: BS: Election results
From: McGrath of Harlow

"She is 3rd in line now."

Not yet awhile. None of these changes take effect until into the new year. At this point, if Bush and Cheney both choked on a pretzel tonight, your President for the next two years (at least) would apparently be a bloke called Dennis Hastert. "President Dennis"...

08 Nov 06 - 05:25 PM (#1879532)
Subject: RE: BS: Election results
From: McGrath of Harlow

Actually looking at the two of them on the box tonight it occurred to me, why on earth is Hilary Clinton seen as a more plausible presidential candidate than Nancy Pelosi?

I mean Cherie Blair is very probably at least as bright as Tony, but nobody is going around suggesting that she should inherit the mantle of PM.

There does seem to be a real appetite for dynastic succession in the American system sometimes.

08 Nov 06 - 05:33 PM (#1879542)
Subject: RE: BS: Election results
From: GUEST,Rich (bodhránaí gan cookie)

We've done our part in PA. Santorum got destroyed and we did a good bit to help paint the house blue as well.

Rich

08 Nov 06 - 05:49 PM (#1879558)
Subject: RE: BS: Election results
From: Donuel

Doing good after evil will never atone for the evil.

Internationally speaking anything less than offering W's head on a plate will be too little too late.

Remember the good old Roman tradition of exile?

Where could we exile W?

08 Nov 06 - 05:52 PM (#1879562)
Subject: RE: BS: Election results
From: alanabit

Don't you go dumping your riff raff over here - we have got enough of our own!

08 Nov 06 - 05:57 PM (#1879569)
Subject: RE: BS: Election results
From: Rapparee

The one scene that sticks with me is that of Santorum's son during his father's losing speech. The kid, who looks to be about 12, was doing his best not to cry and even ducked down a couple times. HIM I felt sorry for.

08 Nov 06 - 06:14 PM (#1879587)
Subject: RE: BS: Election results
From: GUEST,beardedbruce

Wolfgang,

4) The Democrats controlled the machines, but that is an "acceptable" result, and will not be questioned.

As many here have said, the use of Diebold machines makes the actual vote counts suspicious, if not unknowable... It just happens the "right" people got elected, so the use of those machines , with no verifiable checks, is OK at this time. ALL of Maryland used Diebold machines- but since it was a sweep for the Dems, of course they worked perfectly... Just like they had been programmed to by the local Democratic election boards.

08 Nov 06 - 07:00 PM (#1879627)
Subject: RE: BS: Election results
From: Bill D

IF the Maryland machines had been tampered with, the tamperers would NOT have been so obvious as to program "Republician victory, no matter what"....IF there were tampering, it would have to be subtle, to 'tweak' close races one way or another....or to 'invalidate' a certain number of voting attempts.

You see, no one has proven absolutely that tampering HAS been done, only that it is possible and hard to prevent the way it is currently set up. And, since Diebold IS on record as being very much to the right, it is not hard to imagine which way any tampering would go.

If exit polls showed a nice Democratic victory and the machines said something else, it WOULD be cause for concern. You know & I know that IF the potential for cheating is there and no safeguards are in place, eventually someone will exploit those flaws.

It may be that no Diebold machines were 'adjusted'....or it may be that the margins were not within the parameters of adjustment.

We DO know that a number of other 'dirty tricks' were attempted to trick, discourage or prevent Democratic voting in a number of places...(phone calls telling them to go to the wrong polls...etc.)

What we see is Rove's plan to ensure Republican victory for the forseeable future is beginning to unravel a bit, but we STILL need to design the voting procedures so that **NO ONE** can manipulate elections directly!!

08 Nov 06 - 07:14 PM (#1879635)
Subject: RE: BS: Election results
From: Barry Finn

I just listened to Howard Dean's interview & the subject of faulty machines came up as well as any fraud or complacations. The Dems had 7500 lawyers on call so as soon as a problem was phoned in a lawyer was sent strait over & Dean mentioned that the problems were straiten out right away. So he believe many of the problems were nipped in the bub before they became rel problems. He admits that there were plenty of faults of all types to go around but that this time it was held to a min.

Barry

08 Nov 06 - 07:24 PM (#1879640)
Subject: RE: BS: Election results
From: Barry Finn

Sorry, the major fault is now being played out in Virginia. They vote for the machines. Now they've got Senator Allen (R) losing by 7000 votes & he's looking to hold out for a recount. He's losing by 3/4 of 1% & all he's gonna get is a retally of what was already counted. The machines leave no paper trail. I guess this election is telling the same story what most people already knew. The machines are no good with out a paper trail & that there's plenty that goes wrong with them, aside from fraud. So why is Allen holding out? Why do we need to wait until Nov 27 for the same results? Will the country (government) still favor these machines? Probably! "When will they ever learn, when will they ever learn"?

Barry

08 Nov 06 - 07:27 PM (#1879641)
Subject: RE: BS: Election results
From: Maryrrf

I wish Allen would just go ahead and concede the election!

08 Nov 06 - 07:35 PM (#1879648)
Subject: RE: BS: Election results
From: McGrath of Harlow

I suppose we can expect that there'll be mobs of Democrats besieging the place where any recount might be carried out in order to disrupt the process and stop the recount?

Or is it just the Republicans who do that kind of thing?

08 Nov 06 - 07:47 PM (#1879659)
Subject: RE: BS: Election results
From: Barry Finn

It's really a dead issue. The pressure is on Allen to concede so it looks like a noble step on the Republicans part towards a bi-part-sons of bitches work together policy & if Allen holds out it's gonna be looking like sour grapes on the party's part.

The retally (not recount) is being attended be Dems & Reps both with lawyers from both parties overseeing each other.

Barry

08 Nov 06 - 08:26 PM (#1879700)
Subject: RE: BS: Election results
From: GUEST,jaze

Bush should be exiled to Iraq, of course. They'd love to have him.

08 Nov 06 - 08:37 PM (#1879707)
Subject: RE: BS: Election results
From: McGrath of Harlow

They could put him on trial maybe. But I suppose they'd have to wait till the occupation armies have left.

08 Nov 06 - 08:48 PM (#1879710)
Subject: RE: BS: Election results
From: GUEST

Well Beardedbrucie,

Amongst mudcatters, I will bet that I will see people like kat here who I would guess is democrat still arguing that the lack of a paper trail is unsafe even if it could be suggested (fairly or otherwise) that dems could have benifited from fixings.

The lack of recognition of the underlying and real problem has, at least on Mudcat, seemed to come from republicans who have never wanted to question a poor system but instead seemlingly have not been able to get thier brains beyond "you only say that because you lost".

Perhaps an oppertunity for all Americans to want "accountable" voting systems?

08 Nov 06 - 09:09 PM (#1879733)
Subject: RE: BS: Election results
From: McGrath of Harlow

It became very clear during the aftermath of your 2000 election that for a lot of people the important thing wasn't to get the correct result, it was to get the right result.

08 Nov 06 - 09:13 PM (#1879738)
Subject: RE: BS: Election results
From: Peace

I wish to say to my Republican friends on Mudcat that y'all fought a good fight and over the years I have listened to you when you have chortled and laughed and been real smug. I ain't about to return that to y'all. I'm thankful your country has at last got a mechanism and possibility of impeaching Bush and Cheney. Now, let's see if the Democrats have the balls to do just that, because those two bastards have GOT to go!

08 Nov 06 - 09:37 PM (#1879766)
Subject: RE: BS: Election results
From: Don Firth

Wolfgang (and others), there may be a reason that we haven't heard much about voter fraud this time around. HERE. Move On and several other organizations have put a bounty on people responsible for trying to cobble the election.

This, however, didn't stop the Republicans from "robo-calling" (automatic dialing with a taped messages) independent and undecided voters, and voters registered as Democrats, with a message urging them to vote for Democrat candidates in the middle of the night (like two or three o'clock in the morning) in an effort to make them so angry that they either wouldn't vote at all or vote Republican. This was only one of a number of dirty tricks that have been reported.

Don Firth

08 Nov 06 - 10:24 PM (#1879834)
Subject: RE: BS: Election results
From: Charley Noble

Don-

I really like your posts. It sounds like you really got involved and worked hard, and helped make an impact on your statewide elections.

Now if we could get more Mudcatters herded together, we might just take over the country in two years. Amos for President! And suggestions for Czarina?

Cheerily,
Charley Noble, logging off for more sleep

08 Nov 06 - 11:23 PM (#1879875)
Subject: RE: BS: Election results
From: Ron Davies

BB--

I wonder if you remember what the CEO of Diebold said in 2004. Clue: he said he would deliver Ohio.

Did he say

1) To the Republicans?

or

2) To the Democrats?

When you've figured that out, ask yourself how likely it would be that Diebold machines would be rigged to deliver all Maryland races to the Democrats.

And, by the way, please be sure to also share with us sources, impeccable-- as your sources always are-- which prove your assertion.

Thanks so much.

08 Nov 06 - 11:35 PM (#1879879)
Subject: RE: BS: Election results
From: Barry Finn

Allen has conceded, the Senate is controled by the Democrates. Thank you republicans for helping to make this so.

Barry

09 Nov 06 - 11:34 AM (#1880258)
Subject: RE: BS: Election results
From: GUEST,beardedbruce

BillD,

My comment was that if there was any tampering IN MD it would be by the Dems, who control the LOCAL election boards in the populous areas. With ony 4 counties, they can shift to electing all Dems in the close contests- like govornor and Senate ( Gee, I wonder who won???)

Ron,

The LOCAL election boards are the ones with the access to change the vote totals. Didn't Bill Clinton claim he would deliver some votes, this election? Which machines did he tamper with?
I anm presenting MORE evidence of fraud in MD that has been shown in Ohio. The fact thet the "wrong" side one seems to have been enough to call into question Ohio 2004.

09 Nov 06 - 11:36 AM (#1880260)
Subject: RE: BS: Election results
From: Sorcha

No House decision in Wyo until Nov. 15 but I bet Barbie Doll Cubin, R, won. Half of Wyoming is dumber than a box of rocks.

09 Nov 06 - 11:54 AM (#1880277)
Subject: RE: BS: Election results
From: GUEST,TIA

Which voting machine company is Clinton the CEO of?

09 Nov 06 - 02:07 PM (#1880404)
Subject: RE: BS: Election results
From: kendall

Just for the record my congressman, Tom Allen, was against the war from the start. Apparently he saw through the lies right off.

09 Nov 06 - 02:11 PM (#1880409)
Subject: RE: BS: Election results
From: Amos

Him and about 3 million other folks...

A

09 Nov 06 - 03:25 PM (#1880490)
Subject: RE: BS: Election results
From: Don Firth

Allen just conceded to Webb. The Democrats have control of both houses.

Don Firth

09 Nov 06 - 04:10 PM (#1880524)
Subject: RE: BS: Election results
From: katlaughing

YES!!!

Just got off the phone with Alba. She's asked me to tell you all that she is ecstatic and was saying something along the lines of "Karma will get you, Georgie. Works for me, and against you!" She also said she's got on her orange fu.., oh, I mean her orange duck-hunting gear on, lame duck that is.

Now I know the majority of Americans have been paying attention and had enough, finally! Congratulations, USA!

09 Nov 06 - 04:21 PM (#1880533)
Subject: RE: BS: Election results
From: Richard Bridge

Now what was that about whiney fascist crybabies?

09 Nov 06 - 04:57 PM (#1880582)
Subject: RE: BS: Election results
From: GUEST,lox

Well done America.

You should be proud of yourselves.

You have done a great thing.

09 Nov 06 - 05:04 PM (#1880589)
Subject: RE: BS: Election results
From: JohnInKansas

Wolfgang asked about the predictions of fraud in the election. While for the most part elections do seem to be run about as well as anywhere, fraud, corruption, influence, and down-right dirty tricks are such a part of some that perhaps we're just sort of conditioned to expect the worst.

The comment about Senator Allen of Virginia is behind & looking to beat Webb but is down 7000 or so votes & claims to have picked up 1000 on side of the road somewhere, brings to mind a fairly well known and probably credible story that might be illustrative:

Lyndon Johnson's Victory in the 1948 Texas Senate Race: A Reappraisal, Dale Baum, James L. Hailey, Political Science Quarterly, Vol. 109, No. 4 (Autumn, 1994), pp. 595-613
doi:10.2307/2151840

Only the first page is publicly accessible at the link, but that's sufficient to get the drift; and many libraries can get the full article for you.

"Six days after the 1948 Texas senatorial runoff election, enigmatically amended returns produced what the winning candidate, Lyndon Baines Johnson, humorously referred to as his "87-vote landslide." … Accounts by historians of LBJ's razor-thin victory have invariably converged on the Thirteenth Precinct in the South Texas town of Alice in Jim Wells County, where 202 Mexican—American voters, some of whom were deceased or had been absent from the county on election day, reportedly lined up in alphabetical order at the very last minute to cast their ballots overwhelmingly for Johnson."

A more complete version of the story appears at Pp 657 – 666 in Uncle John's 4-ply Bathroom Reader, ©1991 The Bathroom Reader's Institute, Barnes & Noble. Hired gunmen, Texas Rangers, Federal Marshalls, a Supreme Court Justice, and a particularly notorious member of "Texas landed gentry" who may have later "assisted" Texas Governor Connoly's election, reportedly were involved.

No disrespect to LBJ intended. Just to illustrate that it's sort of a tradition?

John

09 Nov 06 - 07:36 PM (#1880708)
Subject: RE: BS: Election results
From: GUEST,jaze

For once, I'm proud of Virginia!

09 Nov 06 - 07:50 PM (#1880718)
Subject: RE: BS: Election results
From: GUEST,good news

Santorum, that frothy mixture of lube and fecal matter which is the by-product of anal sex,

LOST.

09 Nov 06 - 08:30 PM (#1880756)
Subject: RE: BS: Election results
From: Donuel

Yes, without Santorum - the work at the National Institutes of Health will go a lot smoother and faster.

Used to be: any research that had the word sex in it, had anything to do with reproductive health or virtually didn't list God as the the prime mover of a project, ended up having to answer to a probe by Santorum that made it necessary to stop and explain why the science was not an offense to God or that it had nothing to do with actual humans having actual non marital or homosexual sex.

09 Nov 06 - 09:57 PM (#1880837)
Subject: RE: BS: Election results
From: DannyC

Did you see the pic of Webb today?
After the final Bush body blow?

Clenched fists raised over his head in victory?

I am told that Webb and Ollie North squared off
in the finals of the Brigade Boxing Championship
in their shared Annapolis days...

Look who is still standing!!!

And what he's standing for:

"Webb said he hoped to work to "bring a sense of responsibility that will result soon, I hope, in a diplomatic solution in Iraq."

The senator-elect also pledged "to work hard on issues of economic fairness, and I look forward to joining Sen. (Charles) Schumer in voting to increase the minimum wage."

Webb called on President Bush "to publicly denounce the campaign tactics that have divided us rather than bring us together."
(from MSNBC - 11/09/2006)

Ah, ya' boy ya'!!!!!

09 Nov 06 - 10:06 PM (#1880842)
Subject: RE: BS: Election results
From: GUEST,Marion

What great news. Congratulations, Americans.

09 Nov 06 - 10:57 PM (#1880869)
Subject: RE: BS: Election results
From: Cruiser

I got my Republican Early Ballot and voted mostly for Democrats after researching their platforms.

Now if you Dems can just put forth a decent honorable candidate for President...

10 Nov 06 - 12:43 AM (#1880922)
Subject: RE: BS: Election results
From: Ron Davies

Re: LBJ in 1948:

He was just putting into practice what he had learned in his race for Senate in 1941, as I recall. The beer interests, wanting to kick anti-alcohol Pappy upstairs--and out of Texas-- from the governership to the Senate, waited until Johnson's vote total had been given--then, knowing how many votes they needed to beat him, produced that number.

10 Nov 06 - 01:12 AM (#1880930)
Subject: RE: BS: Election results
From: Stilly River Sage

Jimmy Carter wrote about voting irregularities decades ago in Georgia in one of the earliest books he wrote after his presidency.

I see that BB is keeping up with his reading in The Sun and The National Enquirer.

We weren't able to evict any of the Republican headliners here in Texas, but an interesting thing happened in Dallas. It looks like a lot of folks there voted straight Democratic tickets. It wasn't enough to get rid of the governor and his ilk in the region, but it knocked almost every Republican judge out of a job. Democrats who had done only half-hearted campaigns because they thought they couldn't beat the long-standing Republican bench didn't take into account voter anger at Bush. Here is a Dallas Morning News article (it may require a free registration to read it.) Here's the bottom half or so of it:

SRS

10 Nov 06 - 01:16 AM (#1880934)
Subject: RE: BS: Election results
From: Ron Davies

"governorship"

10 Nov 06 - 01:24 AM (#1880936)
Subject: RE: BS: Election results
From: GUEST

On Wednesday, Democratic control of the US Senate was assured when the final two defeated Republican incumbent Senators offered concession statements: Burns and Allen.

"Say Goodnight, Gracie."

10 Nov 06 - 06:15 AM (#1881073)
Subject: RE: BS: Election results
From: akenaton

Reports in UK suggest that one of the reasons for the swing in the Mid-term elections was that many of the Democratic candidates were actually Republicans in disguise!

This phenomenon has already occured in the UK, where the electorate voted en masse for Blairs Labour party, only to find that when in power they positioned themselves far to the right of centre.

They also made the UK govt the creature of American Neo Conservatism.

Does any Mudcatter know of a Democrat who stood for election who is also a Socialist??

Seems that once again we have been fooled into voting for the labels. Decent anti war Republicans have been removed and pro war Democrats in the mould of Mrs Clinton returned.....Ake

10 Nov 06 - 12:41 PM (#1882327)
Subject: RE: BS: Election results
From: Ron Davies

The obvious anti-war Republican who has been removed is Lincoln Chafee. And I agree that was a shame--he was a true profile in courage to buck his party on Iraq. Can you name any others?

But in most other cases, the Republican who was removed was a supporter of Bush's Iraq war--and the winning Democrat not so much.

10 Nov 06 - 04:33 PM (#1882509)
Subject: RE: BS: Election results
From: Stilly River Sage

Today on NPR they were talking about Hillary finally backing away from the pro-war stance. I've always been dismayed and puzzled that she would hold the position she has--it seems to be based upon information that none of the rest of us could see. And since so much of what Bush was peddling was also out of view (and as it happens, non-existent, not "facts" but speculation about Iraq), it did put her in a troubling position. One of those troubling darker shades of gray in a world that some of our members can only see as black and white.

Lincoln Chafee should have made the switch before now. Maybe staying put was a calculated move to try to put the brakes on what Bush was doing, but it was that darned label that got in the way. The old Aesop fable comes to mind, that you're judged by the company you keep.

SRS

10 Nov 06 - 04:44 PM (#1882521)
Subject: RE: BS: Election results
From: pdq

Bernie Sanders is defnitely a Socialist. He spent many years in the House. This year he ran for the Senate as an 'independent", not as a Democrat. He won.

Yes, many of the House candidates positioned themselves to the right of their Republican opponents. Many won, some did not. The northern Nevada House candidate ran ads with phrases like "conservative values right off the farm". I still have no idea what she stands for but she is a regent of the Unuversity of Nevada.

10 Nov 06 - 04:54 PM (#1882530)
Subject: RE: BS: Election results
From: Ron Davies

Lincoln Chafee had reason to stay a Republican--and in that capacity he has performed some services--and continues to do so. As I recall, he now says he will keep Bolton's appointment to the UN bottled up-------which will kill it.

10 Nov 06 - 05:32 PM (#1882581)
Subject: RE: BS: Election results
From: Richard Bridge

Has it occurred to anyone that judges shold not be affected by party political issues, otherwise they are not impartial and there is no rule of law?

10 Nov 06 - 07:11 PM (#1882687)
Subject: RE: BS: Election results
From: Barry Finn

Yes & it's been a problem with the last 6 years of Superme Court nominees.

Barry

11 Nov 06 - 11:08 AM (#1883109)
Subject: RE: BS: Election results
From: Ron Davies

It's easy to say that judges should not be affected by partisan issues. What's interesting is that judges are attacked from both sides of the political spectrum. Richard is referring primarily to the revolting spectacle of the 2000 election, I believe. But "activist judges" are the bane of the Right--the WSJ is always fulminating against them--and many consider that such judges are frustrating the "will of the people" (that favorite phrase of all malcontents) by doing the bidding of the Left--in such rulings as those against 10 Commandments plaques in courthouses, and those forbidding property owners from developing their own land because an endangered species has been found on it.

#1 poster child of this these days is the Kelo decision--about eminent domain. Though in this case, while the loudmouths on the Right don't admit it, the Left doesn't like Kelo either.

But face it, lots of issues judges deal with are "party political issues". In 2000 somebody had to settle the issue of the election. It's obvious that it was settled in a blatantly political way--just as the 1800 and 1876 elections were. But it's unclear what a better approach would be--as I said, the 1800 and 1876 elections were settled by pretty seamy means--as was the 1824 election. Not all involving Supreme Court machinations.