Assuming that James Webb prevails over George Allen, the incoming Senate will have 49 Republicans, 50 Democrats (including nominal Socialist Bernie Sanders), and 1 Joe Lieberman. Lieberman, having won re-election in spite of being dumped by his party in the primary for voting with Republicans occasionally, now owes nothing to the Democrats and is even more free to vote with Republicans when his conscience dictates. If Lieberman sides with the Republicans on a party line vote, it's a 50-50 tie, with the Vice President adding the 51st vote for the GOP. Lieberman is now the real tie-breaker, the most powerful member of the United States Senate, and largely thanks to the Kos Kidz support for Ned Lamont in the primary.
Kos, this one's for you--
(the original Lamont ad is here)
why?
PELOSI!!!
Posted by: Andy on November 8, 2006 11:18 AMThe House will waste time investigating Halliburton and pre-war intelligence until '08.
Posted by: Palouse on November 8, 2006 11:27 AMNice job losing.
Bye.
Posted by: Death on November 8, 2006 11:41 AMjoe has stated, i think, that he will participate with the dems in creating the leadership.
and, while you are handing out props to kos, remember his valuable work for some many other dems (tester, especially). his track record in this election is pretty remarkable, almost rovian one might say.
Posted by: dinesh on November 8, 2006 11:42 AMAlso, I don't think he is going to forget those who cheered at his primary defeat. Ms. Pelosi and gang would be wise to make peace with him because the House won't be able to do anything without the Senate on board. I don't think that will happen given Pelosi's personality. Her arrogance is going to have the more moderate arm of her party calling for a replacement sooner than she would like.
We should also keep in mind that even if Webb does win Virginia, he isn't quite as loony as Kennedy and Kerry, so Bush will probably spend more time with the Senate to advance his policies. Rather ironic the MSM is crowing about Pelosi being in a position of "power" but they downplayed the appointment of Rice as if it was no big deal. Golly, which lady is in a position to truly influence policy?
Posted by: Burdabee on November 8, 2006 11:51 AMIraq is about the future of oil, nothing more, nothing less. Oil prices go up, we suffer. Oil prices go back to $25/barrel, people will be a lot happier. Since that's never going to happen again, one has to lay the blame somewhere. Why not blame the man in charge, he's the one who wanted to invade Iraq in the first place.
Posted by: Cato on November 8, 2006 12:00 PMBrad
Posted by: Brad Strecker on November 8, 2006 12:25 PMThis is politics. Nobody but the Kool Aid drinkers thought they were going to win them all- and Kos would tell you that Senators Tester, Webb and Brown excite him just as much as Senator Lamont would. The fact is forming the committees, and having hands on the levers of legislation is critical, espeically after 12 years of the Republican noise machine making Democrats scared of their own shadow ("Boo! Karl Rove!"). An awful lot of netroots candidates DID win yesterday.
And just as a note to you R's: OK, we have Joe. And you have Arlen, Susan, Olympia, John (McCain) and Chuck (Hagel, though Grassley does sometimes, too)- all of whom wander off the Republican reservation on a regular basis. And the Senate's always been a place where you need cat-herding skills, thanks to the filibuster and various arcane Senate traditions- there's a reason why it's the saucer that cool's the House's tea. I don't expect instant gay marriage legislation, 100% top income tax rates and mandatory abortions- and you shouldn't, either. Democrats aren't stupid, much as you'd like to fool yourself into thinking that.
All told, I'll take a majority in both Houses (with a very unfriendly Senate map for the Rs to defend in '08) over Representatives Burner and Goldmark and Senator Lamont being minority freshmen every day of the week, and twice on Sunday, and I'm sure if the situation was reversed you'd gladly toss Sheriff Dave off the lifeboat if it kept you from hearing the words "Speaker Pelosi and Majority Leader Reid". Nice try at spinning this, but I know better.
Have fun for the next two years.
Posted by: eponymous coward on November 8, 2006 12:30 PMWhy should we allow wide range oil drilling? Market forces are already working to develop cleaner and more efficient fuel sources. If you drill for more oil you just keep feeding the problem rather than working towards a solution.
Saddam opening supported terrorist.
Who else sponsors terrorists...let's see Iran, Syria, Lybia, Saudi Arabia. What do they all have....Oil maybe? Now the price is up to $60 a barrel they can sponsor twice as much terrorism. Thanks W.
Posted by: Cato on November 8, 2006 12:40 PMI also had a better night than you did. Cheers.
Posted by: ivan on November 8, 2006 12:44 PM"They did not seem to be there before we invaded."
Are you stupid, or just ignorant? Do the names Abu Nidal or Abu Abbas mean anything to you? How about the training facility at Salmon Pak, with a whole Boeing 707 to use for hijacking and terrorist training?
You're welcome to your opinion about the Iraq War. You're not welcome to change history to fit your opinion. Iraq was replete with terrorists long before we invaded. And they're all there now, rather than here. Mission accomplished.
Posted by: Larry on November 8, 2006 12:50 PMAnybody got some Dramamine?
Posted by: Jack Burton on November 8, 2006 01:17 PMThe western intelligence community was pretty much of the same opinion that Saddam had or was pretty close to acquiring nuclear capability. You need to remember this is real life, not a James Bond movie that has the evil guy spilling the beans at the mere sight of 007. What would you rather we do--wait until the fruited plains lit up under a mushroom cloud?
France and Germany didn't want to get involved because they were up to their eyeballs in the oil-for-food scandal. You seem to forget that over 30 other countries felt stongly enough about this threat to send in troops to support us for the first several months.
If you really want an eyeopener, travel to Iraq and see how many Iraqis are eager to go back to the old ways. Contrary to what your heros in the mainstream media are reporting, the vast majority of citizens do not wish to return to a Saddam style of government.
If you are prone to chanting "Bush lied, men died", don't forget to turn that same outrage to the situation on your doorstep. An average of 90 people are murdered each month just counting the Detroit, LA, and New York areas (FBI 2005 statistics--look like 2006 will be similar). At least in a war zone, one knows there are substantial risks involved.
And don't forget that joining the military is voluntary. If there ever is a draft (which was last implemented by democrats and something I am opposed to), I am sure you will be the first over the border. Just do us all a favor and make it a one way ticket. Heck, do it now and spend the rest of your years enjoying the dictatorship of your choice.
Posted by: Burdabee on November 8, 2006 01:41 PMThat's all you've got after this coast-to-coast pasting?
After Bush sacks Rumsfeld exactly one week after he should have, which would have prevented the Senate from turning Blue?
After Karl Rove's "genius" status is relegated to the ash heep of history?
Let me see how Lieberman plays this... "nah, nancy I don't need that juicy committee assignment. I'd rather stick with the losers and risk pissing off Ct voters again..."
notgonnahappen.
Well, that explains what happened to the neighbor's goats.
Can we expect to see and hear less of you now, Ivan? You've got two years to correct all the world's problems, so you better get busy. What's the D plan again? Anyone? Bueller? Bueller?
Posted by: jimg on November 8, 2006 02:08 PMJoe Lieberman will damn well cauc with the Dems. Try exercising some commen sense.
The DNC had no choice to support Lamont, he won the Primary. And Joe is smart enough to know that if he Caucs with the R's, he will seriously piss off a large portion of the voters in a State that went for Gore in 2004.
If Joe is considering another run for the Senate in 2010, he will not commit Political Suicide.
Posted by: Commander Ogg on November 8, 2006 02:31 PMLieberman will caucus with the Democrats, he stated so some time ago and the Dems agreed to preserve his seniority on the committees in exchange.
A lot of you sure are not taking your loss graciously.
In fact I would have to say you are acting like a bunch of Sore Losermans :)
I'll always be here for you.
Posted by: ivan on November 8, 2006 03:15 PMYour biggest gripe however is Kos' ego. Too modest. Your ego would be too big for even a blog of DKos' size.
Posted by: Johnny D. on November 8, 2006 03:30 PMThese guys are so giddy that tomorrow or in a couple of days they will wake up with a big, wide hangover. And then they discover- now what?
Posted by: swatter on November 8, 2006 03:56 PMFunny... I seem to remember a couple of weeks ago that North Korea had a successful test of a nuclear weapon... They certainly seem to be quite capable.
Posted by: Perri Nelson on November 9, 2006 02:41 AM