I'd love to gloat more, but as someone who has said for the past 6+ years that partisanship needs to be wratcheted down, it'd be hypocritical of me to come here and gloat too much. I will say that checks and balances is very important in my opinion--I wouldn't want a Dem WH w/80% Dem majorities in both chambers.

Having said that, this was certainly a huge night for us, it's not over yet, and hopefully we can clean up in the Senate. Only big disappointment so far was the lack of House pickups in NY and OH. It's amazing that we've done so well w/o those. And we might only get one in CT as well.

Congrats Dems

Gloat when your Junior members are sitting in the back row with no influence and all of the aid goes to the states with senior members. A lot of states just voted themselves out of billions of dollars in federal aid and you think SF Nan cares one whit about you. SF will make out like a bandit and the rest of you suckers can do just that, suck you thumbs because that's all of the satisfaction you will have for the next 2 to 6 years. That is a fact you can't deny.

Replacing someone who has been doing the job for years for the people they serve with someone with no influence and no hope of having any for years is not a smart thing. But it will be funny to watch the crying and whining as the economy in your state takes a dive into the gutter.

The "permanent majority" dream is proven a fraud. Mark my words, the Republican Party will NOT recover from this. The two chambers will stay Democrat for at least 12 years, perhaps longer. America is trending selfish ... and that favors the Democrats. The conservative message of self-sacrifice and doing what's good for the country doesn't sell. It's all about ME! ME! ME! Democrats offer all that on a plate. America laps it up.

It's truly over for America. The decline officially starts now.

I'm sorry, but are you suggesting the party of estate tax cuts and gutting social security is the party of selfLESSness while the party of social security protection is the party of selfISHness??

It was indeed odd that Ohio, flanked by PA where the GOP is losing four seats and IN where we lose three, only flips the tainted seat of disgraced, convicted, and resigned Bob Ney - in a year when they elect ultra-liberal Sherrod Brown to the Senate by a wide margin.

In chess, there is the powerful concept of "the initiative." This is the influence of forcing the action; the player who can make immediate threats has the advantage over the player who must defend them. The political initiative has clearly passed to the Democrats today.

Your move.

Interesting what the Democrats will *do* -- pull out all troops from Iraq immediately? Have tea with various Muslim crazies?

I don't think so. I'm willing to be they continue the same (failed) GOP policies, perhaps adding a sprinkling of prostration before the UN.

But they won't go the Michael Moore, America-is-the-problem-in-the-world route.

Scrapiron, this is the Democratic Gloating thread. I think you wanted the Republican Sour Grapes thread.

However, I hope that you remember your current logic when the Republicans are trying to regain a majority :-)

Guys, I know this stings. My mom ran as a Democrat in '94, and got creamed along with most of the other Democratic ticket that year. I know how it feels.

For what it's worth....

In the book of Matthew, Jesus said, "Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and every city or house divided against itself shall not stand."

I pledge that this thought will guide my behavior. I welcome all who will join me.

John

Scrappy, Joe Yangtree is right: this is their thread. They deserve it. They kicked our asses, but good.

There is no sense playing the Black Knight from Monty Python, who gets his arm hacked off and declares, "'tis but a flesh wound!" and then lies on the ground with both arms and legs severed and cries, "Come back 'ere, I'm not finished with you!"

That's just denial. Better to be like my father's friend, whom he came upon around 1960 in the rural South after the friend had been badly beaten by another fellow. Dad asked him what had happened, and his friend replied, "He tooked me by surprise - but next time, I'll be repaired for him!"

Sometimes you have to just admit defeat. The taste of blood and bitter wormwood can steel your resolve for future battles.

But this isn't for those battles. Let them gloat; they have earned it. I may be a lousy political prognosticator, but I know darned well when my ass has been kicked!

I congratulate and salute the victors on a job well done.

I too congratulate the victors. To say it has been a painful night would be an understatement.
My predictions were no better than your's were Jim. But the people have spoken. Tonight was their night. We must now take the opportunity to learn from what happened and re-commit ourselves to the vision and policies that caused the voters to trust us with the responsibility of governing.

Ken

I'm ready to regroup. I'll be posting my reactions, analysis, and prescriptions in the coming days.

For now, though, I have to bow my head and let the victors enjoy their victory. It was fairly earned.

"John" above said it all when he quoted that time-proven book of rules and life-guidance that advocates helping over hypocricy, alms over anger, peace over war, and promotes "turning the other cheek" when he reminded us of the verse: "Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and every city or house divided against itself shall not stand."

My team won this time, but I truly hope we can ALL work together going forward, for the good of us ALL. Name-calling, intolerance, accusations & threats, stone-walling, partisanship and inflexibility only ends up hurting everybody. As Ben Franklin warned: "We must all hang together, or surely we will all hang separately."

Go USA!

Congratulations Dems.

A big part of me wanted the Republicans to win tonight to see what Bush could do with a Congress that was in his favor for the next two years.

But a small part of me is glad it turned out this way. You have to clean your house from time to time. Tonight we got rid of Lincoln Chaffey and DeWine (A member of the gang of 7) and some very long time Congressman.

So after swallowing this bitter pill I remember that YHWH is in control.

Let's look to 2008 and Mitt Romney.

"I'm sorry, but are you suggesting the party of estate tax cuts and gutting social security is the party of selfLESSness while the party of social security protection is the party of selfISHness??

Leaving aside the many indefensible elements of your statement ... what I said was that AMERICA is trending selfish. Our elected officials, over time, reflect the general wishes of the people. One of the reasons the Republican Party imploded is that it began to give into the general selfish desires of the public, which created a grating inconsistency with some of its core principles, leaving the party with little to stand for.

The Democrats are better enablers of the selfish mood. The Republicans got pretty good at it in their tenure. The hungry public has come to expect a lot.

You've got the levers of control ... good luck. You'll need it. A selfish America will be a demanding one. Selfishness breeds more selfishness. Ultimately the party that promises the most satisfaction of the selfish itch is what will hold power. Just watch.

While painful to watch I must admit the Dems are to be congratulated on their GOTV effort. Congrats to them on big wins in key states.

Jeremy, we do have a dem president.

If people voted banking on W's vetoing, they haven't paid attention to the past 6 years.

Welcome open borders, he's looking forward to the opportunities arising from the change.

The real question is, what happens the next time Congress switches?

The Dimwits have spent 4 years trying to kill us. I am stocking up on ammunition. I will protect my family and my community from the evil the Demons spew.

Now before someone calls me a hate filled war-monger, let me refer you to Daily Kos and the other Moveon type blogs and the Hollywood cesspool and fMSM. Show me JUST ONE commenter there that you would allow within a mile of your family, or children.

Got you, didn't I? Those hate-filled scum are your fellow DemocRats.

Hastert and Frist have a lot of 'splainin' to do.

Any conservative who things that this is beneficial in any way is completely nuts. Your goals are can never be met by a Democratic majority house and senate. Never. This is a disaster for the country. There are more important things than controlling spending. We will never get another conservative judge through now. That is a legacy that lasts for 30 years!! We have dramatically increased our likelihood for a terrorist attack. We will chicken out in Iraq and underscore the terrorists' belief that we are a country that is a paper tiger. And for all of you immigration types, most of your guys lost in Arizona, including Hayworth. Thanks a lot.

Outside the northeast, most of the Dems who won are conservatives themselves. Will they vote their principles or cave in like the Rs did during their tenure?

It seems like the "together we stand, divided we fall" is a little tongue in cheek. I don't remember every hearing that type of comment leading up to this election. I don't remember it when Jeffords suddenly became an Independent giving the Democrats a Senate majority or during the Republican majority in Congress.

Maybe small voices are emboldened after the victory. I hope that John et. al. diligently write to their new majority Senators and Representatives demanding that they move forward together in a way bipartisan manner that truly is best for the US.

If the Democrats really want to move us in a better direction, maybe they will take another Scripture quote to heart, "A servant is not greater than his master" (John 15:20). Will they remember who is the servant and who is the master?

Jeff B.

I like your last quote, and I really agree with it.

We are free men. We do not have leaders, we have public servents.

That's why we want accountability. Oversite. That's why when Bush says that he doensn't need to explain anything, that the thing about being president, people need to explain things to him, but he doesn't owe anybody an explanation...

That just doesn't play well...

That's why I correct people when they talk about our "leaders".

The correct term is servents.

That's why we should question our government. And apparently that's what happened yesterday.

John

At the monthly business meeting last night our volunteer fire department was discussing the fact that our building (built by the volunteers over 25 years ago) is outdated and no longer holds the equipment required (some parked outside). They were debating applying for a FEMA grant to build a new up to date building. Fortunetly they tabled the measure until next month to see how the elections came out. Guess what, they won't have to complete the paperwork for a grant (funding will be eleminated by the dim's) that will no longer exist. The people in the area will just have to get used to not having the fire/rescue service they should have and it will only get worse. Young people don't volunteer and the membership is now getting old. There was even some debate on closing the department down if the elections went the way they went. Next months meeting should be a barn burner. Very few have any confidence in the dim's (why they vote for them is an unknown mental deficiency) ability to maintain, much less increase the fire/rescue protections or any other services for the American people.

All these congratulations are a little much for me for I see a very gloomy picture.

Unless Republican Congressmen band together we can expect:

Another terrorist attack, because Dems will not support the Army. They never have been serious about the terrorist threat.
Higher taxes.
Numerous investigations. (except on fellow Dems).
More liberal judges who will support European law.
More welfare and other entitlements.
Etc., Etc.

So to the GOP congressmen I say: Form a strong resistence to the above. Work together to block some of this nonsense the Dems will attempt. Just remember they are not the party of FDR and Truman. They are Socialists. They are making the goals of terrorists possible. What the Dems are planning is not for the "common good'.

How did Rick Santorum do?

HAHAHAHAHA

ok, I'm done. Thanks, Jim.

Lee,

Do the world an enormous favor!

Shoot yourself!

Oh, ScrapIron...

Where does the money to pay for your fire house come from?

...um. Taxes?

Levied by...

....um. The government?

But you don't like eiether taxes or the government. So get a bucket full of water.

And hope for the best.

Jim, you deserve props for a gracious gesture and attitude. Having said that, seems like the Democratic gloaters are outnumbered four-to-one by unhappy-to-downright-creepy ("I am stocking up on ammunition. I will protect my family and my community from the evil the Demons spew.")conservative people here. You knew that about your audience, right?

If you're really interested in accomadating a variety of political perspectives, it might take more than this thread (less people posting about the joy of shooting liberals dead might help)

Nevertheless, a good start. (Wizbang... it *sounds* so nonpartisan!)

Jim,

As one of those "swing" voters who voted 100% Democrat this year (mostly as a protest vote), I was happy with the outcome.

However, keep up the work here! I enjoy reading your site, Druge, Salon, Daily Kos, NYTimes and other sites to get a wide look at all of the sides. I have always been an independent voter (trend more conservative fiscally and liberal socially) and get a major kick out of election season.

My only advice would be to lighten up on verbage like "Dingbat." To me it takes away from your site. Just a friendly suggestion. :-)

Charles

One other thing --

Just wanted to give kudos to all of the election workers across the country. Overall, it sounds like it was a fairly clean vote with very little controversy.

Check out this story from Billings about County Election Administrator Duane Winslow:
http://www.billingsgazette.net/articles/2006/11/08/news/local/22-flub.txt

It's good to see honest people out there!

Charles

glasnost ~ Thanks, we try to accommodate, but this has always been a conservative-leaning site, and the readership pretty well matches.

True, some of our folks get angry, but so do a lot of the leftists at their sites. The difference, I suppose, is that our chaps ARE armed with something stronger than a low-fat whipped tofu latté.

Interestingly - to me anyway, as an aside - "glasnost" does NOT mean "openness" in Russian. Well, it does, but as the 2nd or 3rd definition in the dictionary. The primary meaning is roughly, "public relations" or "publicity." Gorby just suckered the western press.

Charles ~ Thanks, and we are glad to have you. Sorry if the occasional "moonbat" dig puts you off, but we've spent decades, literally, listening to the far left describe mainstream conservatives as "knuckledraggers," "wingnuts," and "trisomic," so forgive us if we dish a little back at 'em.

look. we won. deal with it, that's what we did. we got our ass kicked in 2004. we said "that sucks". we got up. we got over it. we went out and won. if you really want to take back congress, you'll follow our example. get off the mat. stop whining and start working and you'll have my respect, if not my support.... :)

Wow, that's a new one. The Dems want to close down fire departments. Add that to blacking out the sun, napalming the ocean, and killing small babies for sport. Wow, you guys are a sorry bunch. Have fun being in the minority for many years to come. The people have spoken.

That's the spirit!

Congratulations on a well-earned victory, guys.

I hope that you won't find a post from the UK intrusive now that the election is over.
This country has for decades been the USA's closest ally - the only one willing to stand with you when it really counted over the last few years. Our boys are dying with yours in Iraq and Afghanistan, and 7/7, though not of the same magnitude, was our 9/11. Afghanistan people here agreed with. Iraq we see as illegal, unconnected with 9/11 and stupid. Policy on Palestine just compounds the problem. We are grateful that at last the American people are starting to see it the same way. Incidentally, over here there is disgust at an extradition treaty between us that forces us to extradite UK citizens to you effectively without evidence, but which allows you to refuse to extradie terrorist suspects to us! Shame on the US government for demanding it and ours for conceding it.
Your domestic politics of course are your business.