| More "glass is half-full" political news: |
World sees Dems' win as a Bush rejection: TOKYO - Democratic gains in Congress were seen around the world Wednesday as a rejection of the U.S. war in Iraq that led some observers to expect a reassessment of the American course there.
The shift in power also was seen as a signal in some capitals that the United States would put a greater emphasis on trade policy and human rights. Of course, Cheney et al will say that the terrorists are the ones cheering their political demise.
Conservative legislative setbacks:
In a triple setback for conservatives, South Dakotans rejected a law that would have banned virtually all abortions, Arizona became the first state to defeat an amendment to ban gay marriage and Missouri approved a measure backing stem cell research. Granted, my home state of VA approved a gay marriage ban, but I'm trying to be optimistic here.
Congress gets first Muslim lawmaker:
MINNEAPOLIS - Democrat Keith Ellison was elected as the nation's first Muslim member of Congress on Tuesday, easily winning a Minneapolis-area district Republicans had not carried since 1962.
"I think the most important thing about this race is we tried to pull people together on things we all share, things that are important to everyone. We all need peace, and this Iraq policy is dangerous to our country," said Ellison, who has called for immediate withdrawal of U.S. troops. In Virginia, win declared, loss not conceded (yet, that is):
RICHMOND, Va. - Sen. George Allen (news, bio, voting record)'s political career hung by a thread on Tuesday, as Democrat Jim Webb claimed victory — though fewer than 8,000 votes separated the two, and a recount was virtually certain.
"The votes are in and we won," Webb said, though there were still votes to count. With 99 percent of precincts reporting, Webb had 1,170,564 votes, or 49.6 percent, to Allen's 1,162,717, or 49.3 percent. My home state may have gotten the banning of gay marriage wrong, but let's hope they decided right and voted the current racist jerk out of office (and into a Democratic Senate majority?).
Edited to add A Loud Message for Bush:
Everything is different now for President Bush. The era of one-party Republican rule in Washington ended with a crash in yesterday’s midterm elections, putting a proudly unyielding president on notice that the voters want change, especially on the war in Iraq.
Mr. Bush now confronts the first Democratic majority in the House in 12 years and a significantly bigger Democratic caucus in the Senate that were largely elected on the promise to act as a strong check on his administration. Almost any major initiative in his final two years in office will now, like it or not, have to be bipartisan to some degree.
For six years, Mr. Bush has often governed, and almost always campaigned, with his attention focused on his conservative base. But yesterday’s voting showed the limits of those politics, as practiced — and many thought perfected — by Mr. Bush and his chief political adviser, Karl Rove. Love it. |
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