WORD TO YOUR MURTHA

Who's house? Nancy's house!! Yeah!

Yes, as expected the Democrats used the low national mood, disgust over Iraq, Republican scandals and hatred of the pResident to completely overturn the House of Representatives (making Nancy Pelosi [pictured left] the nation's first female Speaker of the House) and possibly take the Senate as well. Virginia and Montana will determine if the Democrats have complete control of both houses of Congress for the first time in over 12 years--unfortunately, we won't know for sure for probably a week or more as the results are THAT close and both sides need time to do hide votes--er, do a recount.

All that and Donald Rumsfeld resigining too? It's like Christmas in November! Or Borat in a nude wrestling match! Grins from ear to ear for Democrats nationwide and for politicians and citizens in much of the rest of the world. In case you hadn't heard, a lot of people in other countries don't like Bush very much and don't understand how we could have elected him twice. (I like to explain to my foreign friends that we only elected him once really, but that doesn't seem to help.)

So what lies ahead? As I blogged a couple of days ago, this is a tremendous opportunity for Democrats so they'd better not screw it up. Over the last 20 years, the nation has gradually, inexorably drifted to the right, especially on a lot of social issues, so it's rare when the majority of the country is so strongly behind the Democrats like it is now. The opportunity could easily be squandered if Dems get involved in their own unsettling political or personal scandals or if not enough is done to encourage a real change in our Iraq policy or our so-called "War on Terror".

And of course, Bush-Cheney-Rove is still in charge of the Executive Branch and while they'll offer an olive branch in the first few months after yesterday's election results, you can count on them to miraculously rediscover the power of veto in the next two years if they feel the nation's agenda is getting too progressive. Remember, they've got nothing to lose and they've got to feel that the 2008 presidential nominee (Barack Obama, anyone?) is destined to be a Democrat.

But enough sobering political talk. I don't want to be a buzzkill. WE KICKED ASS MAN! And for the first time in a long time in America, at least for us progressives, there is a glimmer of hope.

A Few Quick Potshots

--Just when it didn't look like Tuesday could get any better, Britney Spears filed for divorce from her no-talent, layabout, "Wigger" husband Kevin Federline. This came the day after K-Fed's concert at a 1,500 seat theater in New York which had at most 300 people in attendance for the twice-delayed, three-hours late, 30-minutes long "performance". I'm guessing K-Fed won't be a nominee for VH1's Best Week Ever show.

--I don't want to keep picking on Katie Couric, but CBS' one hour election wrap-up on Tuesday night was by far the least professional, least compelling of all the network broadcasts. Early in the show she incorrectly pronounced that the Democrats needed to only win two of the three remaining contests to take back the Senate (they needed all three) and her and her co-anchors and reporters all seemed unprepared and unpolished--except for stalwart co-anchor Bob Schieffer, who has to be wondering why he had to get cast aside for Couric, who has yet to distinguish herself. Remember--I wrote a blog in August defending her and I still say she needs time to make the evening news her own, but last night was not a point in her favor.

--South Dakota voters gave the finger to their archconservative legislature and governor and overturned the abortion ban last night in what I consider to be the second best story from Election '06.

--Arnold Schwarzeneggar is the brightest star in the Republican party right now and it's a good thing for Democrats that he is ineligible to run for president in 2008. I think he would win and win convincingly. For now, he's still "Kahl-ee-forn-iah"s problem.

Here's to Rahm Emanuel, Bill and Hilary Clinton and most of all, Howard Dean for doing the yeoman's work and going the extra mile to pull out the Democratic victory yesterday. Now, on to 2008...

Peace.