Morning in America

OK, um, wow. And perhaps also Woo-hoo! And a bit of bwaaaa-ha-ha-ha!

Ahem.

Starting here at home: For the first time in more than a decade, I am represented in Congress by a delegation that I can be mostly proud of.

There are more than 12 million people here in Pennsylvania and from that talent pool we need only select two of us to be United States Senators, so there was never any reason that someone like Rick Santorum should have been one of those two people. As Ben Whitford writes today in The Guardian, "That accident has been corrected."

And after two decades in Congress, Curt Weldon will have to get a real job now. So will his daughters, who can no longer charge six figures for access to Daddy's influence. And so will his mistress long-time, female friend, and so will his crony Charlie Sexton (not the Austin guitar-whiz Charlie Sexton -- the Delco political boss, Charlie Sexton, the guy who has worked so hard, for so many years, to keep Delaware County, Pa., as white and Republican, in that order, as possible). Their efforts to turn Everybody's Hometown into K Street North are officially over, but the FBI's influence-peddling investigation is only beginning.

I've written much about what an awful congressman Weldon was -- although really I've barely scratched the surface. And that was such fecund material that I find, looking back, I've neglected to say enough about the virtues of the guy that beat him, Vice Adm. Joe Sestak, who is a very smart, honorable man. He also, by the way, has a PhD. from Harvard in political economy and government (competence is the new black).

So here in PA-07, the bad guys lost and the good guys won.

Elsewhere in the Philly suburbs, the Murphys seem to have split two close races in PA-06 and PA-08, with Iraq veteran Patrick Murphy eking out a squeaker to take the seat held by Republican Mike Fitzpatrick (who has yet to concede) and Lois Murphy narrowly losing to GOP Rep. Jim Gerlach. (The latter race was a tough loss, but a chastened Gerlach may grow into the kind of Republican I also miss.)

Elsewhere in the region, New Jersey and Maryland both elected Democratic senators, and Tommy Carcetti Martin O'Malley overcame a dirty-tricks campaign to win the governor's office in Annapolis.

Nationally, the Democratic Party picked up at least 27 seats in the House (TPM has the complete scoreboard), retaking the majority. Nancy Pelosi will make history by becoming the first woman to serve as Speaker of the House. And Henry Waxman will help to ensure that history is written accurately by using his party's newly regained subpoena power, which is sure to make all the right people deservedly nervous.

Today we learn that Jon Tester has won the Senate race in Montana, meaning that if Jim Webb's margin of victory holds up in Virginia, the Democrats will also have taken control of the Senate. (Josh Marshall has some wise words on what may be involved in protecting Webb's victory.)

I first read of Tester's victory on the CNN crawl, but it took me a minute to notice due to what was happening on the screen above -- a back-on-his-heels President Bush had just announced that Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld, the architect of the Fiasco in Iraq, has been unceremoniously shit-canned resigned. (See above, re: Woo-hoo, bwaaaa-ha-ha, etc.).

Rummy will be replaced by Bill Gates. Wait, no, sorry, that's Bob Gates -- who served as CIA director during the previous Bush administration and who has more recently been serving as a member of the Iraq Study Group, "a bipartisan group that is assessing alternative strategies for Iraq."

The current President Bush mentioned the Iraq Study Group at least a half-dozen times in his press conference this afternoon. The subtext there seems to be this: Daddy is throwing a lifeline and junior is taking it. That might be positive news.

Comments

[Jesurgislac]

As linked to in the thread below, Fred, Bob Gates was directly involved in the last major criminal investigation by Congress - which should be interesting when his appointment has to get confirmed by the next Congress.

Or, as they had to say: "a jury could find the evidence left a reasonable doubt that Gates either obstructed official inquiries or that his two demonstrably incorrect statements were deliberate lies." FINAL REPORT OF THE INDEPENDENT COUNSEL FOR IRAN/CONTRA MATTERS)

I bet this is why Rumsfeld went so fast, though. He'd have had to go sooner or later, and if he goes now, there's a fair chance (I suppose) that Bob Gates can be swiftly appointed without a nasty confirmation hearing with questions about his criminal activity from twenty years ago, funnelling money to terrorists.

[Andy]

I smell a new lobbying firm: Santorum, Ney, Foley, Harris, Rumsfeld & Federline.

[cjmr]

Santorum, Ney, Foley, Harris, Rumsfeld & Federline

So what'd be their advertising slogan--"Five Dicks and a Jane"? Or maybe--"Need something screwed? Come to the experts!"?

[the other michael]

Here's a prediction: none of the networks, CNN, MSNBC or FOX will mention Iran-Contra tonight or at any time in the confirmation process for Casey.

[LL]

"Competence is the new black" - hee hee, let's hope so.

I'm glad I was wrong about only modest gains for Democrats. The Republicans have proven themselves to be every bit as sleazy as the Democrats ever were with the unwelcome addition of self-righteous ignorance. It's nice to know I'm not the only one appalled by their idiocy, and that there are enough people who agree to actually do something about it other than bitch at TPM, Crooks and Liars, etc.

And though I'm not usually gynocentric, I have to say: You go, Nancy! 'Bout damn time we had someone without a penis running that place. She couldn't possibly do worse than Gingrich or DeLay. At the very least, she should be given the chance to do as badly as them. I got so tired of hearing from that preening asswipe DeLay, almost anybody else would be a relief.

And Santorum, what to say about him that hasn't been said already, but might as well pile on: good riddance. If not for Oklahoma's delegation of morons, Santorum would be the dumbest guy in Congress.

[Devra]

Out here in Cal, I am also feeling pretty chipper about this morning's series of birthday gifts (yes, I'm fishing for a Happy Birthday, but don't feel obligated) - the only result I'm really bothered by right now is the (unsurprising) re-election of Arnold Schwarzeneggar as (it still chokes me to say it) Governor. He turned Dem just long enough to win, and I expect starting this morning he'll start once again stealing welfare money from needy children (and am I the only one who remembers him saying, when he lobbied the first time, that he would not run for reelection, because his only goal was to 'help California'? Hypocrite. Liar.). But the Rummy Boot almost makes me forget about it. :) It's a good day.

[Edward Liu]

Even though NJ re-elected a Democratic senator, Sen. Menendez also chose to vote for an anti-flag burning amendment to the Constitution AND the torture/"what's habeas corpus?" law, making him a world-class asshole in my eyes. His colleague Sen. Frank Lautenberg voted against the former but voted for the latter, which makes him 50% less asshole on those dimensions, but he compensates in plenty of other ways. About all I can hope for is that both of them were so clued out that they didn't think they could vote against the bill without serious political consequences, but I'm not sure that attitude qualifies either of them for national office, either.

With the exception of my current representative (Rep. Rush Holt, an actual rocket scientist from Princeton), I would never cast a vote for a New Jersey Democrat, except that the New Jersey Republicans are all even worse. This time around, I voted for one of the other Senatorial candidates, but had I read this blog entry beforehand, I would have written-in "Batman."

[Patrick Nielsen Hayden]

Actually, the House majority is now up to 29 seats.

[cjmr]

@other michael

I sure hope you're wrong about that!

[J]

Here in Wisconsin, I'm giddily kicking my heels; not only did we re-elect a Dem governor for the first time since 1974, but John Gard--our homegrown Santorum, a sawn-off runt of a man (literally; I've heard he's about 5' 1") who acts very much as if he feels he has something to compensate for--was edged out (by a came-out-of-nowhere Democrat named Kagen) as he tried to move from the state legislature to the House.

[Steve]

Here's a prediction: none of the networks, CNN, MSNBC or FOX will mention Iran-Contra tonight or at any time in the confirmation process for Casey (sic). [Should be Gates]

Time mentions it in their article:
http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1556651,00.html?cnn=yes

[L]

And as of an hour ago or somesuch, the AP projected control of the Senate going to the Democrats with the victory in Virginia for Webb. He's just over 7,000 votes ahead which will trigger a recount, but it seems that historically, recounts in Virginia never change the totals by more than a few hundred.

I haven't seen any report of when either independent said so, but the news services are saying both are pledged to support the Democrats. Perhaps Lieberman is being a pragmatist about it and swimming with the current rather than holding a grudge and splitting the Senate exactly in half.

[Grey Duck]

Meanwhile, I'm just proud of my state for electing the first Muslim to U.S Congress, Keith Ellison. Maybe someday we;ll return to our progressive roots here in Minnesota.

Then again, Ellison is counter-balanced by Michele "I'm going to tack a gay marriage amendment on every single bill EVAR" Bachmann, who nearly single-handedly ground the Minnesota state senate to a standstill for an entire year.

[Jesurgislac]

L: Perhaps Lieberman is being a pragmatist about it and swimming with the current rather than holding a grudge and splitting the Senate exactly in half.

From everything I've ever heard about Lieberman, the scumbag knows that if he crossed the floor and became an open Republican, he could only do that once. Whereas if he continues to pretend to be a Democrat, he can take rewards from both sides for the next six years: from the Republicans whenever he votes Republican, from the Democrats whenever he condescends to vote with his own party, plus his condescending to caucus with his own party means the Democrats have the majority in the Senate.

[New Duane]

We can be assured that Joe For Joe will make any such decision in the interest of Joe For Joe. If he had any principles, he'd recognize that he should caucus with Republicans since they just sent him back to the Senate.

[cjmr]

Here's a prediction: none of the networks, CNN, MSNBC or FOX will mention Iran-Contra tonight or at any time in the confirmation process for Casey (sic). [Should be Gates]

It was in the Wall Street Journal online article about him, too. I'd link, but I think it's subscribers only.

[cjmr]

If Joe for Joe had any principles, he'd be enjoying his retirement come January...

[cminus]

Maybe it's just low expectations after six years of George W. Bush, but I'm not nearly as unhappy about getting an Iran-Contra figure as Secretary of Defense as I probably should be.

Because, well, at least you know he doesn't categorically rule out talking with Iran.

[Susan]

Joe4Joe is less of a pragmatist and more of an opportunist. He'd caucus with the majority, whichever it was.

[Linkmeister]

at least you know he doesn't categorically rule out talking with Iran.

LOL! Where's that cake mix?

[cjmr's husband]

Cake mix is in the other thread.