With 39% of precincts reporting, disgraced Rep. Mark Foley is trailing his Democratic challenger by only 3 points. *
Update - Now he's one up!
Update - Negron has conceded. It was fun while it lasted, though.
A friend and Republican supporter in Idaho reports:
Busy day here. Loaded up my Mother (88yo) and some of her friends to take them to vote. An advantage for me as I tell them either vote my way or walk home. Polls really crowded. Then I dropped them off at IHOP while I went to my precinct and voted. Crowded there too. Picked up the blue hairs at the IHOP, dropped them all off. Came home to my dogs. They aren't near as much trouble. At least the dogs don't pig out on waffles covered in whipped cream and think they have sinned all the way home.
Damn... I feel like Jonah Goldberg.
I'm still amazed they didn't change the ballots.
a measly 3% ?
that isnt even 'statistically significant' as they say.
the bad news for the right wing is Ortega is back in Nicaragua. in a democratic election. is he going to be assassinated according to pat robertson's wishes?
and more on elections, we have at the last moment yet another 'sky diving' candidate here in the biggest hick town in Canada. making for a total of 7, NONE of which lived here at the time the byelection was called.
HAAAAAALLPPP !!!!!
come on Canada we have them beat.
we have uberhomo Bill Graham elected, unterhomo Scooter Brison elected. and Svend in exile but still on every lefty mind.
I hope to see the MSM eating so much crow they crap black tomorrow.
The disgraced Mark Foley isn't running in Florida. His last-minute replacement for the Republicans, Joe Negron, is holding a slim lead, despite the scandal and despite voters having to mark "Foley" when they want to vote for Negron.
Gee.
Hadn't noticed that....
Had anyone else noticed that?
;-)
Nope. didnt notice a thing. tv broke, newspaper blew away.
watched as much as I could stomach on the mother corp, my gawd their bias is sickening.
speaking of elections, politicians, veterans of wars etc:
here’s something for all you Harper fans out there:
the latest from G Weston of sun media.
“thousands of desperately poor elderly get the shaft – while the official in charge gets a promotion”
at age 84 Doris is forced to live on $250.38 a week of old age assistance…. in july Stephen Harper’s government suddenly cut off the supplement to Doris and more than 90,000 other impoverished seniors…. the reason for so savagely punishing Canada’s most needy and helpless citizens was – wait for it – they were a couple months late filing their income tax returns.
oh really.
what is it about conservatists they have to beat up the weakest members of society?
Mike Harris did it with the squeegie kids and a long line of governments including today’s Stephen Harper’s conservatives owe our veterans a whopping 4 billion dollars from mismanaged veterans’ pensions. platitudes, platitudes, platitudes and then gimme the money.
why do they keep doing that? is there some bizarre morph that happens when conservatives get a bit of power they have to mug an 84 year old out of her pension?
these people are worse than purse snatchers, they keep coming back time and again, because of a delay filing taxes.
I wonder if these seniors can ever read the bloody words on the T1.
terrible.
Missed the Foley/Negron situation did you? Actually, I missed the tiny asterisk on my 14" monitor that showed you didn't miss a thing. You'll have to use less subtle humor for us po' folks.
The results in the US mid-terms is turning out better than I had hoped. I have nothing but respect for progressive Americans who got out to vote and put some real opposition forward to counter Bush's international right wing insanity.
Harper is so attached to Bush ideologically, this should have the folks at 24 Sussex Drive sweating. And bloody well right they should. We need to get rid of our right wing crew and the sooner the better. Personally I think it is time to start shouting down the Conservatives in this country.
There days are numbered.
They know it.
How do you say chicken in Democrat?
THEIR days may be numbered, but you don't know it.
Yo.. Leftdog. Apparently you didn't notice that the majority of Democratic gains in the House came from candidates who ran quite decidedly to the right of center.
You can always tell how informed a left-wing Canadian is about US politics when they assume that the majority of elected Democrats are the ideological soulmates of the NDP.
Earth to Leftdog - on virtually all the major ideological positions, including the war on terror, the Conservative Party of Canada is positioned pretty far to the left of mainstream Democrats.
(I'll add - so too, though to a lesser extent, was the Reform Party.)
Uhh ... Earth to Kate - Huh..? do you actually believe that these so called 'right wing' democrats are going to support Bush in any way? NEVER.
Bush is now singing two octaves higher AND the world is a safer place. That 'rapture awaiting' nutbar still gets to live in the White House for a bit longer but by losing control of the House of Reps - things will be much better. The Harpers should start gathering a few moving boxes for their departure too.
You can slice and dice this anyway you want but...
The Republican power base has been decimated.
A popular overly-ambitious 'B' movie actor is still governator of Kaleefornya.
Bush's smirk now more closely resembles a tilde sign.
The price of gas at the pumps will rise.
"speaking of elections, politicians, veterans of wars etc:
here’s something for all you Harper fans out there:
the latest from G Weston of sun media.
“thousands of desperately poor elderly get the shaft – while the official in charge gets a promotion”
Hate to break it to you.That is the same practice that was used by the Liberals with the same result.Its been used by the taxman for years.Its just that MSM saw no reason to report it.
Weston is another pantload who is looking for anything on Harper because of the media's snit.Weston is trying to tie this in with the income trust story hurting seniors.
By the way,on the news this morning they are now saying the trusts are rebounding nicely and smart investors who hold their shares will actually make good money from the decision.Lets see which media outlets report that.
Leftdog
As I read Kate's post, I do not see stated anywhere that these dems will vote Republican. She was merely noting that Canadian left wingers think of Democrats as their soul mates when in fact the Democrats are very close to our Conservative Party on most issues. The left in Canada is very much a fringe group in North America.
David, if that is decimated, you have a pretty loose definition. Yes, it will crimp things a tad, but it is not completely unlike a minority government, and frankly, it is only 2 years till it all happens again. The Americans have spanked them, but it will only be for these two years. The GOP will rebound quickly and smartly. And as Kate says, Congress is still to the right of our Conservatives here.
Congrats to our brethern down south for having a muslim in the Congress. Of course he wants withdrawal from Iraq and stuff... Guess veil will not be the first item on his list. Shall see...
Ah, the Conservative response to loss: shift the goalposts!
It doesn't matter that the Republican Party lost - the replacement Democrats are closet Canadian right wingers! The American bad news really is good news for Canadian conservatives.
The only problem I foresee for Small Dead Animals is how they are going to keep up their very own Bush Derangement Syndrome - mistaking a shrub for the Burning Bush. The next two years should be very interesting times.
Our lefty friends demonstrate yet again, that their political views are based upon - more than any other factor - poor reading comprehension...
Leftdog, Agitfact - go kick your teachers.
This is a loss for the GOP in the short term. This was a public condemnation of the war in Iraq.
It does give the Dems 2 years to mess things up, make fools of themselves and prove to the American people that they should be defeated in the next election when it really matters.
There will be no Bush on the next ballot. There will only be themselves to win or lose on. They do not represent what most Americans want on almost every issue. They will lose.
If they do what I think they will do, the will lose big. I think they'll spend more time scapegoating and witch hunting than governing although I don't think even the Dems are stupid enough to try to impeach W. The next in line would be President Dick "the hunter" Cheney. Any Dems "game" for that?
As for what the US should do, it should state unequivocally that Iraq is their last "boots on the ground" intervention. Anything else they do is simply a massive bombing campaign followed by disengagement. Leave the US alone and live, mess with them and die. There will be no reconstruction, no charity, no mercy. They should pull all of their troops out of Europe and let the Eurotrash pay for their own defence for the first time in 60 years. Move their bases to friendlier turf. Set a timetable to leave other areas not directly in their own national interest. Decline UN missions and state to the Eurotrash free riders that they're now responsible for the do-gooding that the Yanks were always burdened with. The US gets no credit and lots bashing for everything they've done. Why would they bother any more? I sure as hell would be flipping the world the bird and telling the lot of you all to bugger off.
The second thing they should do is start to take treason seriously. They should have prosecuted the NYT for releasing classified material. It's a crime. That's why the material has a classification on it to begin with. A reporter or two dying with a needle in their arm for betraying their nation's interests (and the interests of all of their allies - including Canada - who also use the Swift system) would go a long way to cutting out the media's nonsense.
In the end, this also harms OUR interests here in Canada. We live well because we're the American's corner store. If the Americans hurt, we hurt. Chaos and gridlock in the US government is not in our interests. Anyone who thinks this is a good thing must work for the government (who are insulated from reality by those who pay for the government) or just plain stupid.
In the end, the GOP didn't deserve to win this election. They've got 2 years to smarten up. They spend like Dems and don't deliver on their core mandate of small government, crime, illegal immigration, etc.
Kate, I know. Anyone who does not draw the conclusions you are trying to lead to simply doesn't "comprehend."
jwp,
Yes, decimated is a loose definition. I tried thinking of other words but 'reduced' doesn't have the punch eventhough it's probably closer to the truth.
It's too bad the Dems don't have a real plan or a decisive charasmatic leader. If they did it would be lights out for the Repubs next time around. Bush's mis-presiding of the Iraq war is not going away anytime soon.
The US Dems to the right of the old Canadian Reform Party? Maybe on healthcare...
I miss Reform :(
Leftdog, Brown, Agit:
You talk as though you now have ideological soulmates in America and based on that fantasy, you extrapolate into another fantasy - the end of Harper's government.
Do you recall all the America bashing you bastards do? I imagine Americans do as well, whether they're democrats or republicans.
How about checking your beliefs against the majority of democrats. SSM? Late term abortion? Missile defence?
Your gloating is moronic.
Other than the infantile cliche you fools use, 'neo-con!' (whatever that means), what else do your pathetic minds have to offer?
Come on Daisy,
Let the leftards have their day.
This is the best it's every gonna get for their lot. This is the pinnacle of the Dem's achievements. Surrender to France. Harass Republicans. Hold no real power but the power to obstruct.
This is their day. Let them gloat. They're still the losers. If a small swing in one house (tip of a few seats is not a crushing defeat unless you're a leftard) is the best they can do with a president with an approval rating in the mid-thirties, an unpopular war and a string of record deficits, they won't have a chance in hell when W's not on the ticket...
Warwick,
I'm not gloating, just glad to see reality penetrating the fog of partisan politics.
You mention "a president with an approval rating in the mid-thirties, an unpopular war and a string of record deficits ..." Aren't those sufficient reason for the election results? What would ideology have to do with it? Why even bring it up (as Daisy was bound to do)?
You mean the unpopular war the democrats overwhelmingly voted for in both houses?
You mean the deficit passed by the Senate (which has US constitutional authority over spending?)
It's funny that the people are so foolish they forget getting into the war was a bi-partisan decision but cutting the legs out from under themselves was the democrats alone. You'd think that the people would punish a party that refuses to clean up the mess they're equally responsible for making...
Bush as commander in chief has overall responsibility. But the US system is different than ours. Bush was elected directly. He isn't there because of the individuals making up either house. The two houses are separate and the voting record of the the members are what should make the difference to their re-election - not the party. That is unlike Canada whereby the PM is chosen by the lower house's seat count.
If the Democrats are truly to the right of the CPC, then why all of the doom and gloom predictions about the consequences of their governance?
The only certainty that came out of this election season is that both the Dem and GOP fields for president in 2008 got a little less cluttered - Allen and Kerry are toast.
Truthseeker,
Pelosi being third in line to the presidency is unbelievably scary.
They had better double the security.
Come on, Irwin. Dan Quayle was a heartbeat away for four years.
Truthseeker,
... why all of the doom and gloom predictions about the consequences of their governance?
Do you really believe that there will be any "governance" the next 2 years?
I can't see any way that this will benefit Canada - going from little mind share to none.
"just glad to see reality penetrating the fog of partisan politics."
Decisions made last night have very little to do with reality and everything to do with the very cliquey Hollywood, and the lefty media.
Unfortunate decisions. It'll be interesting to see the tally of absentee ballots. Those are the ones that will tell the tale.
At least no-one can accuse Bush and the Republicans of fixing the election or monkeying with the voting machines.
Irwin,
Please read my post more carefully. I've said on several occasions I like Harper.
I'm not gloating, just expressing my version of reality.
The Lefturds have won the midterms on one issue, Iraq war. The message is well understood. Let them enjoy their moment.
Next big push will be Hillary for President. If she wins we'll have the Clinton's back in the Big House and Bill will have more time to play and give expen$ive speeches around the globe while wifey works.
Don't look for any change to life in Canada, we've already signed all the important, pressing deals for now.