I want to take this opportunity to suggest that if your position, like mine, is that you will not vote for Mrs. Bill Clinton on any ticket, you must vote anyway. A lot of folks have said we can survive a McCain presidency but I ga-ron-tee you will NOT survive a McCain presidency with a Republican House OR Senate.
The result also could be an omen for November, when two other Illinois congressional seats are up for grabs following Republican retirements, and Sen. Barack Obama could bring out a huge turnout if he's the Democratic presidential nominee.
You have to give the Democrats a big enough lead in Congress to give Reid and Pelosi some balls. God only knows why they lack said gonads now...
Foster takes seat from GOP
Democrat to succeed Hastert in Republican stronghold
By James Kimberly
TRIBUNE REPORTER
March 9, 2008
In a stunning upset Saturday that could be a sign of trouble for Republicans this fall, a little-known Democratic physicist won the special election for a far west suburban congressional seat long held by former GOP House Speaker Dennis Hastert.
Rookie candidate Bill Foster scored a comfortable victory over Republican dairyman Jim Oberweis, who lost his fourth high-profile contest in six years, after an expensive and highly negative contest.
Foster had 53 percent to Oberweis' 47 percent with all of the unofficial vote counted.
"Back in the laboratory, this is what we'd say was a pretty successful experiment," Foster told about 200 supporters at an Aurora banquet hall. "I will be your voice in Congress to make change happen."
The win means Foster will serve out the rest of Hastert's term, a likely advantage as he faces a rematch with Oberweis in the November general election for a full two years serving the 14th Congressional District.
Delicious
Digg
Reddit
Newsvine
Furl
Google
Yahoo
Re: Reid and Pelosi
There was nothing, absolutely nothing, about Nancy Pelosi's political history prior to being given a congressional seat by Willie L. Brown, Jr. and John Burton et al. that would have led anyone to believe tha she would really ever challenge the status quo. She never did it in San Francisco where her main claim to fame was raising money for Democrats. (Some of us so disliked her brother-in-law, Ron Pelosi, when he was on the Board of Supervisors that we supported and aided a maverick Republican in his successful effort to unseat him.) Nancy Pelosi is not a progressive and her ascension to the Speaker's chair may warm the hearts of the Tina Fey crowd and the rest of the feminist Smart Set but it will do little to help working folks.
So what's Reid's
So what's Reid's problem?
I'm not even talking progressive policy, I'm talking about doing the obvious will of their constituents.
Reid is doing the will of
Reid is doing the will of his constitutuents. They're just not the same as the people of Nevada who actually voted to put him into office.
If the democrats play dirty
If the democrats play dirty with the nomination Obama should run as an independent. He doesn't need the party as much as it needs him. He's got an organization, a fundraising machine, a message, and the world's attention. If the democrats are too stupid to realize the opportunity he presents to their party, that's their loss. Why should we independents and others not be able to support Obama as our presidential candidate? Obama's people should be thinking about this. This is a defining moment in history. Obama should heed the imperatives of this moment and continue his run for the WH by any means necessary.
Who do you think would win a three-legged race with Obama vs. Clinton vs. McCain?
McCain.
McCain.
Obama's Choices
I will lose all the respect and extremely fond regard I have for this brother if he agrees to accept the veepee slot from Billary. A lot of folks - not just black folks - will too. It will not be good for our side if she is either the nominee or is allowed to ride his coattails into the White House.
Survive.
There are many who will not survive a McCain presidency. Mr. McCain will continue Bush administration policies overseas. Hundreds or thousands of U.S. service members will NOT survive. Thousands or tens of thousands of Iraqis and Iranians--many of them civilians--will NOT survive.
Mr. McCain will likely carry on Republican policies toward poverty and the spread of AIDS in Africa and Asia. I can't even guess how many, but the victims of these policies will NOT survive.
Sure, WE will survive a McCain presidency. Others will not.
Surviving A McCain Presidency
True, true but they won't survive another Billary presidency either. Nearly a million Rwandas perished on the first Billary go-round and I did not hear a peep from Hillary. Maybe she was too busy working for rapproachment in Northern Ireland as she alleges.
True, true but they won't
I am obviously not bothered by bad-mouthing Mrs. Bill Clinton. But since I take this seriously, I have to look at the worst case, which would be losing the Presidency AND Congress due to lack of participation over Billary.
Seriously. Can't have it. So I have to push folks to show up and vote against the Republicans as strongly as I push for them to abstain from voting for the Clintons. Stronger, in fact.
Tradeoff.
Agreed. I'd be happy to see Mr. McCain as President if the Dems could get a veto-proof majority in the Senate.
If I could get folks to
If I could get folks to realize there's more than one way to win, I could hang up my keyboard.
Not that I would...don't want to raise any false hopes...
Feeling good?
You're funny today.
Yes, it is important that
Yes, it is important that the Democrats, despite their spinelessness, retain control of the Senate and House for the sake of this nation.
Putting The Hastert Seat Loss In Context
Putting The Hastert Seat Loss In Context.
This piece by Chris Cilizza that was published in today's Washington Post provides some useful analysis regarding the Democrats' prospects for the House and Senate this November.