Yeah, so as I write this we're looking at possible victories in Montana and Virginia.
The House broke our way, and we fairly kicked ass there. I look forward to seeing the new House Leadership work with Republicans who want to solve the issue of Iraq and the other huge problems facing our country like the deficit and totally out-of-control spending in a way that everyone can agree on with both sanity and comity. It's also time to start seperating politics from Policy in how the government runs. That's not entirely achieveable, but the adminstration has managed to make the conflation of the two an artform, never before witnessed in the history of the republic.
I also want to see Democrats behave like the Progressives on social issues that they are, the minimum wage and taking care of the less fortunate in our country need to be addressed up-front, and solutions need to be implemented as part of the rebuilding of a truly Purple America.
It's time to end the Red State/Blue State Bullshit and work together.
All that being said, Motherfuckers if you want to rumble, bring it, I don't think that there is much of a mandate for stupidity in the halls of Congress after tonight.
I suspect that George Bush will display the stubborn, intractable nature that governs his inner man-child within a week. He's never succeeded at anything on his own, he has no achievments save his grandest ambition of becoming a "War President" to further his own political aspirations. His most successful solo moment in his life has been to wrap himself in the Flag and stand on the bodies of 3000 Americans and others after 9/11, and use both to question the fidelity, bravery and integrity of all who would oppose him for all the years that followed.
So, am I happy that we have finally won one? Absolutely. Do I believe that Democrats should display the utter and vile hubris of the heirs of the 1994 "Republican Revolution"? No, and I'll walk away from them if they do. In a New York minute.
Do I think that they should function as an opposition party as envisioned by the Founding Fathers? Absolutely. Should they ask questions of the Administration and demand answers? Absolutely. Should they deny the opposition the opportunity to speak, make recommendations, bring legislation to the floor to be voted on it's merits? No. I think part of their "mandate" if there is one tonight is to begin to restore our government on behalf of all the people of this country.
I was also struck by something that John Murtha said in an interview tonight, that the Democrats were going to go back to a Five Day workweek in the House. I suspect that if the average American who works upwards of 50-60 hours a week, sometimes with both spouses in that situation fully understood that the Republican Congress has only been working two days a week most of the year, there would have been even more turnover in the Congress tonight on both sides of the aisle. I applaud the new House leadership if they can begin by keeping that promise on January 4th, 2007. I think that will stand them in good stead with all American, no matter what their party.
