As Rick Santorum’s loss to Bob Casey was announced, Fox News commentator Fred Barnes sang one more round of praise on TV for the far-right nut–but the senator, who lost his seat from Pennsylvania to Bob Casey Jr., bravely held a press conference congratulating his opponent as he saw his presidential hopes go up in flames right alongside those of George “Macaca” Allen, a moronic racist who appears to have lost to Jim Webb for reelection to the senate seat in Virginia (state board of elections unofficial results here).
The Democrats now control the House (nytimes.com article; BBC video report; Reuters video report), and the Senate (which needs 60 votes on many matters anyway) is almost evenly divided, one way or the other.
The 2006 elections are a great milestone for America, and even as the very close Senate race finishes it is clear that Nancy Pelosi will lead the House of Representatives as the new Speaker–and let’s not listen to the Republican spin about the Democratic victory, any more than we listened to George W. Bush about who to vote for this November.
Democrats used moderate rhetoric this election for the same reason that Republicans tried it in 2000–to get those wily “moderate” or “independent” voters on board. But that doesn’t mean Nancy Pelosi shouldn’t be any less liberal than in her previous positions, after all they got her where she is and she owes it to this district in northern San Francisco to use her power to implement a strong liberal agenda, starting with a minimum wage increase and an end to illegal spying on American citizens. A tougher line on China’s human rights abuses would be a good move, and adding John Murtha to the leadership could show determination to redeploy from Iraq.
Bush is in the political crosshairs–he needs to completely change course. But even if he does, his warrantless wiretapping and deceptions about WMD deserve impeachment and removal from office, and now the country has nudged that possibility just a bit closer.
The wolves are at the door, and they are not moderates.
That’s right, cry Republicans. Cry.
[photo: AP]