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]

[photo: Baker Beach and the small cove overlooked by Seacliff, San Francisco, on 11/2/2006]

The Financial Times reports:
“BP was not only willing to put a value on human life, something its predecessor Amoco refused to do – it listed it at $20m (£10.5m) for a single fatality incident, with the cost escalating for multiple deaths in the same accident, the Financial Times has learned.The details, revealed in sworn testimony, come as the first civil trial begins this week arising from the fatal explosion at BP’s Texas City refinery in 2005.”

George W. Bush’s presidency is on the verge of collapse, and going around without a tie is probably not enough to save it. Even the candidate to succeed his brother, Jeb Bush, is snubbing him. As the AP via Yahoo News reports:

“On Monday, Bush jetted to a conservative corner of Florida‘s Panhandle, about as far as he could get from the state’s three in-play House districts. To the White House’s embarrassment and irritation, Republican Charlie Crist, whom Bush came to help in his bid to succeed the president’s brother as governor, decided at the last minute to skip the chance to be by the president’s side.”

The Democrats have not always stood up to Mr. Bush nearly as much as they should have, but they have been demonized enough for being “obstructionist” by Republicans and “indecisive” by the media to make it clear that they present some sort of alternative for the authoritarian rule of George W. Bush and his radical regime. The power grab that began with the “authorization” to torture people and spy on citizens without warrants justified by memos issued by ideological fascist lawyers at the Justice Department can come to an end with the election of a strong Democratic majority in the House and Senate.

The 2006 midterm elections offer the chance to start a change, some sort of change, from the war-mongering and war-profiteering Bush regime. And taking a majority of governorships can help lay the groundwork for a Democratic, non-Hillary Clinton candidate for president in 2008. Between now and then, the full range of possible crimes by the Bush administration, the CIA and their corporate associates should be investigated thoroughly by Congress.

[photo: AP]

[photo of pelicans in flight over Tomales Bay by Daniel J. McKeown, 11/4/2006]

I saw some very cool grey birds hanging out at Fisherman’s Wharf.

[photo: The Bay Bridge from San Francisco’s North Beach neighborhood, 11/3/2006, by Daniel J. McKeown]

[photos: San Francisco’s O’Farrell Street, 10/29/2006, by Daniel J. McKeown]