Yay, Republicans... way to whip the ass off of those fucking Democrats!

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NEW YORK — In a stunning midterm victory for President Bush, the Republican Party won control of both houses of Congress early Wednesday morning.

The Grand Old Party recaptured the Senate when Republican challenger Jim Talent defeated incumbent Democratic Sen. Jean Carnahan in Missouri.

With three big Senate races still undetermined, the Republicans already had seized the 50 seats they needed to control the chamber. The Democrats had 46, and there is one independent.

"Our cause is not lessened by defeat or heartache of loss," Carnahan said in her concession speech at 2 a.m. EST. "The fire will not go out."

Talent took the stage 15 minutes later and said, "Believe it or not, I’m almost speechless."

After failing to seize Republican seats in several key states late Tuesday night, the Democrats entered the early hours of Wednesday morning needing to sweep four races -- Missouri, South Dakota, Minnesota and Louisiana -- to keep their hold on the Senate.

In the White House, meanwhile, it was a night of jubilation as the Republicans also gained a few seats in the House of Representatives -- a rarity for a president in midterm elections.

What still remained to be seen was exactly how many seats the GOP would gain in the House. Traditionally, the party that controls the White House loses House seats in midterm elections.

Just before the Missouri Senate results were announced, White House spokesman Ari Fleischer said, "President Bush and the Republican Party have made history."

"For the first time in the history of the country, the Republican Party appears to be on the verge of actually gaining seats in the House" in a midterm election, Fleischer said. And, he said, it is "increasingly clear the president played a role in breaking that historical trend."

With the Republicans in control of both houses of Congress, Bush can expect to see key pieces of legislation, such as the homeland security bill, passed.

Republicans went into the elections holding 223 House seats, 13 more than the Democrats. There are two independents who tend to lean in opposite directions. Democrats needed to win the competitive races to have a chance at ending Republicans' control of the House.

As of 5 a.m. Wednesday, the Republicans had won 226 seats, Democrats had 202 and one other was independent.

With the GOP gain in the House, Bush became the third president in the last century -- and the first Republican -- to help his party expand its ranks in midterm elections.

Prior to the Republican victory in Missouri, Colorado voters sent incumbent Republican Sen. Wayne Allard back to office, defeating challenger Tom Strickland in a race that Democrats hoped would turn their way.

Republican Rep. Saxby Chambliss defeated incumbent Georgia Sen. Max Cleland, a Democrat, temporarily tilting the scales to the GOP earlier in the night. But soon after, Arkansas Sen. Tim Hutchinson, a Republican, lost his Senate seat to Democratic Attorney General Mark Pryor in a race that had been leaning Republican into Election Day.

The GOP had hopes of lengthening their lead in the Senate, with critical races remaining to be decided in South Dakota, Minnesota and Louisiana, where all three states have Democratic incumbents.

• In Minnesota, polls showed former Sen. Walter Mondale, a Democrat, and his Republican opponent, former St. Paul Mayor Norm Coleman, running very close. Absentee ballots could be a problem; people who winter in Southern states didn’t receive new absentee ballots until late in the game, after the late Democratic Sen. Paul Wellstone’s name was removed. Legal challenges were likely to occur. Fox News reported that if Coleman loses, he may be chosen by President Bush for an appointment.

Shortly after midnight, Coleman told supporters to hang tight, saying although his race with Mondale was close, "it feels good."

Shortly before 1 a.m., Mondale told supporters, "It's going to be a long night."

At 3 a.m. EST, Coleman was leading Mondale by a few percentage points.

• In South Dakota, the race between incumbent Democratic Sen. Tim Johnson and GOP Rep. John Thune remained too close to call. Thune was asked to run by Bush in what was seen by many as a personal contest between Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle and Bush. Election officials expected a 75 percent voter turnout and thought they'd be counting votes into early Wednesday morning after several election fraud legal snafus surrounding Indian reservations. As of 3 a.m. Tuesday, with 90.8 percent precincts reporting, Thune held a narrow lead.

• In Louisiana, incumbent Democratic Sen. Mary Landrieu was ahead in the polls, but she was not expected to win the 50 percent of the vote she needed to avoid a run-off in December, as mandated by law in the Bayou State.

"You could end up with a remarkable Republican gain in the U.S. Senate by sometime tomorrow morning or on Dec. 7, when we finally have the vote in Louisiana," said Fox News political analyst and former Republican House Majority Leader Newt Gingrich.

In North Carolina, former Red Cross President and two-time Cabinet member Elizabeth Dole, a Republican, beat former Clinton White House Chief of Staff Erskine Bowles, a Democrat. The Republicans retained the Senate seat, with Dole replacing retiring Sen. Jesse Helms.

In New Hampshire, John Sununu kept another Republican seat in the Senate, beating Democratic Gov. Jeanne Shaheen. Sununu will replace Sen. Bob Smith, whom he defeated in the primary.

In New Jersey, former Sen. Frank Lautenberg, a Democrat, defeated Republican challenger Doug Forrester. Lautenberg entered the race several weeks ago when the incumbent, Sen. Robert Torricelli, bowed out in the face of strong opposition from the voters.

Democrats claimed Senate seats in New Jersey, New Mexico, West Virginia, Massachusetts, Delaware, Rhode Island, Michigan, Montana, Arkansas and Illinois.

The Republicans won Senate elections in Colorado, Kentucky, Virginia, Alabama, South Carolina, Maine, Mississippi, Nebraska, Kansas, Oklahoma, Wyoming, North Carolina, New Hampshire, Tennessee, Georgia, Idaho, Maryland, Missouri, Texas and Oregon.

In the House, Kentucky Republican incumbent Anne Northup won a fourth House term against Democratic candidate Jack Conway. Florida Secretary of State Katherine Harris, also a Republican, won her House race. In Maryland, the popular Republican incumbent Connie Morella was defeated in her run for a ninth term by Democratic challenger and state lawmaker Chris Van Hollen.

In much of the country, it was a banner night for incumbents.

"It looks to me that incumbents are running very well at every level," said Bill Kristol of the Weekly Standard.

Thirty-six state governorships were also up for grabs and there has been one big upset so far -- in Georgia, where incumbent Gov. Roy Barnes, a Democrat, was defeated by former GOP state Sen. Sonny Perdue.

There are still three outstanding governor’s races that are too close to call in California, Alabama and Hawaii. And in Vermont, it doesn’t look as if either gubernatorial candidate will garner the 50 percent of the vote needed to win. If no candidate gets that many votes, the race gets thrown to the legislature.

Republicans won in Georgia, Florida, New York, Rhode Island, New Hampshire, Nevada, Massachusetts, Ohio, South Dakota, Arkansas and Texas.

Democrats claimed Illinois, Maine, Michigan, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Iowa, Tennessee, Colorado, Wisconsin, Kansas, South Carolina, Arizona, Wyoming, Alabama and California.

In Florida, Gov. Jeb Bush, a Republican, was re-elected over Democratic challenger Bill McBride despite an all-out effort by Democrats -- including former President Bill Clinton and Vice President Al Gore -- to defeat President Bush's brother. The president called his brother to congratulate him, saying it was a "huge victory."

Bush's parents, former President George Herbert Walker Bush and Barbara Bush -- whom Jeb called "my inspiration in life"-- joined their son for a late-night victory rally.

Bush congratulated rival McBride for running a strong campaign and said, "I look forward to working with him to build a better Florida."

In another closely watched governor’s race, Maryland Lt. Gov. Kathleen Kennedy Townsend, the daughter of Robert F. Kennedy, lost to Republican Rep. Robert Ehrlich.

Voters were also choosing state legislatures, now split almost evenly between the Democrats and Republicans, and deciding more than 200 ballot initiatives in 40 states.

National Public Radio correspondent Juan Williams said Democrats are likely to get scolded by the national party and Democratic leaders like Clinton and Democratic National Committee Chair Terry McAuliffe for not taking a harder line against Bush’s policies on issues such as the economy and war this campaign season.

"I think there is going to be hell to pay within party counsels," Williams said.

Meanwhile, in Nevada, voters rejected a ballot measure legalizing possession of 3 ounces or less or marijuana. They also passed a ballot measure amending the state constitution to say marriage is between a man and a woman, essentially banning same-sex marriages.

In Arizona, voters defeated Proposition 203, which would have required the Arizona Department of Public Safety to distribute marijuana for medicinal uses if the patient has a doctor's note.

In California, early ballot results show voters there rejecting ballot initiatives that would allow Hollywood and the San Fernando Valley to secede from Los Angeles County. California voters also approved a proposition sponsored by Republican actor Arnold Schwarzenegger, which provides millions of dollars for before- and after-school programs.

the word thats springs to my mind is democrazy.

damn those powers that be ...

I do not follow the circus.
You mean Bush won again?
I give up on Americans.

Maybe some good will come out of this.Perhaps the Democrats will re-group and re-energize themselves just in time for the 2004 Presidential Election.They NEEDED to get their asses kicked in this election!! That's just what the doctor ordered.Right now,they are nothing but a bunch of weak,spineless,political WIMPS who don't know how to stand up to Bush and his stupid policies.

Remember when Clinton was President? People like Newt Gingrich and Trent Lott went after him (and his policies) with a VENGEANCE!! They had BALLS!! I hate the Republican Party but I gotta give them props.They DO know how to battle the other side,and draw a sharp contrast between the two parties.They've never been afraid to challenge a popular president.

Btw,IceNice...please say it ain't so! You're not REALLY a Republican,are you? You're too cool to be a Republican!

"sister killed a baby cause she could´nt afford 2 feed
it & we´re sending people 2 the moon".
[This message was edited Wed Nov 6 5:46:38 PST 2002 by manki]

DavidEye said:

I am a Libertarian... I just like to see balance in things.

welcome to world war III

brace yourselves people, it's going to be a bumpy fucking ride

IceNine said:

(breathing a sigh of relief)

XxAxX said:

Amen! Now Bush pretty much has the power to do whatever he wants.He can sit back and pick the countries he wants to go to war with,and his conservative buddies in Congress will support him all the way.

Btw,how did the Mondale/Coleman race in Minnesota play out?

still too close to call

XxAxX said:

Who do you think will win? Not that it matters now because,no matter who wins,the Senate is already controlled by the Republicans.

DavidEye said:

The Republican candidate was a few percentage points ahead at last count...

oh come on now ice...i dont mind the title..but the lil rant underneath is really uncalled for...i take my politics very serious...and today i must admit, it hurts...

i dont need you rubbing salt into my wounds...

SkletonKee said:

I'm sorry, my friend... you know how I do shit and you know that I am just trying to stir the pot, so to speak.

IceNine said:

You sound like a closet-republican .The republicans control the house and the senate.Where is the "balance" in that?I'm glad i live in Cali,the dems dominated out here

4LOVE said:

I am talking about balance in the posts about politics here... there are MANY more liberals/Democrats on Prince.org and it is fun to provide a bit of balance in the topics.

I have the same amount of respect for Republicans and Democrats... NONE.

[This message was edited Wed Nov 6 7:22:13 PST 2002 by AzureStar]

IceNine said:

and yet your the biggest hater of how our current political system operates...cant you see that by baiting in the fashion, you are aiding in the voter apathy? come on now!!!

SkletonKee said:

I don't see it that way... I see it like this...

If the Democrats are so pissed off about losing the elections and it is put in front of them, maybe they will get out there and vote next time... I also look at it like this... if the Republicans feel like they are making a difference by voting, maybe more of them will get out there and vote.

AND

If the Libertarians (such as myself) are so pissed off about the political system out there, maybe we will get off or our fucking asses and vote.


P.S. You are right, "Friendly Fire" is not as passionate as "Girl Bros." and Wendy and Lisa made the right choice, although "Friendly Fire" is great!

IceNine said:

Preach it ICE!!! :LOL:

IceNine said:

dont switch the subject on me as a diversion tactic..

damn, now i cant think of anything but VISTE!!! VISTE!!!

Yes, the current state of politics is dismal. But that doesn't mean that there are no relevant differences between Democrats and Republicans. Republicans have no respect for social justice, and they are going to support a President who is a foreign-policy IDIOT who is going to make everybody who doesn't already hate us feel that way in short order. And he is going to do his damndest to take away women's rights to make their own moral decisions, and to control their own reproductive lives, based on his NARROW RELIGIOUS AGENDA!


AUUURRRGGGHHH!


And it is the, "good, fine, whatever, doesn't matter who is in office, send a message with your vote or lack thereof that current politics don't matter" drivel that is going to get us all FUCKED because like it or not these people have POWER and as long as that is true we should take them seriously and try to keep that power from getting completely out of control and letting the entire fucking government be run by fucking republicans is NOT THE WAY TO DO IT!!!

Wake up people!

Doves,
Mel!ssa

tackam said:

A Republican could easily turn around and post a retaliation to your post that shows exactly how Democrats are the biggest idiots in the world and will fuck America up too.

That is just the thing... all that you have stated is just your opinion and no matter how passionately you feel about it, it is still only your opinion and is not a fact. The fact that the Republicans control the Presidency, House and Senate should tell you that the voters don't agree with your assessment.

IceNine said:

Ohhh no..dont even try and say that what happened yesterday was the result of people choosing one party over the other. This election was won because of Bush's approval rating. He was the one that ran around the country campaigning for the nominees...This had nothing to do with the actual people running for office and their political views.

and dont think for a second that this wont come back and bite Dubya in the ass in two years. This guy ran on changing the tone on our country. He has raised more money and campaigned worse then any other President in our history. All during a time when he should be concerned about our economy and the war on terror...this is going to be a huge issue in two years...WATCH!!!

norm coleman wins; mondale made his concession speech not long ago. . . .

mr. norm "i'm a democrat! no...wait...i'm a republican..." coleman

bah. humbug

I was just want to see a fucking tax cut for fucking once in the history of the world!

teller said:

No shit!!!

On top of that, I would love to see government get smaller rather than larger for once... it would be very neat to see the government actually act for the good of the people rather than for the good of the politicians.

IceNine said:

Sort of. I do feel passionately about it, and I agree that I have not, in my previous post, provided a very substantive critique of the Republican party.

But that is not ALL I have stated. I have stated that Bush is a foreign-policy idiot who is going to make people hate us. While that is not the most levelheaded way to state that, I do think that the opinions of our allies are important, and I do think there is good evidence that our allies are very pissed off at Bush, and this in itself is a threat to national security.

I think that my more important point is that it is irresponsible to say that it doesn't matter which party is in power. Maybe you don't agree with either party's platform, but they are DIFFERENT platforms, which hold up ideologies that are importantly, if not dramatically, different. Perhaps we wish our choices were better, but they aren't, and I wish people wouldn't simply decide that until they have their ideal choice they are going to sit back and watch the country go to hell.

And yeah, the majority of the people who voted apparently disagree with me. I think they are not, in fact, the intellectual majority. And I think they are wrong.

Doves,
Mel!ssa