Posted on 08/21/2010 7:12:34 AM PDT by Libloather
Dems Face Doom in House
By Colin Clark
Friday, August 20th, 2010 12:10 pm
Washington’s most respected election analyst, Charlie Cook, is now calling the House for the Republicans. And he’s predicting not just a close race, which had been the call of most analysts until now, but is predicting a so-called “wave” election, one where the party in power is swept away. Cook spoke with the Wall Street Journal.
Before GOP tribalists begin crowing and dancing the sacred dance of victory, Cook cautions that he does not think the GOP is likely to win the Senate. And, with all respect to my many friends in the House, the Senate is what really matters when the other party holds the White House. Why? Every Senator has the enormous power to just say no — such as putting holds on nominations or using procedural means to gum up the works or — and control of the Senate would give the Republicans the ability to push through legislation they might not be able to otherwise. Not to mention the symbolic power of a GOP victory in both houses.
Given all that, let’s consider what the Republicans are likely to focus on should they gain the bully pulpit of controlling the House Armed Services and House appropriations defense bodies. top of the list will be protecting defense spending from what some GOP leaders believe is an overeager Robert Gates and a left-leaning Democratic Party eager to strip defense money and spend it on social programs.
The other area likely to receive increased attention is oversight of Afghan strategy. Some senior GOP leaders have worried about the rules of engagement, which they think were foisted on Gen. Stanley McChrystal, the former commander, by the White House. When Gen. David Petraeus issued his new rules of engagement in late July they were, arguably, even tougher in restricting the use of force. If they hear comments from troops that they are confused by the new ROEs or feel overly restricted by them, expect Republicans to hammer away at this.
But it’s early days yet. Most aides are on vacation and most lawmakers are on the hustings or fund raising. Have a look at the Defend America statement House GOP leaders put out earlier this year for some insight on what they will bring to the election discussion on defense issues. Hopefully, GOP views will become sharper the closer we get to the elections.
I'll be doing the happy dance in some local pub on election night.
In the immortal words of Winston “The Wolf”:
“Well, let’s not start s*ing each other’s *s quite yet.”
We’ve got a lot of work to do. Number one on the list is combating complacency. Number two is coming up with a plan for combating voter fraud.
On the Senate side, the key races which are toss-ups are CA, WA, WI, CO and FL. If the Republicans take all of those, they win the Senate. They also have an outside chance to take Connecticut.
This has to be a slog and then a strong push right to the end. The 'Rats aren't going to give up. If anything, like any cornered rat, they're going to get meaner and nastier. We have to keep pounding them and presenting a positive response on issues that are important to the public: restraining spending, stimulating creation of private-sector jobs, securing the border, dealing effectively with illegal immigration, standing against terrorists here and abroad. These are winning issues with the electorate, and we have to capture them and frame the debate in a manner favorable to our candidates. Keep the 'Rats off balance and on the defensive.
Even if they do not win the Senate (this year) they will gain seats and with a close Senate and a GOP House....the muslim’s rule will be greatly weakened.
I am really looking forward to watching Stretch pass that gavel to someone else.
I wouldn’t write off the Senate just yet. The American people went beyond rage several months ago. The American people realize we have enemies within. In order to preserve our country, in order to preserve our security, in order to preserve our economy, in order to preserve our future for our children and grandchildren, we “must” clean out all these corrupt, power-hungry Elitists out of office.
In my opinion, we must call for investigations, exposure, and prosecution of every member of Congress who sold their corrupt souls for power at the expense of their country. Dig their dirt and let them spend the rest of their lives in shame and dishonor. Political business (treachery) as usual must be over.
To quote John Lennon or whichever maggot infested Beatle came up with it:
Let it be!
If the republicans take over and I hear one of them say “We need to move forward and not look backwards”, I’ll puke. And right after I puke I’ll donate to a third party.
Back in ‘94, I happened to be at the home of a local lib the morning after the election. I didn’t speak to him but to a contractor who was doing some work for him. The contractor said that poor old Warren was in full fledged mourning for the end of the world. LMAO!
The old b@stard is still alive. Maybe this election will put him totally over the edge.
investigate the so called press too for their blatant disregard for their profession, their lies, their bias and them covering for their messiah like love sick puppies .
Also tell the truth about this homocon crap who really are the log cabins and have changed their name since they were busted for being homosexuals but Dems too.
Certainly investigate the justice dept and them going after the sheriff, not going after black racists and going after AZ.
The budget situation is now so dire that we may not have a more politic alternative to decimating our Armed Forces even as terrorists invade our country and attack our people. Even then, we may and indeed likely will lack the political fortitude to constrain Medicare and Social Security, the largest portions of the federal budget. The Congress, if heavily Republican, may constrain the growth of non-defense discretionary spending, a rather small category, and even decline to pass any more bailouts and recession-stimulus, an explosively growing category. But tremendous cuts to defense in a time of war—war on our shores—seem inevitable, primarily because the President will sign bills so to do.
To overcome the Presidential veto, we need TWO-THIRDS in BOTH houses of Congress. That’s mathematically impossible. Of course, the Republicans theoretically could take 400 or so seats in the House, but most Democrats will face only token opposition (or in some cases, no opposition whatsoever).
Right now, due to various special elections coincident with the 2010 general election, the Democrats have 6 retiring Senators, Arlen Specter, and 12 Senators running for reelection. That’s a total of 19. If the Republicans can capture all 19 seats (and successfully defend all 18 Senate seats they now hold), then the Republicans gain the narrowest of majorities in the Senate, 60-38-2, but that includes notorious RINOs who likely even then still would side with liberal Democrats on many key votes. With 60 votes, however, Republicans can overcome Democrat filibusters and move their agenda through the Senate (unless President Obama vetoes them).
To gain a two-thirds majority, Republicans must capture 7 additional seats; the Senate election in 2012 features more Democrats for reelection (19-10-4), plus Hillary Clinton, Robert C. Byrd, Joseph I. Lieberman, and Bernard Sanders.
Not as long as all spending bills originate in the House. Republicans will have a lot of Obama-caused damage to clean up, but priority number one is to restore fiscal sanity before the country is swept into ruin. The House must come first. In 2012, hopefully the rest will follow.
It’s time to investigate Center for American Progress, expose them, shut them down and maybe throw them in jail for High Treason.
Short and sweet. She is defining herself before Blumenthal can start up the only things he has: McMahon has MONEY and the WWE.
I agree.
Well, before we start rejoicing, we’ve got to get it done. Crowing that we’re going to win is a good way to get overconfident and blow the whole thing. Or what was Ross Perot all about?
A wave is definitely building, and it’s a angry Constitutionalist wave. This is not what Obama & Company promised and there is a feeling of betrayal. The ‘Rat Party knows a wave is building, unlike in 1994, and will try to protect their candidates with cash walls.
I’m hoping the Pubbies take at least one chamber and hopefully both. Then I’m hoping ot see a whole bunch of congressional investigations of obammy and his czar buttheads.
And they all thought Dick Nixon was a crook!
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