Arkansas Blog

Come on, Max.
Let us dance in the end zone for a minute before we have to start thinking about the next game!

For Arkansans at least, this wasn't just a win for the Democrats - it was a loud repudiation of everything the Republican Party stands for - fear, hate, lies, ,bigotry, and greed. Despite the dirtiest, meanest, and most cynical effort at smearing their opponents I've seen in years, Hutchinson/ Holt/ Delay flopped - I think bringing the president in probably even cost them a few more points, but when you win by double digits, who is really counting? I am excited about our winners and for Arkansas.

Having the state once again firmly blue, I just hope we don't waste this opportunity to stay focused on Arkansas issues and that the newly elected politicians stay connected and loyal to the people who put them there.

Moments away from a Tester victory in Montana.

Webb looks like a winner even in a recount.

McCaskill has declared victory.

Folks, we have won the House AND the Senate and let THEM prove differently.

Moments away from a Tester victory in Montana.

Webb looks like a winner even in a recount.

McCaskill has declared victory.

Folks, we have won the House AND the Senate and let THEM prove differently.

I didn't believe it would turn out this way, but I was wrong. Go ahead and gloat. I was hoping to do so, but I can't. Hutchinson lost by an unbelievable margin, at least to me. Apparently, those insane polls weren't that insane after all.

One odd observation I made tonight is that Tim Hutchinson didn't lose by this wide a margin and that, jokingly, perhaps Asa should have left his wife for his secretary.

I would like to point out that the majority of the races that y'all did win and came close to winning, nationally, you did so by running as Republicans. It was very flattering, if not immensely maddening. If y'all have any intellectual honesty, you will realize that it certainly doesn't say much about your party that you have to pretend to be us to win. I don't need to explain this any further. If you have any integrity, at all, you will be able to admit to this.

I need to point that Alan Kerr did not lose. Unless I am missing something, there will be a runoff.

Either way, congratulations. I can't say that I relish democrats in power. In fact, I dread it, but congratulations are in order, so, congratulations and good night.

P.S. I'm dying to find out what exactly is the democrat's New Direction for America. Also, I'd love to be a fly on the wall of voters who vote for Webb and against the 20+ new democrat members of congress when they see that the actual result isn't a conservative democrat in power, but Arkansas Times type liberals in power. There are going to be a lot of people who feel duped.

The lesson that your party leaders have learned is that you can't win by being yourselves to the voters. When you do you get creamed like Mondale and Dukakis. Unfortunately for the American voters, y'all govern much differently from how you campaign.

Sorry for the rant, but I'm a bit upset. Regardless, I know this doesn't sound very sincere and I doubt I'd hear it from y'all, but congratulations. I really do hope you're happy---for now.

Anonymous, I'm not going to lie. You're kind of a douchebag.

Why? Lots of reasons. More particularly, these two comments:

If y'all have any intellectual honesty, you will realize that it certainly doesn't say much about your party that you have to pretend to be us to win.

when they see that the actual result isn't a conservative democrat in power, but Arkansas Times type liberals in power.

One of these things is not like the other.......

Anyways. I go to college up here in Louie, and I can say positively that the Democrat was completely different than the Republican. McGaskill (sp?). For example, she supports stem cell research. Students here flocked in huge numbers to vote for stem cell research (partly because the medical school plays such a large role) and against Jim Talent.

Both won by ~1-2 percentage points.

Oddly enough, a huge number of student voters were turned away and told they couldn't vote because their registration forms never came in. There's an investigation underway. It's especially suspicious since 90%+ of the students are liberal...so logically in a close race like this, a conservative candidate would want a low voter turnout from a place like this.

It doesn't matter. We still won. And we're celebrating.

Ok ok. Lots of grammar mistakes and my blockquote HTML tags didn't work.

Anonymous....

What a bunch of phony BS. You'd rather falsely credit Democrats than face the truth that your Repubs got whipped all across the board.

The Democrats are showing that they're a more inclusive party than the fear-mongering and bigotry-based Republicans any day of the week.

And just maybe they're more in tune with the majority of Americans about how this country ought to be run, especially concerning the Iraq fiasco.

You now get to wear the mantle of loyal opposition for a few more years. Bush and Cheney will steadfastly remain the bogeymen they've become to the American public for the next 2 years and maybe for the rest of their lives and probably beyond the grave.

If you would clear those bigots and constitution bashers from your party leadership, your party might have a chance again. If not, we'll have your number for a long time to come.

I'm right about in the middle between Max and Baber right this moment. I continue to have a diabetes and liver safe alcohol and drug free celebration in my undies. Well...the party isn't in my undies......you understand.

I think the party will continue for us for the rest of the week. It's been a bitch! A real bitch! And we all need a break. I need to write something on my blog and I'm determined it will have zero to do with politics. Remember back when ya had whole weeks and months and years without a political thought? Just another thing Bush ruined.

Maybe not today. Maybe not tomorrow, but soon and for the rest of our lives we're going to have to be at the ready to fight for honest, fair government in our cities, states and country. A funny thing about liberals, we tend to worry almost as much when our own party owns all the marbles. What's a wet dream for Republicans seems like a sure path to corruption since history has shown single party rule always leads down the same crooked path.

Our next job is to prevent Governor Beebe from turning into a Huckabee clone. I knew Harriman 25 years ago and thought he was a great guy. I don't know lobbyist Morril and while I'm willing to admit that Arkansas is covered with chicken feathers, that doesn't mean the industry gets to own the Governor's office.

In the last year I feel like I've come to know the character of many of the regular posters on this blog, if not person behind every nickname, and I have a good feeling that the same people will join in monitoring our new leaders when they take office in January. I think we're all after the same thing. Not victory notches on our political belts, but good government. Politicians that work for the good of all, not just fat cats, corporate America, or their own PAC.

I'll be sick and pissed and militant if Beebe, Halter and McDaniel turn out to be bad guys. If you think I said nasty things about Asa and Huck, I'm going to be harder on the new guys because I think they're better people, I've stuck my neck out for them, they already represent me.

It's not rocket science. Do the job, do not take bribes, do not repay your backers and friends and the rich and powerful with our tax dollars. Don't lie, cheat or steal. And show up at the office 5 times a week, except in a rare crisis and then show up more.

Don't get the big head and think you're a rock star. Don't try to gold plate everything you see. Remember the little guy now and then. And enjoy the great honor of winning the highest positions in our state government. I'd die a happy man if it said Governor or Lt. Gov. on my headstone. Be the kind of people you're mothers raised you to be and everyone in Arkansas will be alright.

We're 2 away from winning the Senate and both of our guys are ahead. I am going to be with a giant SIGH OF RELIEF! Happy Days are here again!

"If y'all have any intellectual honesty, you will realize that it certainly doesn't say much about your party that you have to pretend to be us to win."
Annoymouse.

Thanks for tipping the hat Annoy. But there you go again with your reliable Repub-ugh lies. What do you say to Bushco for creating Medicare Part D?
That's about as New Deal Democrat as you can get. Of course being corrupt to the core Bush's Drug plan was a giveaway to Big Pharma which will be the second thing on Democratic agenda to reform.

All together now:
IMPEACH CHENEY FIRST.
_

Oh, I forgot,

PEOPLE JUST DON'T LIKE A$A.

I gotta go to work.

But I did want to stop in and say one thing.....

AHhhhhhhhhhhhhh!

"If y'all have any intellectual
honesty, you will realize that
it certainly doesn't say much
about your party that you
have to pretend to be us to
win.
Posted by: Anonymous"

The Republicans should have pretended to be Republicans this time. You might have won. Instead, you decided to continue to appear as extremist right-wing nuts.

Granted, people don't go for extreme liberals. They barely tolerate moderate liberals. But neither do they go for extreme hard-line cold-hearted big-business-hugging conservatives who, at record levels, spend money we don't have.

This WAS NOT about the public voting for Democrats because they appear more moderate. This election was a repudiation of what the Republicans have become.

A trained monkey could have defeated the Republicans this time. The people cannot stand them. The reasons? The exit polls show corruption was the number one reason, followed by the economy (always), terrorism, and Iraq.

"To crush your enemies, to see them driven before you, and to hear the lamentations of their women." - Conan,on the question "What is best in life?"

And lest we forget:

"The ceremony continued for at least one day, during which the Roman people were presented with a vast parade celebrating the glory of the returning general. The conqueror rode in a triumphal gilded chariot led by white horses, and the dazed prisoners walked in front of him. In imperial times the conqueror was crowned with a laurel wreath and wore a purple tunic embroidered with palms under a purple toga embroidered with stars. Sometimes his children, robed in white, stood with him in the chariot, or rode the trace-horses. A slave stood behind the conqueror, holding a golden crown over his head, and whispering in his ear a warning that all glory's fleeting."-- Edward Gibbon (I think), from The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire.

And apropos of nothing: Tom Delay says this is not a victory for Democrats, just a rough night for Republicans.

That would be "Sic transit gloria mundi", dogtownius. It's also the first thing a newly-elected pope hears from his chamberlain.

"Tom Delay says this is not a
victory for Democrats, just a
rough night for Republicans.
Posted by: dogtownius"

I tend to agree. I don't think there was any great swell of support for the plans of the Democrats (raise min. wage, fix the Rx drug bill problems). This was more a complete repudiation of the way the Republicans have been running things.

Spirit, Dog! Yes it was a repudiation of GOP (non) values but across the nation, states voted for science (Missouri stem cell) for women's rights (N.D. abortion ban falls) FOR preservation of our great New Deal social programs, FOR peace, FOR clean government, FOR minimum wage - I could go on! Yes they did vote FOR Democrats and Democratic principles because the Republicans had become the antithesis of all of them.

It's time for the bloggers who impugned the integrity and professional competence of Ernie and Zoe Oakleaf to step up and admit they were wrong on both counts. I would especially like to hear from the jerk who presumed to give them lessons on the intricacies of polling.

"It's time for the bloggers who
impugned the integrity and
professional competence of
Ernie and Zoe Oakleaf to step
up and admit they were
wrong on both counts."

The way ArkFam.com and similar blogs are run, I expect all traces will disappear of the posts you reference.

"Anonymous" reports he is shocked, shocked that the polls turned out to be accurate. The Republicans have been in denial for months, choosing to accept Asa's suggestion that they dismiss the polls rather than accept them and work to turn things around. Those folks really WOULD drink the Kool Aid if Asa told them to.

Surely the name Hutchinson will now disappear from Arkansas politics. Good riddance.

Thanks anonymous! I'll take a congratulations from you, even though your dozen roses are full of angry bees. Folks, this is a major event when nony works this hard to be nice after being kicked in the pants.

As much as I'd love to see Macaca and evil Mr. Burns defeated, because over the last year I've really grown to hate them and everything that stand for personally, I really don't care. The Democratic gains we won last night in the Senate plus the 2 Independents mean the Republicans already do not control the Senate. If we do wind up owning the seats of Macaca and Wild Mustang Killer Burns, it's just a little more sugar in our coffee.

Owning the House means all the investigations into the failure and corruption of the Bush-Cheney administration will get off high center and back on track. This fact alone means plenty of sharp nails and big crosses for Bush, Cheney, Rummy, Hastert, Condi and any other lying sack currently in power in DC. Having impeachment power: PRICELESS.

And very very best of all Mr. Karl Rove suffered his first defeat in office last night. Showing even he can't win them all brings us ever closer to the day when he comes out of the closet and marries a slim-hipped, juicy teenage male page in a candle lit ceremony presided over by Rev. Ted Haggard, with Mark Foley as his maid of honor.

So thanks for the congrats nony, I know how hard it was for you to hand out. I hope we live to see the day when again people from opposing sides can chose to disagree and yet still be friends and work towards good honest government on every level.

Surely the name Hutchinson will now disappear from Arkansas politics. Good riddance. - Posted by: Spirit
******
Same thing that was said about Mr. Clinton (on more than one occasion). But, politicians that learn from their mistakes will live to fight another day. Don't count anyone out.

Except maybe John Kerry or Algore.

Uh, hate to break it to you but Beebe and Harriman are best, best friends. Do not expect any additional regulation of or any other matter against the chickens industry. They just elected their lobbyist. Oh, and kenndy over at Entergy is next on the list so expect rates to rise anytime they want it.

"Anonymous....

What a bunch of phony BS. You'd rather falsely credit Democrats than face the truth that your Repubs got whipped all across the board.

The Democrats are showing that they're a more inclusive party than the fear-mongering and bigotry-based Republicans any day of the week.

And just maybe they're more in tune with the majority of Americans about how this country ought to be run, especially concerning the Iraq fiasco.

You now get to wear the mantle of loyal opposition for a few more years. Bush and Cheney will steadfastly remain the bogeymen they've become to the American public for the next 2 years and maybe for the rest of their lives and probably beyond the grave.

If you would clear those bigots and constitution bashers from your party leadership, your party might have a chance again. If not, we'll have your number for a long time to come.

Posted by: Jake da Snak"

Jake, I expected better from you. Please, tell me exactly what the American people liked about your plan. Oh, that's right, y'all didn't tell them about any plan, and don't think you won because they think you're going to pull out of Iraq, because most of the gains you've made in the house and senate were made by people who barely talked about Iraq and certainly didn't say we were going to pull out. Name more than a handful who didn't act like Republicans... There have been a dozen or so posts since mine and only one suggestion that I've read so far that a candidate didn't act like a Republican. McCaskill may not have gushed like a schoolgirl, like Harold Ford about being pro-life and pro-gun, but she did see fit to lie about Talent supporting stem cell research, which he does and so do I. We both support adult and cord blood stem cell research, both of which have shown promise. Embryonic stem cell research hasn't produced hardly any results, but it's a liberal cause celeb along with it's further along partner abortion.

"What do you say to Bushco for creating Medicare Part D?
That's about as New Deal Democrat as you can get."

I agree, lwood, and I opposed it.

Perhaps I should take a moment to agree with a few of you and amend some of my previous statements. Democrats were also aided by Republicans acting like democrats while governing. That's hard to overcome. I'd love to see y'all parse the victory of Joe Lieberman in liberal Connecticutt if Iraq was the real issue.

I look forward to the reaction of the American people when Charlie Rangel proposes his tax increases and John Murtha and his buddies bring impeachment charges. None of these things were campaigned on in any of the districts and states that flipped, but that's what we're going to get if the leadership of your party does what they say and what y'all want. Please go at it with your typical hate-filled ferocity. I'm looking forward to 08. This is going to be 1980 all over again. Now I just need a Ronald Reagan.

Again, congratulations. Enjoy your wine. Y'all have been stomping on those sour grapes for 6 years now.

" Don't count anyone out.
Posted by: Don Keyhotay"

Let me go on record as counting the Hutchinsons out.

Out out out.

Please please keep running Holt, though. Please.

Well, Anonymous, I guess it's time for some bipartisanship here. Please don't lay claim to ideas as belonging to Republicans only. There is a long history of moderate and conservative Democrats, there have been liberal Republicans. No one has a copyright on a political idea.

The sour grapes and wine thing has a nice ring to it but in the end it was the voters who chose the course for this country and who feel the need for a change in leadership.

You're right that the Democrats didn't talk about their plan but that's the nature of politics. Churchill during his country's darkest hour didn't offer any plans but he did offer hope and defiance.

I've heard much mentioned today about getting both sides together on Iraq and coming up with bipartisan plans. Also, the new guy Gates is supposedly asking for more autonomy to handle Iraq as he sees fit. Sounds like both sides might work together for a change.

I don't see anything wrong with embryonic stem cell research. Attaching it to the abortion issue was quite a stretch anyways.

I apologize for not meeting your standards, but you can see that I was rambling around in the middle of the night. I'll try better. Let's hope we can find some common ground to help our country.