US House Of Representatives

Independents Wanted Parties To Compromise: Instead They Have Produced Greater Polarization! :(

Ronald 1 Comment

It has often been said that Independent votes decide elections, and certainly the majority of Independents supported the Democrats in 2008, and this time backed the Republicans in midterm elections.

Independents have always been those who condemn partisanship, and call for the two major parties to cooperate and work together toward compromise, but ironically, what they have done this time is to produce total stalemate, gridlock and polarization bound to be greater than the first two years of the Obama Administration! 🙁

The “Blue Dog” Democrats and some “mainstream” conservative Republicans have been defeated, and instead we have the most liberal Democrats and most conservative and “Tea Party” Republicans becoming dominant in their parties, which means no real chance of “crossing the aisle” and moving toward compromise! 🙁

So expect no real progress on the economy or other significant issues, but rather “fireworks” and heated rhetoric over the next two years! 🙁

The question is how Independents will vote in 2012 for Congress and the Presidency. Will they blame the GOP in the House of Representatives, or the Democrats in the Senate and the White House for the failure to deal with America’s problems? Which party will be in control of the Congress and the White House in 2013?

One thing is for sure: the great “theater” of politics will be in full swing, entertaining us and mortifying us at the same time, in 2011-2012! 🙁

The Loss Of The Democrats In The House Of Representatives: 4 “Progressives” And 24 “Blue Dogs”!

Ronald 5 Comments

One of the most significant developments of yesterday’s election was the loss of many Democratic House members, most of whom had voted against much of the Obama Administration programs, including the Health Care legislation, in order to save their jobs, but the tactic failed!

Statistics show that only 4 out of 80 “progressives” lost re-election while the so called “Blue Dogs” lost 24 of 53 members!

So the concept that cooperating with Republicans would save their seats failed miserably!

It makes one wonder why anyone would feel that they should cooperate with a party which is totally negative and unwilling to compromise!

It is already clear that the GOP and the talk show hosts on radio and Fox News Channel have no goal, but the defeat of the Obama Presidency, and that they have no desire to solve any problems facing the nation in the next two years!

So a warning to those Democrats that remain in the House, the lowest since 1948: Lick your wounds, and come out fighting over the next two years for what you believe in, as compromising with the opposition was a total disaster for the so called “Blue Dogs”! 🙁

A First In Congress: A Democratic Senate And Republican House Of Representatives!

Ronald 1 Comment

For the first time ever in modern times, the country faces the unusual situation of a Democratic Senate and a Republican House of Representatives!

From 1911-1913, 1931-1933, and 1981-1987, we saw a split Congress, but with a Democratic House of Representatives and a Republican Senate!

So the 112th Congress in 2011-2012 will be extremely unusual, with “the people’s branch” being under the control of the GOP, and the Senate in the hands of the Democrats!

What will this mean, as far as progress in dealing with the problems faced by this country internally, as well as overseas?

Unfortunately , the likelihood is total stalemate and gridlock, which is bound to make things worse, rather than better!

So has the anger and frustration of the voters led to creation of the possibility of appropriate dedication to the “people’s business”? The answer is clearly NO! 🙁

The Republican House will try to derail the entire Obama agenda and accomplishments of the past two years, with the Democratic Senate blocking any such repeal, and if by some reason, some Democrats join a united Republican party against the President’s policies, the result will be that President Obama will utilize the veto. If that happens, the Republicans will be unable to override the veto by a two thirds vote!

So again, what have the voters done in their wisdom? They have created a government which is LESS LIKELY to accomplish ANYTHING, and will leave the voters more frustrated and angry in 2012, than they are in 2010!

And who will they blame? The Republican House, the Democratic Senate, or the Democratic President? It should be an interesting scenario, leading to more chaos and anarchy!

So was it smart for the American people to react to difficult times by anger and temper tantrums? NO, and they have almost certainly guaranteed absolutely no improvement in the unemployment rate, in creation of jobs, in the foreclosure crisis on home mortgages, in dealing with the myriad of other domestic problems this country faces! 🙁

Should people make important decisions when they are angry and frustrated? Anyone who is rational knows the answer is clearly NO! 🙁

The Good Side Of The Election Results: Democracy In Action!

Ronald 2 Comments

For those of us who are progressives and liberals, the results of the midterm elections are a time for reflection and reorganization.

It is obvious there is a need for mid course correction by the Obama Administration, and certainly the battle for progressive principles is re-energized by the triumph of the Republican party in taking over the House of Representatives, gaining many seats in the US Senate, and taking over a substantial number of governorships.

But while we assess the results, which the author will do over a period of time in detail, we can all agree that we are fortunate to have the great democracy that we have that allows the American people to register their feelings and change government policies and personnel on a regular basis.

Even if at times the results are seen as disappointing, we can be thankful that we live in a nation where government can be changed without bullets or violence in other forms.

So as we move to the uncertain future, let us all keep a sense of sobriety and balance as the challenges we all face present themselves. And the fight for social justice will continue no matter how much opposition may now exist to the progressive agenda!

The House Of Representatives: How Many Seats Will The Republicans Gain?

Ronald 1 Comment

It is time to start assessing and prognosticating how the election results will play out this coming Tuesday!

It will likely take a few days to be sure of the final results in all 435 races for the House of Representatives.

As the author sees it, there is no question that the opposition party will win seats, as that is traditional in a midterm election.

The question is whether the Republicans will be able to gain a net total of 39 seats, with the expectation that the Democrats will win 4-6 Republican held seats, which effectively means that the GOP will have to gain 43-45 seats.

Predictions are between the low 30s and the very high number of 60-70 seats if there is a total collapse of the Democrats on Election Day.

The belief of the author is that, after all the votes are in, the Republicans will gain a net total of 33 seats, six short of a majority, meaning a House of Representatives with 224 Democrats and 211 Republicans!

Of course, with such a small margin, it is always possible, after the fact, that six or seven Democratic survivors who are more moderate to conservative could switch over to the Republican party, and have an effect on organization of the House in January!

So, imagine a Democratic held House by a small margin where a few Democrats votes to back a Republican Speaker of the House!

So will Nancy Pelosi be Speaker of the House in a closely divided House, or will she bow out and even possibly resign from her seat?

The prediction is that to manage to keep the small Democratic majority, she will resign and be replaced by her deputy, seen as somewhat more moderate, House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer of Maryland!

And should the GOP gain enough seats to win control of the House of Representatives, will John Boehner become Speaker of the House? Don’t bet on it, as one must watch the “Young Guns”, led by House Minority Whip Eric Cantor, Kevin McCarthy, and Paul Ryan, who are overly ambitious and much more aggressive, and planning for future leadership in the House. So if Boehner ends up as the Speaker, he will know he has these younger members sniping at his heels, ready to undermine him if he does not tow to their line!

So in summary, neither Nancy Pelosi nor John Boehner will have an easy time if either is the potential Speaker of the House in the 112th Congress!

It is more likely that Steny Hoyer or Eric Cantor will be the ultimate beneficiary of these congressional elections two days from now!

The Governors: Key To Reapportionment Battles For The Next Decade!

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While so much attention has been addressed to the US Senate and House races this election year, the voters’ choices of 37 Governors are crucial for the long term health, or lack of it, of the two major political parties for the next decade!

This is due to the fact that the Governors will have the major input to the approval of reapportionment plans in the states for seats in the US House of Representatives, as well as state legislative districts.

Even if the state legislature is controlled by one party, if the Governor in office in 2011 is of the opposition party, it can have a dramatic effect on how the districts are gerrymandered, and can determine fortunes politically for the next ten years!

This is particularly significant in large states such as Texas, California, Florida, Illinois, Ohio, Michigan, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Missouri, Washington, Massachusetts, New Jersey and New York, among others.

So the state governorship races require more analysis than would be often imagined, because of their effect on the national political scene!

The Year Of The “Wingnuts”, The “Loonies”, The “Crazies”! :(

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This midterm election year has been the most amazing of times, with so many “wingnuts”, “loonies”, and “crazies” running for public office, or candidates for re-election, and the thought that any of them might be elected or re-elected is a sign of how desperate, confused, and frustrated the people of America are!

The term “wingnut” was coined by journalist John Avlon, who has written articles and a notable book on the subject. Avlon promotes a moderate, centrist view of politics, and he is excellent at portraying the horrible politicians, many without any real qualifications, who might become our leaders, or are already our leaders!

If they do win, the American people will soon realize the errors of their ways, but it will be too late, and particularly with the Senate, we will be stuck with these characters for at least six years! 🙁

So who are the “wingnuts”, the “loonies”, the “crazies”?

Senate races–Newcomers

Rand Paul, Kentucky
Sharron Angle, Nevada
Mike Lee, Utah
Ken Buck, Colorado
Joe Miller, Alaska
Christine O’Donnell, Delaware
Linda McMahon, Connecticut
Carly Fiorina, California
Pat Toomey, Pennsylvania
John Raese, West Virginia
Ron Johnson, Wisconsin
Alvin Greene, South Carolina

Senators In Office

Jim DeMint, South Carolina
David Vitter, Louisiana
Richard Shelby, Alabama
Tom Coburn, Oklahoma

House Races

Michele Bachmann, Minnesota–in office
Virginia Foxx, North Carolina–in office
Marsha Blackburn, Tennessee–in office
Ben Quayle, Arizona–newcomer
Allen West, Florida–newcomer

Governor Races–Newcomers

Rick Scott, Florida
Carl Paladino, New York
Tom Tancredo, Colorado
Tom Emmer, Minnesota
Dan Maes, Colorado

This list is partially from Avlon’s articles and book, and partly based on other reports of what these candidates or office holders have advocated or promoted, ideas which would set back American progress, or else have encouraged character assassination of President Obama with “birther” statements or claims he is “Muslim”, a “terrorist”, a “Kenyan”, and other reckless rhetoric that promotes violence, confrontation, and threatening behavior! 🙁

The author will comment on the likelihood of how many of these will be elected before Election Day next Tuesday!

Conventional Wisdom On Incumbents Being In Trouble May Be Wrong!

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It has been said that this is the year that incumbents will lose seats in Congress on a large scale, but at least in the primaries, it turns out that only SEVEN incumbents have lost, which means more than 98 percent of all incumbents have won renomination!

Of course, Election Day in November could see a massive wave of incumbents losing to their challengers, but at least so far, that is NOT the trend!

Three Senators–Robert Bennett of Utah, Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania, and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska,–have lost renomination, but Murkowski is running a write in campaign and is seen as running evenly with the person who defeated her in the primary–Joe Miller–, and has a good chance of being only the second person to win a Senate seat by write in votes, after Strom Thurmond of South Carolina in 1954!

Four Congressmen have lost–Parker Griffith of Alabama, Bob Inglis of South Carolina, Alan Mollohan of West Virginia, and Carolyn Cheeks Kilpatrick of Michigan! This is about average in any congressional election year, occurring every even year. And this round, the losers are three Democrats and four Republicans!

So standard thoughts may just be such, and not be the action of the electorate in November! Again, we shall see, very soon!

Clear And Present Danger: Sharron Angle, Stephen Broden, Allen West! :(

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Sharron Angle is the controversial GOP Senate nominee in Nevada against Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid.

Stephen Broden is the Republican nominee in the 30th Congressional District of Texas against Congresswoman Eddie Bernice Johnson.

Allen West is the Republican nominee in the 22nd Congressional District of Florida against Congressman Ron Klein.

What is in common among these three candidates?

All three have advocated using the Second Amendment as an alternative if the Republicans do not gain control of the government by the ballot, as they see the Obama Administration as a danger to the country that should be removed by revolutionary means if necessary! 🙁

All three have made such statements in public gatherings, and yet the Republican party supports them financially, despite their dangerous and reckless rhetoric! 🙁

These people are not conservatives; they are fascist oriented, willing to advocate violence and use of force to accomplish their means! 🙁

It is NOT acceptable speech to advocate armed overthrow of the US government because one is unhappy with the administration that is in power! 🙁

If an extreme leftist radical advocated armed insurrection against a conservative Republican President, Fox News Channel and radio talk show hosts would rightfully condemn them and call for their repudiation!

But, interestingly, we have a great silence from such sources, as well as the Republican party leadership, who seem to think that these Tea Party backed candidates should not be renounced for their extremist rhetoric! 🙁

Words are not just words–they are weapons which can tip unstable people toward the use of violence, and can lead to political assassinations! 🙁

These people need to be repudiated and defeated for the mental health of the nation! 🙁

The Tea Party Threat In Congress! :(

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The Tea Party Movement is within striking distance of gaining up to 33 seats in the House of Representatives, and 8 seats in the Senate, if Democrats, progressives, and independents fail to come out and vote 18 days from now! 🙁

The NY Times has come to that conclusion today, and it has been made clear that if the Tea Party Movement accomplishes that kind of gain of seats in Congress, then the following will be promoted by them! 🙁

1, Privatizing of Social Security.
2. Privatizing of Medicare.
3. Repeal of the Health Care legislation and Minimum Wage Laws.
4. Ending of Unemployment Compensation.
5. Ending of Food Stamps.
6. Ending of Public Education.
7. Repeal of the 17th Amendment–Direct Election of Senators.
8. Repeal of parts of the 14th Amendment having to do with citizenship at birth in the country.
9. Repeal of the 16th Amendment–Federal Income Tax.
10. Repeal of the Estate Tax.
11. Eliminating the Internal Revenue Service.
12. Prevention of any legislation on the environment.
13. Prevention of any financial regulatory legislation.
14. Promotion of the Arizona illegal immigration law elsewhere.
15. Wiping out all federal cabinet agencies except State, Treasury, Defense, and Justice.
16. Promotion of a balanced budget amendment.
17. Following the “original” intent of the Founding Fathers at the Constitutional Convention of 1787.
18. Investigation of every action of the Obama Administration, and impeaching him as a foreign born citizen from Kenya.

It is more obvious than ever that this Tea Party Movement is extremist, radical, and right wing, and they not only threaten the whole basis of modern America, but also the whole political party system–not just the Democrats, but also the Republican party which is dangerously flirting with these wingnuts! 🙁