Crossposted at
Waxing America
Conservative pundits are wailing about how Nancy Pelosi does not have a solid majority in the House. I can remember the day when a Democratic majority was the standard for her becoming Speaker. It was Monday of this week.
Conservative pundits are pointing out that the Democratic victory was achieved by the party moving to the center. Foolish Republicans. Yes, conservatives like Casey won in Pennsylvania, but given the size of the victory over Santorum and the loss of Ford in in Tennessee, it is clear that being a conservative Democrat was not the key to winning.
I love the Republican logic on why they lost: It was a bad year to have an 'R' in front of your name. They make no connection between supporting the Bush war in Iraq, the tax breaks for the super rich, the bribery both at home and in Iraq, and the meanness of the House Republican leadership.
Congratulations to some very special winners in races that were key to Wisconsin and meant a lot to me personally:
Tom Sullivan who beat Tom Reynolds in State Senate 5
Kathleen Vinehout over Ron Brown, R-Eau Claire, the 31st Senate District (the last check I wrote Thursday).
Rep. John Lehman, D-Racine. McReynolds beating Republican Bill McReynolds in the 21st Senate District (Take that Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce.)
A special cheer for Gordon Hintz winning the Assembly seat in Oshkosh (Take that WMC).
Applause to Joe Wineke, Wisconsin Democratic Party chair, for a great campaign.
It will be extra special if Pat Kreitlow defeats Republican incumbent Dave Zien of Eau Claire (Take that WMC). Proving that it takes more than guns, god, and gays to even win a Republican District.
The referendum designed as wedge issues may have won but they failed to help their cynical author and architect, the mean spirited John Grad who was defeated by Democrat, Steve Kagen to succeed Mark Green in the Eighth Congressional District.
I have very mixed feelings on the Kathleen Falk loss to J.B. Van Hollen in the Attorney General race. For the good people of our state it is a terrible blow to have such an unprincipled occupant in the office. For Falk it is a dose of reality. Her naked ambition was evident. Her looking after Kathleen finally caught up with her and demonstrates that a veneer of smiles and left wing rhetoric is not enough.
Nothing has changed over the last fifty years. Where elections and districts were close, the candidate who was perceived as competent and sincere about fixing problems won, regardless of party, ideology, or tenure.
A Democratic majority in the United States Senate, which seems likely, giving the party control of both houses of Congress puts even more pressure on them to produce a strong agenda and platform for 2008. This win can be turned into a real national majority for Democrats, not just a shifting of independents.
The wisdom of running a national campaign, fielding candidates in every district, and conceding nothing was correct. It would be great in 2008 if Democrats fielded candidates for every Assembly and State Senate district in Wisconsin.
Paul Soglin