Good news and bad news. The good news is national, and you've heard it if you're not deaf. In the congressional elections things have been surprisingly tight across the country. Three particularly galling results from California:
The results are in with 100% of precincts counted:
CA-03
William Durston 44.2%
Dan Lungren 49.4%
CA-04
Charlie Brown 49.9%
Tom McClintock 50.1%
CA-46
Debbie Cook 43.5%
Dana Rohrabacher 52.3%
It's not just that these are hard-core conservatives. These are really awful people, who should not be on the public payroll.
Lungren is a "devout Catholic" who never saw a death penalty or any severe punishment he didn't like. He was Gov. Pete Wilson's Attorney General, and ran for governor after him against the blander-than-bland with shades of corruption Gray Davis (who later was recalled, making way for Arnold). Lungren lost handily—he was too scary, even for California's more conservative districts.
McClintock has been trying for years to find a political office to win and to keep, and finally found a congressional district to carpet-bag into, 400 miles from where he actually lives. He's not particularly smart or original, but has been on the hard right of every issue reliably enough to be endorsed by the klan. He has been reliably devoid of humanity or humor.
And Rohrabacher—well, at least he could plead insanity. It's too bad, especially since Debbie Cook would make such a good congresswoman. I'll take a geologist over a circus freak any day, thank you.