The Carnage may not be over yet

Unless you been woken from suspended animation, you have to know by now that the GOP lost the US House of Representatives and are on the verge of losing the Senate. Don't say TFM didn't warn you.

In Florida both Clay Shaw's Florida 22nd and the Florida 16th formerly held by Mark Foley were lost. When I went to bed, the Florida 13th looked to be staying GOP. This morning things don't appear so clear.

Republican Vern Buchanan was clinging to a 368-vote edge over Democrat Christine Jennings for the 13th Congressional District early this morning.

Although Buchanan declared victory just before 1 a.m., the razor-thin margin kept Jennings from conceding defeat and will generate an automatic recount.

“It’s been a long night,” Buchanan told diehard supporters gathered at the Sarasota Hyatt. “We got official notice. We won.”

The results were loaded with controversy as nearly 13 percent of all ballots cast in Sarasota didn’t include a choice for Congress. That difference, and scattered reports of difficulty finding the race on Sarasota’s touchscreen ballots, raised concerns about under votes in the race.

Supervisor of Elections Kathy Dent couldn’t explain why 8,000 to 10,000 fewer people voted in the congressional race than in other high-profile races for governor, attorney general or U.S. Senate. But she said nothing mechanical went wrong with the county’s $4.7 million touchscreen voting machine system.

“Could it be that both candidates are from Sarasota — I don’t know,” Dent said. “I don’t have a clue. We had a real heated race in the primary and I think it turned people off.”

Throughout the day voters complained that touchscreen voting machines were not registering votes for Jennings properly. Jennings campaign held a midday press conference to warn the problem was widespread.

So this race can't be put to bed yet. I agree with much of James Joyner's conclusions at OTB. These four in particular.

- Several House races lost through individual scandals involving Delay, Foley, Weldon, Ney, Sherwood, and others are low hanging fruit that should be easy to recapture in ‘08. Still, it will take either an incredibly popular presidential nominee or Hastertesque ineptitude on the part of Pelosi and company for the GOP to retake the House two years hence.

- The Republican leadership in both houses should, of course, be replaced with fresh faces. They have failed and must be held accountable. Newt Gingrich, who accomplished much more, had the good grace to resign for much less.


- Along those lines, Republicans should pray for the impeachment hearings to commence.

- Pelosi may be many things but she’s not an idiot. She’ll stave off any such attempts that are in the offing.

Nancy Pelosi wouldn't have gotten to be Minority leader without being politically savvy. Another impeachment would backfire on the party doing it.

I don't think the GOP can regain the house in two years time, but who knows what the political climate will be in 08. The first GOP step needed in order to regain the house is to dump their current leadership of that legislative body. If not, a change in 08 is even less likely to happen.

TFM is glad the election is over. I think much of this country will agree with me in saying we need a break from election year politics.

But how long before the talking heads start talking 08? Oops they have already begun!

Linked to- Bright & Early, Cao's Blog, Right Wing Nation,