The Good, The Bad and The Ugly

The Minnesota Senate race hasn’t been called, yet. Last heard (The Ed Shultz Show) that Norm The Weasle Coleman is winning by 300 votes. So let’s get the charts out and get that out of the way first. From dKos, the numbers look like this:

Obama McCain MoE +/- RV/LV
Today
Research 2000: 51 (51) 46 (45) 3 LV Final
Reuters/Zogby: 54 (51) 43 (44) 2.9 LV Final
IBD/TIPP: 52 (48) 44 (43) 3.3 LV alternate link
Rasmussen: 52 (52) 46 (46) 2 LV Final today
Battleground: 50 (50) 48 (44) 3.1 LV Final projected

Yesterday
USAToday/Gallup: 53 (52) 42 (45) 2 LV Final
Gallup: 53 (52) 42 (43) 2 LV Final all variations
NBC/WSJ: 51 (52) 43 (42) 3.1 LV Final
Diageo/Hotline: 50 (50) 45 (45) 3.4 LV Final
DCorps(D): 51 (52) 44 (43) 3 LV Final
Marist: 53 (50) 44 (43) 3.5 LV Final
CBS: 51 (54) 42 (41) 3 LV Final?
Fox: 50 (47) 43 (44) 3 LV Final
ABC/WaPo: 53 (54) 44 (43) 3 LV Final?
Ipsos: 53 (48) 46 (42) 3.6 LV Final

For the Demographics – This is what they look like:kos himself noted that turnout last night totally sucked. There have been reports that turnouts equaled to the 2000 election.

In Minnesota’s 6th District, El Tinklenberg has conceed to Michele Bat-shit Crazy Bachmann. Which is tragic to have the folks in the 6th who believe she’s an effective politician. Bachmann’s favorite lunch buddy in the US House of Representatives was Marilyn Musgrave. Musgrave, Colorado’s favorite Homophobe, lost to Betsy Marky who soundly won in a 58% -42% landslide victory. You can barf up your lunch and watch Hardball’s Chris Matthews congradulate Bachmann by clicking here.

Alaska surprised everybody by Ted Stevens’ election still not being called. The Boston Herald notes that they’re counting over 40,000 absentee ballots in less than 4,000 vote lead. Actually, it doesn’t really surprise me in the overall picture: Alaska will re-elect that crook, the US Senate will get their two-thirds majority to reject him and Sarah Palin will put in another Republican crony.

Gay and Lesbians lost an awful lot this election. It’s tragic that the Religious Zealots in this country keep their sheep terrorized and breed their flocks to carry on the homophobia. Again from dKos I highlighted issues I thought were the most telling:

Arizona Proposition 102 defining marriage as between a man and a woman (92%)
For: 1,009,693 – 57%
Against: 777,359 – 43%

Arizona Proposition 202 revoking business licenses for hiring undocumented workers (92%)
For: 702,839 – 41%
Against: 1,020,204 – 59%

Arkansas: Ban Gay Adoption (90%)
For: 549,074 – 57%
Against: 418,648 – 43%

California Proposition 2 to protect farm animals (84%)
For: 5,427,791 – 63.1%
Against: 3,167,769 – 36.9%

California Proposition 4 for parental notification on abortions (84%)
For: 4,061,123 – 47.2%
Against: 4,535,947 – 52.8%

California Proposition 8 to ban gay marriage (84%):
For: 4,605,065 – 51.8%
Against: 4,293,068 – 48.2%

Colorado Proposition 46 to end affirmative action (77%)
For: 886,544 – 49%
Against: 911,218 – 51%

Colorado Proposition 47 to make Colorado a right-to-work state(80%)
For: 863,812 – 44%
Against: 1,079,591 – 55%

Colorado Proposition 48 to define a zygote as a person
For: 494,058 – 27%
Against: 1,353,078 – 73%

Florida Amendment 2 more strongly banning gay marriage (99%)
For: 4,657,031 – 62%
Against: 2,848,490 – 38%

Massachusetts Question 1 to abolish the income tax (93%)
For: 842,799 – 30%
Against: 1,922,815 – 70%

Michigan Proposition 1 to approve medical marijuana (92%)
For: 2,704,166 (63%)
Against: 1,607,324 (37%)

Nebraska: Ban Affirmative Action (99%)
For: 384,729 – 58%
Against: 283,351 – 42%

South Dakota Initiated Measure 11 to ban abortion (99%)
For: 160,697 – 45%
Against: 196,847 – 55%

Washington Initiative 1000 on assisted suicide (48%)
For: 826,229 – 58%
Against: 588,321 – 42%

Total count of House and Senate seats picked up by the Democratic Party are still sketchy. I found this from the Marietta Register:

In the House of Representatives early returns show the Democratic Party expanding their majority to almost 250 over Republican count of roughly 180 members.This is the largest Democratic majority since the 1994 midterm elections in which Republican candidates won a majority of the House of Representatives with the Contract with America.The larger majority may allow more legislation to move through the House in a quicker manner but that remains to be seen in the new year when the next congress is seated.

At 10:25 last night, the San Jose Mercury News reported:

The Democrats who picked up GOP seats are:

- Colorado: Mark Udall defeats Bob Schaffer to win the seat of retiring GOP Sen. Wayne Allard

- New Hampshire: Jean Shaheen defeats GOP incumbent John Sununu

- New Mexico: Tom Udall defeats Steve Pearce to pick up the seat of retiring GOP Sen. Pete Domenici.

- North Carolina: Kay Hagan defeats incumbent Sen. Elizabeth Dole.

- Virginia: Mark Warner defeats Jim Gilmore to win the seat of retiring GOP Sen. John Warner

Undecided Senate races are:

- Alaska: Incumbent Republican Ted Stevens, convicted on seven felonies in a corruption scandal last week, faces Democratic Anchorage mayor Mark Begich.

- Oregon: Incumbent Republican Gordon Smith narrowly trails Democratic challenger Jeff Merkley 48-47 percent, with 40 percent of the vote counted.

- Minnesota: Incumbent Republican Norm Coleman leads Democrat Al Franken 43-41 percent, with 73 percent counted.

- Georgia: Incumbent Republican Saxby Chambliss leads Democrat Jim Martin 51-46 percent with 97 percent counted.

In the House, Democrats have so far picked up 16 seats.

I’m shocked that Saxby Chambliss is in such a tight race. This shows how far into the Deep South that the Democrats have grabbed. It’s thrilling to see that that Godless Kay Hagen handed Libby Dole her ass. The American Red Cross needs to get rid of her too.

I wasn’t surprised by Virginia, this makes Virginia more Blue than Minnesota: Both US Senators are Blue, their Governor is Blue and I’ve long since lost track of which chambers in the Virginia Legislature are Blue.

Oregon also surprises me, especially since Gordon Smith was proudly running around supporting Obama and claiming to be a RINO (Repbulican In Name Only).

I’m thrilled to find out that Virgil Goode (R-VA) lost his seat to a Republican. He was that Bat-Shit Crazy Idiot who hated my favorite Congresscritter: Keith Ellison.

Trivia points out that this might be the first time, a couple of cousins are in the US Senate, elected on the same day. Congratulations to both Mark and Tom Udall.

Something to note, and I’m late and have to run…. The Democratic Congressmen and Women from Minnesota kept their seats by a wide-majority of the vote. The Republicans kept their seats by very slim votes.

Secret Young Republicans training compound located!!

First photos are emerging from behind the enemy lines, where their nefarious indoctrination techniques corrupt the innocent minds of America’s youth and prepare them for a life committed to espousing Republican ideology that runs counter to their own self interests!

We all owe a debt of gratitude to the Democratic operatives that have risked their lives to bring us this first haunting photo:

Here we can obviously see a seemingly innocent piece of playground equipment that has been twisted by the right-wing propaganda masters into some sort of sick political metaphor…

Undercover operatives for the Democratic Party have told us that Republican parents force their unwilling children up the molded plastic stairs into the GOP’s “Indoctrination Machine.” These children remain inside for up to 48 hours until they are fully processed. The children, once they are completely transformed into a smelly mass of waste material, will eventually tumble down the chute behind the Indoctrination Machine fully prepared to carry-on the Neocon Agenda.

Said one Republican mother after her child was expelled from the Indoctrination Machine: “Oh, he’s still the little stinker he always was….” where she snickered and waddled away.

UNICEF, Save the Children and Sally Struthers have begun nationwide media campaigns to save these poor little children before they’ve become indoctrinated into the little GOP shit’s that’s expected of each and every one of them. So please: If you can give anything, please give to Sally Struther’s Christian Children’s Fund. Because Jesus, and only Jesus could love these little Turds.

I found it on Bartcop Nation… So it must be true!

Katherine Kersten’s “Republicanville”

A few years ago, Minneapolis Star-Tribune hired a “conservative” voice for the paper – what they ended up with was a dolt. Katherine Kersten’s writings are poorly researched, her facts are dubious at best and her conservative values forces her into the Land of Hypocrisies. I remember one of her earliest columns where she finger-wagged her critics that picking on her because of her religion was strictly off-base. Yet, since the Imams story broke last year, Kersten routinely ridicules and/or marginalizes the Muslim faith. If there’s an update on the lawsuit the Imams have filed, Kersten’s on top of it. Did I already complain about her lack of factual information? Oh good, I did.

Because today’s column is no different. In her piece: “Plenty of surprises in Ghost Town of political moderates“, she writes…an allegory(?) about moderate Republicans who are leaving Congress and it reminds her of a “ghost town”. It’s a really stupid column that’s factually flawed but packed with complaints about liberal blogs like DailyKos, liberal groups like Move-On and the DLC. She notes that Minnesota’s 3rd CD Jim Ramstad’s departure reminds her of a ghost town and finishes with this paragraph:

Today, there’s a regular stampede of moderates running for office. But they are more likely to wear a red Republican R brand than a blue D

Huh?! What does this have to do with a ghost town? And the facts are once again; completely wrong.

Incorrect Fact #1: There is a stampede going on — And the stamped is Republicans switching to become Democrats. Most recently in Texas, Represenative Kirk England of Grand Prairie announced his leaving the Republican Party and will caucus for Democrats from now on. England said with his middle finger in the air:

“After one session in the House, I found that the Republican leadership in Austin had no tolerance for the values and priorities of the folks I represent.

Note to Katherine Kersten: This is a quote from a Texan!

Last October, The Washington Post wrote a story that nine Republicans in Kansas have switched to the Democrat Party. In the piece entitled “Moderates in Kansas Decide They’re Not in GOP Anymore“, it noted that Mark Parkinson, the former Chair of the Kansas GOP has walked out of the party and ran for Lieutenant Governor with Kathleen Sebelius as a Democrat. And guess what – he won. The former GOP chairman of Kansas runs as a Democrat for Lt Governor and wins?!?!? He won?!?

We can’t even paint Kansas a deep-purple Red anymore…It’s Bluer than my Ben Franklin Purple-heart pin!!!

Last August 3, 2006, a rumor started that State Senator Nancy Riley of Oklahoma was trading her big red “R” brand for a shiny blue “D” brand because she was sick of the way the GOP had been treating her. By the end of the day, she switched and said this:

Riley says she was completely ignored by the Republican caucus during this year’s legislative session. She believes her treatment is because of her moderate views and because she’s a woman.

Note to Katherine Kersten:

Watch out Honey!! With the number of moderate Republicans stampeding to wear a big Blue “D” brand, you’re likely to get run over!!

Update #3: The term “RINO”, or “Republican In Name Only” shows up on ABC’s “Brothers and Sisters” program in Episode #25. The Walker family is heading to San Diego to reclaim a family-member and Kitty Walker (Republican-Calista Flockhart insists on tuning in the family car auto to a Konservative Radio Talk-Jock who makes animal noises when describing Ms. Walker’s fiance’. When asked about the noises, Kitty says; “It’s a rhinoceros” and her gay brother says: “I get it…RINO…”Republican In Name Only”.)

Updated #2: In Fairfax, VA, State Senator Jeannemarie Devolites Davis (R) is now running around calling herself a “RINO“: Republican In Name Only. In a district that’s regarded the most affluent in the state, Republicans watch it turning Blue and their state senator knows she can’t win on a Republican ticket.

Voters backed Democrats in the past two gubernatorial elections and went for U.S. Sen. Jim Webb last November.

Update #1: Ohhhhh…SNAP!! Big E from MnBlue just slapped me with a Comment. Apparently, Edina, MN mayor Jim Hovland is another “moderate Republican” who just might run for Ramstad’s Congressional seat… As a Democrat! How could I have missed that one?!?! I…Why I must have had a “Kersten-Sized brain-fart and forgot to do my research!”

Incorrect Fact #2: Kersten said:

Rep. Jim Ramstad of the Third Congressional District, who recently announced his retirement, is the latest to star in this tragic/heroic role.

Wrong. If Kersten bothered fact-checking herself, she would have discovered that the Star-Tribune reported Ramstad’s departure was on the 17th of September. One Friday Setember 21st, Jerry Weller (R-IL) of th 11th Congressional District announced he will not be seeking a re-election, making Congress Weller the latest star that is “stampeding” out of Congress. To make the fact even more painful, Weller’s stepping down is in a large part because of the amount of investigations and allegations against him.

…In fact: A watchdog group has declared Weller one of the most corrupt members of Congress, there’s a subpoena in a former colleague’s bribery trial and criticism from not revealing to Congress the extent of Nicaraguan land purchases.

Other Republicans “stampeding” out of Congress so far includes Conservative Republican John Warner of Virginia and Moderate Republican Chuck Hagel of Nebraska.

Now what about this allegory of a “Ghost Town” of moderate Republicans? What would Katherine Kersten’s thriving little “Republicanville” town look like?

Rep. Ken Calvert (R-CA) ,Rep. John T. Doolittle (R-CA), Rep. Tom Feeney (R-FL), Rep. Doc Hastings (R-WA), Rep. Duncan Hunter (R-CA), Rep. Jerry Lewis (R-CA), Rep. Gary G. Miller (R-CA), Rep. Timothy F. Murphy (R-PA), Rep. Steve Pearce (R-NM), Rep. Rick Renzi (R-AZ), Rep Harold Rogers (R-KY), Rep Don Young (R-AK), Rep Randy “Duke” Cunningham (R-CA), Rep Tom Delay (R-TX) and Rep. Heather A. Wilson (R-NM) would be headed to jail and/or under investigation by the local town sheriff. This includes both of Alaska’s Republican US Senators Ted Stevens and Lisa Murkowski, Pete Domenici (R-NM) and Kentucky’s Republican Senator Mitch McConnell.

Republicanville would be jam-packed with Preachers who love the town whores. Preachers like Ted Haggard, Lonnie Latham and Coy Privette all enjoying adultery while finger-wagging the townsfolk all about the sins listed in the Bible. The only town’s preacher who isn’t sleeping with a prostitute is the town drunk who’s wearing a skirt and urinating against the local theater. And the sheriff arrested him once and the preacher offered fellatio on the sheriff and his deputy.

In fact, prostitution would seem to be the only industry in Kersten’s Republicanville that thrives!

Shoot! You can even get a discount from one of the Local Madam’s whores just by mentioning David Vitter’s (R-LA) name! In Republicanville, even the lone outhouse is haunted by State Represenative Bob Allen (R-FL) offering the men needing to use the toilet a shiny $20 gold-coin if they’ll give him the privilege to perform fellatio on them while Larry Craig (R-ID) is offering fellatio on the inside for free!

Kersten’s perfect bustling town would have one radio station who’s only talk-show host is an over-weight drug addict who flies to tropical paradise islands where boy-prostitution is legal with an erectile dysfunction prescription filled out to somebody else. And while we’re talking about molesting little boys, let’s make sure we don’t forget Repupublicanville’s favored son Mark Foley (R-FL) who can molest your son faster than Kersten can write more bullshit in her next column.

Shucks Katherine, I completely forgot! Former United States Speaker of the House “Fat” Denny Hastert (R-IL) has decided to leave Congress faster than he could drum up an Exit Sign after deciding Mark Foley did no-wrong.

By the way: If your kid isn’t getting molested in Republicanville, he’s probably being raped in his sleep by the chair of the National Young Republicans Federation. If you have a daughter, she would be getting raped by the local National Young Republicans and then run around telling everybody that she deserved it.

One time, the town had a flood that could have been easily prevented, but Republicanville’s Mayor ignored the town and decided instead hang on in a sing-along with a no-name musician named Mark Willis. When a bridge fell down in the town, 13 people died and Katherine Kersten’s “Republicanville” thought the mayor would come through for them. He didn’t of course and he won’t! He has the diction of a third grader, but they’re still crossing their fingers he’s gonna come through on that bridge re-building thing!!

Katherine Kersten has no wiggle room in criticizing anybody for anything in relation to politics or religion. Kersten’s conservative Christian views are flawed and those who share in her conservative Christian views are morally, ethically, politically and spiritually bankrupt. Kersten throws her Star-Tribune weight around to belittle and demean anything outside of the scope of her narrow dime-sized world. She’ll criticize gays, Muslims, academia, Democrats – anything that isn’t holding a Bible and carrying a crucifix and wearing a big “red Republican R brand on their chest.”

In exchange, the backdrop to Kersten’s stage is covered in a vile filth unlike anything in American history. And yet, she continues to draw a paycheck! The Star Tribune finds her “valuable”, and I have a sneaky suspicion they’re keep this very stupid columnist on the payroll because so many of us love to hate her.