Must be because of that irrational worship of Obama that the six remaining GOP fanboys keep talking about.

Two seats? That's per state, right? 'Cause it looks like they're going to lose two right here in New Mexico.

if they only lose two it would be a miracle. realistic best case scenario for the senate is losing virginia, new hampshire and new mexico. they will most likely lose colorado as well. they have incumbents in trouble in north carolina and oregon but each is still ahead. maine and texas are the longshots for democratic pickups. the only seat the republicans have a shot at taking is louisiana, but that's at least as safe as north carolina is for the gop.

Is this like the 2007 Miami Dolphins happy that they only lost 15 games?

oldebayer: Two seats? That's per state, right? 'Cause it looks like they're going to lose two right here in New Mexico.

How can they lose two Senate seats in a year? Only one Senator from any single state can be up for election or reelection at one time.

I believe you're confusing the House for the Senate.

flavor of the month: if they only lose two it would be a miracle. realistic best case scenario for the senate is losing virginia, new hampshire and new mexico. they will most likely lose colorado as well. they have incumbents in trouble in north carolina and oregon but each is still ahead. maine and texas are the longshots for democratic pickups. the only seat the republicans have a shot at taking is louisiana, but that's at least as safe as north carolina is for the gop.

You forgot Tennessee. It's by far the safest seat the Republicans have.

That's the closest thing to honesty you'll see out of this guy.

The brand is toxic up and down the ticket at every level. I've heard from a reliable source state representatives are so embattled there's a risk of Farkers in office.

/Go Templeton and Skovran!

Good. The national party betrayed their principals and sold their souls to the fundies. They *deserve* to lose, and lose badly. Because short of an utter disaster this year, they won't change.

Maybe their time is done.

The GOP congress sucked. The Dem congress sucks. *yawn*

This is what happens when you can't like rational adults. Republicans needs a genocide or a cleansing within the party and get rid of the farking fundies, pedophiles, criminals... shiat pretty much all its feckless members and supporters.

Goldwater warned you.

Weaver95: Good. The national party betrayed their principals and sold their souls to the fundies. They *deserve* to lose, and lose badly. Because short of an utter disaster this year, they won't change.

Maybe their time is done.

As I said in a prior thread, 20 years of purging and restructuring. The GOP is fundamentally rotten to its core.

Since Ted Stevens is too stupid to realize that his indictment really looks bad in the face of his constituents, he's continuing to run. He might even win his primary.

Which means Democrats would gain a Senate seat in Alaska too.

Weaver95: Good. The national party betrayed their principals and sold their souls to the fundies. They *deserve* to lose, and lose badly. Because short of an utter disaster this year, they won't change.

Maybe their time is done.

Don't just blame the fundies, you also have Reagan democrats, the wall street republicans, and southern rednecks. Fundies didn't do this all by themselves.

Plate of Crazy

My bad. Just got up and didn't read the article. Make that one Senate and at least one House seat in NM.

Occam's Chainsaw: Weaver95: Good. The national party betrayed their principals and sold their souls to the fundies. They *deserve* to lose, and lose badly. Because short of an utter disaster this year, they won't change.

Maybe their time is done.

As I said in a prior thread, 20 years of purging and restructuring. The GOP is fundamentally rotten to its core.

I'm forced to agree. This past decade has revealed scandal after scandal after scandal. I'm starting to wonder if there's anything even worth salvaging. They're no longer the party of fiscal conservatism, not even in name only.

Plate of Crazy: oldebayer: Two seats? That's per state, right? 'Cause it looks like they're going to lose two right here in New Mexico.

How can they lose two Senate seats in a year? Only one Senator from any single state can be up for election or reelection at one time.

I believe you're confusing the House for the Senate.

You are probably correct on the confusion, but a couple of states have 2 races this year due to an incumbent off-year Senator dying in office (Mississippi and Wyoming).

SeismicJizzer: This is what happens when you can't like rational adults. Republicans needs a genocide or a cleansing within the party and get rid of the farking fundies, pedophiles, criminals... shiat pretty much all its feckless members and supporters.

Goldwater warned you.

Yep, the far right took over the party. It was scary when the Republicans controlled both houses and the Presidency. I hope the Democrats don't also become scary if they control all three.

After openly bragging about having a one-party state (permanent republican majority) I hope the republicans get their collective totalitarian asses handed to them in the next election.

538's been doing senate projections for a while. Link (p)

atlanta_ufo: I hope the Democrats don't also become scary if they control all three.

Of course they will. But this isn't the time or place to discuss the Democrats and their neo-socialist tendencies. Let's try to stay focused on the corruption within the Republican party.

atlanta_ufo: Yep, the far right took over the party. It was scary when the Republicans controlled both houses and the Presidency. I hope the Democrats don't also become scary if they control all three.

Don't worry, the far right still controls the SCOTUS. Doubt me? Go read the "right answer for all the wrong reasons" majority opinion on Heller.

atlanta_ufo: Yep, the far right took over the party. It was scary when the Republicans controlled both houses and the Presidency. I hope the Democrats don't also become scary if they control all three.

Naw, democrats are the biggest pussies, they are afraid of being called communists, or socialists to change status quo. Hell they allowed the word "liberal" to become anti American and now changed it to "progressive." When you allow Republicans to even change your name that is farked up.

ifarkthereforiam: After openly bragging about having a one-party state (permanent republican majority) I hope the republicans get their collective totalitarian asses handed to them in the next election.

This year won't be sufficent to completely remove them from government....but it should damage them fairly badly. Combined with all their corruption scandals, it might further weaken them at the state and local level and actually give libertarians and green party candidates a chance at state elections. we'll have to wait and see how that goes.

atlanta_ufo: I hope the Democrats don't also become scary if they control all three.

They'd need about 25 years. Roberts, Alito and Thomas are still pretty young, and the lower federal courts are stuffed with right-wing nut-jobs.

Weaver95: ifarkthereforiam: After openly bragging about having a one-party state (permanent republican majority) I hope the republicans get their collective totalitarian asses handed to them in the next election.

This year won't be sufficent to completely remove them from government....but it should damage them fairly badly. Combined with all their corruption scandals, it might further weaken them at the state and local level and actually give libertarians and green party candidates a chance at state elections. we'll have to wait and see how that goes.

So long as our electoral system remains biased in favor of the two ruling parties, don't hold your breath. The only thing worse than corruption and gerrymandering is corruption, gerrymandering, and collusion.

Weaver95: ifarkthereforiam: After openly bragging about having a one-party state (permanent republican majority) I hope the republicans get their collective totalitarian asses handed to them in the next election.

This year won't be sufficent to completely remove them from government....but it should damage them fairly badly. Combined with all their corruption scandals, it might further weaken them at the state and local level and actually give libertarians and green party candidates a chance at state elections. we'll have to wait and see how that goes.

Pelosi. Reid and Co are damaging the gains the left really could have made. The GOP will lose 10-18 seats, but could have lost much more if not for the ineptitude of this congress.

Occam's Chainsaw: So long as our electoral system remains biased in favor of the two ruling parties, don't hold your breath. The only thing worse than corruption and gerrymandering is corruption, gerrymandering, and collusion.

Where it gets interesting is that our current system only works because both parties prop each other up. remove the pins holding even ONE of them together and the remaining party can't keep a lock on the electorate anymore. Oh, they'll maintain legislative control in some key areas. They might even make inroads into other contested areas....but they won't be able to fend off third party/regional parties and keep them out of state level politics any more. And once the state party organizations start falling apart, that will make life at the national level much more interesting.

You know the words.

Weaver95: Where it gets interesting is that our current system only works because both parties prop each other up. remove the pins holding even ONE of them together and the remaining party can't keep a lock on the electorate anymore. Oh, they'll maintain legislative control in some key areas. They might even make inroads into other contested areas....but they won't be able to fend off third party/regional parties and keep them out of state level politics any more. And once the state party organizations start falling apart, that will make life at the national level much more interesting.

That's where the collusion part comes in. If the Democrats are seriously threatened by any third parties, I full well expect that they would help the GOP in whatever capacity necessary to make the Greens / Libs / Socialists / whoever go away. Better the devil you know...

You know what would be cool a conservative party!

You know, one that actually follows the ideals of conservatism, Milton Friedman + Barry Goldwater.

It would really make my year if a President Obama, on his first day in office, instituted a 6-day work week for Congress for two months to try to undo as much Republican legislation as possible.


/not gonna happen
//but one can dream

hopefully that whoremongrel corporate slut Pelosi is kicked out on her fat ass

Occam's Chainsaw: That's where the collusion part comes in. If the Democrats are seriously threatened by any third parties, I full well expect that they would help the GOP in whatever capacity necessary to make the Greens / Libs / Socialists / whoever go away. Better the devil you know...

I am reminded of the parable of the scorpian and the frog....

Well, considering the nominee the Republicans gave us, they deserve to lose power. And when the shiat hits the fan and Obama ends up being a disaster, maybe we'll finally get a decent candidate.

//voting Bob Barr

SeismicJizzer: This is what happens when you can't like rational adults. Republicans needs a genocide or a cleansing within the party and get rid of the farking fundies, pedophiles, criminals... shiat pretty much all its feckless members and supporters.

Goldwater warned you.

BOTH parties need a genocide! If all of Washington DC ceased to exist tomorrow and we had to start all over, we'd be in much better shape.

SeismicJizzer: atlanta_ufo: Yep, the far right took over the party. It was scary when the Republicans controlled both houses and the Presidency. I hope the Democrats don't also become scary if they control all three.

Naw, democrats are the biggest pussies, they are afraid of being called communists, or socialists to change status quo. Hell they allowed the word "liberal" to become anti American and now changed it to "progressive." When you allow Republicans to even change your name that is farked up.

They can change it to "progressive" all they want. To me it means "I'm progressively taking more & more of your money away from you"

The Name: It would really make my year if a President Obama, on his first day in office, instituted a 6-day work week for Congress for two months to try to undo as much Republican legislation as possible.


/not gonna happen
//but one can dream

Fat chance of that happening, when Pelosi won't even stay to try to fix the oil problem. She's more interested in her own vacation & power to give a damn about the "little" people.

glassa: They can change it to "progressive" all they want. To me it means "I'm progressively taking more & more of your money away from you"

For some reason that i've never been able to understand, i'm supposed to be happy about giving more and more of my money to the social security system. And then be overjoyed when the same government that taps my phones and abuses it's authority whenever possible gets to run our healthcare system.

less government, not more. that's the solution.

Weaver95: glassa: They can change it to "progressive" all they want. To me it means "I'm progressively taking more & more of your money away from you"

For some reason that i've never been able to understand, i'm supposed to be happy about giving more and more of my money to the social security system. And then be overjoyed when the same government that taps my phones and abuses it's authority whenever possible gets to run our healthcare system.

less government, not more. that's the solution.

See, we parallel each other in a lot of views, but you'd completely reject my belief that we could spend on responsible social programs while simultaneously cutting ineffectual government programs, kickbacks, and bureaucracies to the bone and still get off better than we have it now.

It's beyond sad how pejorative a term "promote the general welfare" has become.

Neeek: You are probably correct on the confusion, but a couple of states have 2 races this year due to an incumbent off-year Senator dying in office (Mississippi and Wyoming).

Trent Lott (Mississippi) didn't die. He resigned before his brother-in-law and business partner Dickie Scruggs got convicted for trying to bribe a judge.

glassa: They can change it to "progressive" all they want. To me it means "I'm progressively taking more & more of your money away from you"

So basically what you're saying is that you're okay with money being taken away from you for welfare, as long as it goes to poor Iraqis and not poor Americans, right?

Weaver95: ifarkthereforiam: After openly bragging about having a one-party state (permanent republican majority) I hope the republicans get their collective totalitarian asses handed to them in the next election.

This year won't be sufficent to completely remove them from government...but it should damage them fairly badly. Combined with all their corruption scandals, it might further weaken them at the state and local level and actually give libertarians and green party candidates a chance at state elections. we'll have to wait and see how that goes.

No, I don't truly expect them to be obliterated, but smacked back good will suffice for now. I'm reading a biography of Alexander Hamilton and just finished the part about how the first parties came about. It seems they were formed around personalities as much as issues. Not much has changed since then.

I'd definitely like to see more parties involved so the single issue people will not dominate either party as they have in the past. In years past I tended to vote for the lesser of 2 evils or third party. Unfortunately I will not be voting for a party, but simply against the republicans until the taint of dittoheadism is removed from the Rs.

Occam's Chainsaw: See, we parallel each other in a lot of views, but you'd completely reject my belief that we could spend on responsible social programs while simultaneously cutting ineffectual government programs, kickbacks, and bureaucracies to the bone and still get off better than we have it now.

That's because I believe that ANY authority given to government will sooner or later be abused and/or corrupted to serve the political interests of the group running those programs. we cannot trust any government group or government run program to remain true to their stated/intended goal. And we can't even keep those programs from bloating. The only effective oversight is to eliminate most of them.

This is why the presidential election is going to get even uglier. The GOP won't allow itself to be completly shut out.

(Not counting pussy Democratic congressmen who role over like a puppy every time Rebulicans should "terrorists!")

moops: Since Ted Stevens is too stupid to realize that his indictment really looks bad in the face of his constituents, he's continuing to run. He might even win his primary.

Which means Democrats would gain a Senate seat in Alaska too.

Stevens was already losing to the Dem before the scandal hit. THAT'S how bad this is all going down.

glassa: She's more interested in her own vacation & power to give a damn about the "little" people.

Or she's more interested in actually keeping with Congressional tradition and allowing Representatives to go back and meet with their constituents. Whether we look at drilling before or after recess, it doesn't matter because we won't see effects for at least several years. So shut your panicky ass up.

By setting the expectations low, the GOP is actually setting the bar higher for the Democrats.

If the Democrats can't take more than two seats, then they've not met expectations and it's obvious that America isn't ready for their brand of liberalism yet, giving the GOP some good talking points.

If the Democrats do take more seats overall, then it was expected, as the GOP themselves already said so. It'll be difficult for the Democrats to really spin as an upset, though they will, of course, get gloating rights.

Democrats better not fark it up too much by November, else they'll be exceptionally embarrassed.

I'm supporting the Democrats, because their tax-cutting policies will allow me to keep more of my own hard-earned money.

/likes money

Weaver95: That's because I believe that ANY authority given to government will sooner or later be abused and/or corrupted to serve the political interests of the group running those programs. we cannot trust any government group or government run program to remain true to their stated/intended goal. And we can't even keep those programs from bloating. The only effective oversight is to eliminate most of them.

The logical end point of that argument is anarchy, for if the government will automatically corrupt and abuse any and every power given it, the only response is to give it zero power.

I say, at least try it and find out what the flaws are, then do whatever is necessary to minimize the impact of those flaws as much as possible. Intentionally structure with greed and laziness in mind, so that the greedy and lazy aren't able to do the structuring themselves.