Meanwhile, Back At Reality....Lord Jim Predicts...

[Andrew D]

I hope comments like that are not indicative of [Obama's] intending to continue to refuse to engage in any meaningful bipartisanship, which has been the hallmark of his first two years in office.

Oh, now I get it.

The fact that stuff hasn't been moving through Congress is actually the fault of the majority party.

It isn't the fault of the minority party. Republicans in the Senate have been the principal roadblock, but that's the Democrats' fault. If only the Democrats had been Republicans, there would never have been a problem.

See, when a Democratic President reaches out to a Republican minority in the Senate, and the Senate Republicans rebuff his overtures, that's his fault. Reaching out in attempts to work together -- pah! It's all Obama's fault, because he refused to be a Republican.

Now I understand.

BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!

[Lord Jim]

Oh, now I get it.

The fact that stuff hasn't been moving through Congress is actually the fault of the majority party.

Oh, I'm so glad that's finally sinking in.....

In fact that has been the case from day one, whether it was Pelosi's inability to get enough Democrats in her own caucus in the House to agree to cut off funding for the war in Iraq, or the fact that there weren't enough Democratic votes in the Senate to pass a Health Care Bill with a public option....

Fortunately, being unable to take effective legislative action with overwhelming majorities is a problem the Democrats will soon be unburdened from.....

[Lord Jim]

Well here's the good news, for those who think the only reason that the Democratic Party hasn't been more successful is because it "just hasn't been Liberal enough".....

The next Democratic Caucus in the House is going to be exceedingly liberal.....

Of course it's also going to be exceedingly small.....

It's going to consist almost entirely of entrenched liberals from urban districts and college towns...

All the others having been defeated....

You won't have to worry about "the Blue Dogs" any more.....

There won't be any left......

[Andrew D]

The other possibility of course, is absolute gridlock; Obama and his folks may decide that the best political strategy would be to let the country go completely to hell, refuse to compromise at all, and hope they can blame the misery on the Republican Congress...

There is, of course, another recipe for gridlock, and that would be for a Republican majority to continue to act as the Republican minority has thus far done, with no agenda except to make the President and his administration look bad, with no regard whatsoever for the good of the country.

Exactly. Given the GOP's behavior over the last two years, it's easy to be pessimistic. They may well decide that since their blatant obstructionism succeeded in making the Democrats rather than the Republicans look bad, they might as well continue with more of the same in the hope of regaining the Presidency in 2012.

And there is good reason to think that they will decide to do exactly that. Lord Jim likes to remind us that after the 1994 elections, when the Republicans took over both Houses of Congress, they and Clinton worked together to get things done. (The merits of the various things are debatable, but things definitely got done.)

And what happened after that? Clinton, who'd had approval ratings identical to Obama's, got reelected in 1996.

So the Republicans have two very good reasons not to work with the Democrats no matter how these elections turn out. First, they don't want to increase Obama's reelection chances in 2012. Second, they have no idea how to get us out of the mess we're in anyway, so they might as well just block the Democrats from even trying.

[Andrew D]

Not long ago, Lord Jim was complaining that I was (supposedly) being too partisan. (Although he never replied to my response here.) But now, he is denying that the Republican minority in the Senate has been the principal stumbling block to passage of Democratic legislative initiatives. And he describes the absolute minimum number of votes necessary to pass anything over Republican obstructionism in the Senate as an "overwhelming majorit[y]".

(ETA: Saying that the Democrats had even the absolute minimum necessary to pass anything over Republican obstructionism in the Senate requires counting Lieberman as a Democrat, a highly dubious proposition.)

Ah, the wondrous visions of the blindered eye ....

[dgs49]

Can we agree that the results of today's election will be a good indication of the Public's approval of the Obama/Pelosi/Reid agenda?

Would that the R's had been more successful at their obstructionism.

[Big RR]

I can't because I really don't know what that agenda was/is? TARP ala W? Watered down healthcare? Keeping Gitmo open? Escalating W's second war? Define the agenda first.

[dgs49]

Wake up BRR,

Revolutionize healthcare...

Stimulate the economy through massive government spending...

Allow the Bush tax cuts to expire...

Get us out of Iraq...

Win in Afghanistan...

Shut down GITMO...

I ain't makin this up. It's all exactly what Barry promised.

[Big RR]

Revolutionize healthcare...

Not with the weak bill they passed

Stimulate the economy through massive government spending...

Just like W

Allow the Bush tax cuts to expire...

Not from what I've seen them proposing

Get us out of Iraq...

Oh, I see, the repubs want us there forever?

Shut down GITMO...

Would that it were so, but I haven't even seen any half hearted steps to begin that process

Again, where is this "insidious" agenda and how does it differ from that of the last administration (and before you say healthcare, remember that W and the repubs put in Medicare Part C)?

Edited to add: And, FWIW, let's say the repubs win big here, gaining control of the house and getting 50 seats in the senate; which of the above policies will change? Healthcare is now what it is, and it will not change until after a few years (and Congress couldn't force a change unless the repubs had 2/3 majorities in both houses, something not even dreamed about); government spending? I haven;'t seen any spending (massive or otherwise) bills); W tax cuts--unless the administration signs on t any extension, they will expire whoever is in charge of congress; Iraq and Afghainistan--I wouldn't count on any Congressional micromanaging here--even them dems didn't do this with W; Gitmo?--if Obama wanted it closed (and he is waffling to much now to predict what he'll do, but I don't think he does), he'd close it by executive order. So whoever wins, this insidious "agenda" of which you complain seems to be irreversible--or do you maintain a change in Congress will being about changes in any of the above.

[Sue U]

Tea Party agenda:

"The sheriff is near."

[Lord Jim]

Rand Paul is the projected winner in Kentucky, and it's not even close....

He's up by 10 points....that could be a bad harbinger for the Dems....

And important early Senate result to watch is West Virginia....

The polls close there in a few minutes....

If the GOP picks up this seat, they're alive in terms of possibly taking the Senate....

If they lose it, it will be pretty much impossible.....

[@meric@nwom@n]

My mind is blown that Rand Paul has won.

[Jarlaxle]

I figured he could win...but by TEN POINTS?!?! Whoa.

Just voted...depressed after seeing the governor's race. Talk about Moe, Larry, Curly, and Schemp. (If that's how you read the ballot, I voted for Larry, though I fear Curly will win.) And as usual, state senate incumbent was unopposed. (I wrote in Mortimer Snerd.)

[Lord Jim]

I voted for Larry, though I fear Curly will win.

Well, Larry always was the most sensible one....

Curly was kinda off the hook.....

[Lord Jim]

West Virgina too early to call....

But the GOP has pick ups so far in Indiana and Ohio.....(The Ohio Governor's race is too early to call)

[Guinevere]

That's a hold in Ohio, not a pickup.

[Lord Jim]

I figured he could win...but by TEN POINTS?!?! Whoa.

Apparently, the ever nimble Senator McConnell, (who had no use for Paul) has been working hard to raise money for Paul, and establish a good working relationship with him, trying to turn him into a semi-rational human being....

His general election campaign was very different from his primary race...

And he was helped by the fact that his opponent ran a very stupid campaign, trying to make a big issue out of a college prank, rather then focusing on some of Paul's more...how shall I put this charitably....eccentric positions....

It went off in his face like an exploding cigar....

Trying to portray Paul as "anti-Christian" not only didn't work, it completely back fired and made him look almost as nutty as Paul.

[Lord Jim]

That's a hold in Ohio, not a pickup.

I stand corrected.

[Guinevere]

Delaware stays Blue. I think WVA is going to hold as well.

[Guinevere]

And the Dems pick up the Delaware at large seat in the House.