WOOOOO-EEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!

[nakymaton]

I agree, Mel. Unfortunately, my unscientific impression is that the only answer to preventing the tragedy in the first place so often put forward by people who would ban abortion is to tell people, particularly young people, "Don't have sex."

Yeah. And the same groups also tend to disapprove of any kinds of sex that don't make too many babies.

[Jeff Wrangler]

Well, there is a long-term solution and that is education, affordable and easily accessible birth control tools, awareness training, and enabling for women. In all of the societies where women have the power, education, and tools, birth rates have gone down to sustainable levels.

No doubt, Lee. The trouble is that the so-called "right-to-life"/anti-abortion people, in my impression, also tend to be against the eminently sane and sensible program you've described, especially the birth control part, and their idea of "education" is to tell people, "Don't have sex."

[Ellemeno]

Well, there is a long-term solution and that is education, affordable and easily accessible birth control tools, awareness training, and enabling for women. In all of the societies where women have the power, education, and tools, birth rates have gone down to sustainable levels.

Great set of "tools" for avoiding pregnancy.  And to it we can add homosexuality.  Not many gay and lesbian people have abortions. 

[JennyC]

For Barb





I went into last night with a good feeling that Democrats will take the house.  As the night progressed (the few advantages of being on the west coast), it was getting better and better.  By the time I called it a night around 1am PST, it was very hopeful that democrats will not only take a house by a pretty substantial margin, but also the senate. 

If we could change the outcome of the senate race slightly, I would trade the Democrats win in Rode Island with the loss in Tennessee.  Lincoln Chafee unfortunate became the collateral damage of people’s dissatisfaction of the current administration and the war in Iraq.  He was the one who did not vote for the war and didn’t vote for Bush in 2004 (but wrote in Bush Sr. to show his loyalty to the party).  I respect him for being a moderate republican, and having the guts to say no to the war at the beginning when the political atmosphere was so toxic after 9/11 and any disagreement from the Bush administration was viewed unpatriotic.  The war is wrong on the principle it was operated on, period.    On the other hand, Harold Ford Jr. is a young man that has a brilliant political future.  I was really hoping he would win, but unfortunately he came off short.  His concession speech, IMO, is better than most of the victory speeches.   I am sure he will come back.

[JennyC]

I should also add that my husband and I were laughing at ourselves for being so emotionally invested in the mid-term election when we don’t even have the right to vote.  Of course we shrugged our self criticism by saying since when does that stop us from having an opinion on anything.   Isn’t that a lot of people do, having an opinion on things that really none of their business? 

[ednbarby]

Now, with Rumsfeld having "resigned," Hastert saying he won't pursue a Minority (HAHAHAHAHA) Leader post in the House, and Virginia and the Senate all but in the bag, I... I... I... feel like Jake has just asked me to the prom.

I'm so giddy, I don't see sleep as being an option tonight, either.  And I only had one cup of coffee today!

Say it with me, everyone:

NO. MORE. BEANS.

The future's so bright, I gotta wear shades.   

[nakymaton]

Lincoln Chafee unfortunate became the collateral damage of people’s dissatisfaction of the current administration and the war in Iraq.  He was the one who did not vote for the war and didn’t vote for Bush in 2004 (but wrote in Bush Sr. to show his loyalty to the party).  I respect him for being a moderate republican, and having the guts to say no to the war at the beginning when the political atmosphere was so toxic after 9/11 and any disagreement from the Bush administration was viewed unpatriotic.

He could have followed the same path that Jim Jeffords did, though, and become an Independent. The Republican Party hasn't had any room for the New England moderates for some time; they have used them to maintain their majority, but have not really given them any voice. Jeffords couldn't effectively represent Vermont when he was a Republican, and the other moderates really weren't giving their states much voice either. Perhaps Susan Collins of Maine (or Olympia Snowe, though she was just re-elected) will see the writing on the wall and give up being a RINO.

Really, this just completes the regional shift that has been going on in the South for some time, where many of the conservative "Dixiecrat" Democrats have been replaced by Republicans.

One other interesting shift: all of the Mountain states (except, I think, Idaho) are now represented by a mixture of Democrats and Republicans. This is a pretty major shift -- most of the states out here have been more or less solidly Republican for some time. Governors in Wyoming, Colorado, New Mexico, and Arizona; new representatives in Arizona and Colorado (with a couple cliff-hanger elections in Wyoming and New Mexico that will probably barely go Republican); a new senator in Montana. Utah already had a Democrat representing one district; Nevada's got one Democratic senator. I'm curious what this means -- a demographic shift (liberal people moving to the mountains), an increase in voting amongst Latino voters, a change in attitudes, a sense that the extreme side of the Republican party doesn't represent the mountains very well, vote-splitting by Libertarians or other third parties?

(Maps, cause Mell likes maps:
governors http://www.cnn.com/ELECTION/2006/pages/results/states/WY/H/01/index.html
senators http://www.cnn.com/ELECTION/2006/pages/results/senate/
representatives http://www.cnn.com/ELECTION/2006/pages/results/house/)

[JennyC]

He could have followed the same path that Jim Jeffords did, though, and become an Independent. The Republican Party hasn't had any room for the New England moderates for some time; they have used them to maintain their majority, but have not really given them any voice.

True

If you look at Chaffee’s stand on issues such as Abortion, Gay rights, Environment, Death Penalty, Tax, Iraq, Health Coverage, and Gun Control.  He is more liberal than some of the newly elected Democratic senators, and of course alleged DINOs. 

It baffles me in terms of his party affiliation with Republic party, as the issues that he aligns with Republican are relatively minor compared with the ones that he disagrees with them. 

Though people should really vote on candidate's stand on issues not personality or party affiliation, in a two party system, the party affiliation is important as it gives one party control of the house and senate.  I guess that is where you can say ends justify the means.

One other interesting shift: all of the Mountain states (except, I think, Idaho) are now represented by a mixture of Democrats and Republicans...

Maps, cause Mell likes maps

Yes.  It’s so refreshing to see that blues are no longer as isolated islands in the red sea as it was for a very long time in that part of the country.  I hope democrat party can reach out more to the average John Doe and Jane Doe in the inland area and down in the south. 

[delalluvia]

 

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/sns-ap-rumsfeld,0,1335189.story?coll=chi-newsbreaking-hed

Defense Secretary Rumsfeld Resigns

By PAULINE JELINEK
Associated Press Writer

November 8, 2006, 12:03 PM CST

WASHINGTON -- Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, architect of an unpopular war in Iraq, intends to resign after six stormy years at the Pentagon, Republican officials said Wednesday.

DING DONG THE WITCH IS DEAD!!!!   

[delalluvia]

When you take away a woman's right to choose except in the event that she'll die if she goes forward with the pregnancy, you force women who are the victims of rape and incest (or both, basically) to go out of state or do it illegally.

I won't argue with you, or anyone, about the issue of abortion itself.  It's highly-charged and emotional, and understandably so.  I have my own personal reasons for being very strongly pro-choice that I won't go into here, but I also deeply understand the way you and others of the same mind feel about it.  Basically, I look at it this way:  If you're against abortion, don't have one.  I think the best we all can do on this issue is to reach a common ground - that the best way to avoid abortions is to avoid unwanted pregnancy.  And the best way to avoid unwanted pregnancy is a whole other ball o' wax from which I will now giddily run away!

Well said, Barb.  I've been a member of Planned Parenthood for a long time.  South Dakota was very worrisome, but after much to do, the people came out and spoke about what they did and didn't want.