By ROBERT THARP / The Dallas Morning News
Voters swept aside years of Republican domination in Dallas County on Tuesday, electing the county’s first black district attorney, dumping the favored Republican county judge and giving dozens of GOP judgeships to Democrats.
"I'm not surprised," said Craig Watkins, the underfunded and often written-off Democrat who rode a rising Democratic tide to edge out his better-funded Republican rival, Toby Shook.
He wept tears of joy before he took the stage at the Adam’s Mark Hotel, where Democrats were celebrating. “It’s a new day in Dallas County,” he told the crowd of about 1,000. “Republicans have held us for too long.”
Dallas County GOP leaders placed the blame squarely on President Bush, and analysts said voters were fed up with national politics and the Republican Party.
Posted by Blue in Texas at November 7, 2006 10:42 PMCBSNews has just called MO for McCaskill!! Now, if Mr Crewcut can hold on in MT, and Webb adds some comfort space with absentee votes, the Dems have the Senate.
Posted by barrisj at November 7, 2006 10:52 PMOhmigod. If Lieberman has to try to broker power in a Senate that already has 51 reliable Dem votes, he's going to be in a world of hurt. SecDef, here we come!
Posted by dj moonbat at November 7, 2006 11:48 PMdj moonbat, my math may be off here, but I think Joey-mentum is that 51st senator, unfortunately. If we make up with him and caucus with him -- I imagine the price will be steep, too, a good committee chair -- then he won't bolt to the other side of the aisle. Otherwise, it will be split, with Dick Cheney serving when needed as the tie-breaker. I'll go with caucusing with Joe over the Cheney tie-breaker, as odious as it is.
Of course, we're still down to MT and a recount in VA.
Although, with 100 people and a new majority in state governorships, there's bound to be a seat turned over in some Blue state over the course of the next few years. A Dem majority could still be coming.
Also, I have to say, I was completely wrong. I was wearing my tinfoil very tight. I thought that Karl had his fingers on the Diebold buttons and the Dems stood not a chance. I did not imagine we would see so great a victory out of the Dems. Way to go, Dems!
Posted by Brian Bell at November 8, 2006 12:01 AMdj, it's 51 with 49 D + 2 I (incl. Lieberman).
Posted by eriposte at November 8, 2006 12:11 AMBrian,
Don't rule out Rovian shenanigans and dirty tricks until it's all over. And its not over yet.
Posted by eriposte at November 8, 2006 12:12 AMMaybe the bigshots at Diebold saw the HBO production, "Hacking Democracy" and finally told Rove no more "happy software", putting company profits and staying out of jail to the forefront.
J.D. Hayworth couldn't win with honest machines.
Posted by TIKI AL at November 8, 2006 12:28 AMEriposte, you could be right. VA and MT are or will be recounting, so who knows?
However, both look like our wins, not Republican wins. If there was Rove-inspired monkey business, it wasn't enough to really help them. We're down to splitting the Senate, or taking it with a compromise with Lieberman, or to being just shy of controlling it, at which point we can screw Joey over hard. Any way it's sliced, tonight was a good night, and a bad night for the Bushies.
Posted by Brian Bell at November 8, 2006 01:27 AMIf we pull off both these wins will LIEberman bolt for a Republican offered job and give the Senate back to them or will he revel in his senate power and lord it over both Republicans and Democrats?
Any bets??
What happened to "Bush's brain?"
The MSM, always happy to characterize Rove as upbeat and full of surprises, appears to have fallen and he can't get up.
Bush's reign of terror, his tyanny as the leader of a one party America, has come to an end.
Today is a new day and the cleanup can finally begin.
Posted by Christopher at November 8, 2006 02:38 AMVA has to count the absentee ballots yet on Wednesday (about 33,000 according to CNN).
Most will prolly go to Webb.
Posted by Alex at November 8, 2006 03:22 AMglad to see Jim Ryun get beat. One of the best athletes in the history of America but as Congressman seemed to just hide behind the Bible. Those farmers out there had enough of that BS. I think the good churchgoing people nationwide now realize they have been played like a violin and they don't like it.
Posted by howard hughes blues at November 8, 2006 04:25 AMi don't remember a race where someone was up by several thousand votes and then lost..we won the senate ..the committees are ours...wait a minute..there was this guy named al gore......
Posted by dennis at November 8, 2006 05:16 AMi must say it is nice to see that bastard cretan george allen go down...and to think he thought of himself as presidential material..
Posted by dennis at November 8, 2006 05:33 AMOh ... my ... God! Thank you! A win for McCaskill and Webb!
McCaskill's win is in honour of Michael J. Fox and his courage and decency - thank you, Michael.
Posted by jra at November 8, 2006 07:31 AM
I have been hearing a few comments on CNN and MSNBC which I would like to bring to the attention of the group and get their reaction….
1) The “recount” in VA should not produce any significant change since the electronic machines produce no “paper trail”… no paper trail means the only “errors” that can be found are those from copying the totals from the machine to the tabulation sheet. (which was then noted that it may be a good idea to require a paper trail – gee where have I heard that before…)
2) With the House in Dems hands and possibly even the Senate, if no significant change occurs in the next two years… because of the power-struggle (read veto power) will the US population be willing to leave the DEMs in power come 2008?
3) Some protests and charges of voter fraud… are being lodged in some of the closer races…. What are the chances that in a short period of time more “fair voting” laws will shortly be created to address the possibility of vote corruption? If this occurs will anyone be willing to raise the question of … What took so long? Is it possible that only those losing are ever worried about the “fairness” of the process?
4) Republican leaders were originally not to worried of large losses because they had rigged (gerrymandered) the new district lines… Are these redistricting lines going to be changed again?
Comments anyone?