Thursday, November 09, 2006
President and Barney - Good News Comes in Spades
Defeat for George Allen in Virginia * Defeat for Richard Pombo in California
11:05 AM Pacific time
Senate goes to Democrats. What is the vice president (tiebreaker) to do? Gnash his teeth and shoot someone or something. All of a sudden there are reports about a "changed president". Huh ! The man is scrambling to salvage what he can. He either plays ball with Congress or spends the remaining term of his presidency with Barney, the dog.
Sen. George Allen will concede the Virginia race to Democrat Jim Webb, giving Democrats a majority vote in the U.S. Senate, CNN.
And in the 11th Congressional District of California, Richard Pombo (who never met a polluter he didn't like) was defeated by newcomer Jerry McNerney despite (or perhaps because of) personal appearance by President Bush and a barrage of negative ads against McNerney.
The San Francisco Chronicle (Editorial 11/9/06)
- TO FULLY understand Tuesday's Democratic victory, look no further than California's 11th Congressional District.
- It was there that Jerry McNerney, an obscure Democratic candidate with almost no political experience, toppled Rep. Richard Pombo, R-Tracy, a powerful member of the Republican majority in Congress.
- Pombo suffered from being a protége of disgraced former Majority Leader Tom DeLay, who elevated this San Joaquin County rancher with a hatred of many environmental regulations to chairman of the House Resources Committee. He also had received contributions from convicted lobbyist Jack Abramoff.
- Pombo's efforts to weaken environmental regulations inspired the anger of environmentalists who, among many others, flooded his district to promote McNerney's candidacy. Almost the entire volunteer effort was run independently of the Democratic Party.
- The GOP selection of Pombo to head a committee charged with guarding the nation's environment was one of the most cynical acts of its now shattered majority. His departure from Congress is long overdue.
*****
