The race for Senate is still undetermined but the message was very clear on November 7, America was ready for change.
Many Americans went to the polls with the intent of expressing their discontent with the disconnect that the Republican Party and the Bush Administration has with the American public regarding the Iraq War, the economy and political corruption.
How The Republicans Lost Control
The Republicans spent to much of their time in control being partisan. They spent to much time uniting together behind a failed policy and against Democrats and the American public by accusing them of being unpatriotic for failing to unquestioningly support their questionable agenda. When perhaps it was their agenda that was so utterly inept, not the people who questioned it.
The Republicans spent much of their time in power trying to justify mistakes and various corruptions rather than offering apologetic discourse aimed at correcting errors and promises made to abide by domestic and international laws.
It wasn't just the Iraq war that weighed in on the ousting of the Republican parties stranglehold on the House, there was also corruption so rampant within the Republican party itself that even in districts that in the past have tended to vote strongly Republican voted Democratic yesterday.
There were glitches in yesterdays races but nothing as catastrophic as 2000 and 2004. The control or lack of control over Senate will be determined by the controversial Allen and Webb race in Virginia.
If Democratic candidate Jim Webb wins the Senate will also be in the hands of Democrats, but if Republican George Allen wins the Senate will be split 50/50 with Vice President Dick Cheney as the tie breaking vote when Senate is split, this virtually leaves Republicans still in control of Senate.
President Bush Addresses America, Post Election
The President seemed a little more subdued than usual early this afternoon when he announced that Donald Rumsefeld was resigning.
He seemed less of a partisan warlord and more like a man who's support was crumbling and who's base was dismantling. He also resembled a man who's era was coming to an end, a man who knew his era was coming to an end.
A man who was so ruthlessly partisan when surrounded by and propped up by his base almost seemed apologetic and maybe even humbled by the defeat of the Republicans, whom he was so certain would win.
After all, those Liberals are just a bunch of baby eating, gay loving, terrorist appeasing atheist who enjoy burning the American flag, right? So how could the party of "morals" and "security" lose?
I believe that man, the President, had really believed the Republicans were going to win the elections. He was certain his incessant warnings about terrorist and the clear message of fear and preemption had been fully digested by the people of the United States. I suppose he was wrong.
He did not want to believe the polls which had predicted the massive Republican casualties on November 7, 2006.
So as the Democrats sweep into control of the House, the President will be forced to act along more bipartisan lines and hopefully he may become a better President because of it. One can only hope.
As news of Rumsfeld's resignation spreads so does the speculation. The President had claimed that the resignation of Rumsfeld had already been underway, prior to the elections. I believe that the preparations for the resignation were underway and only to be acted upon if Democrats won in the elections, which they did.
Rumsfeld's replacement is to be Robert Gates, who had involvement in the Iran-Contra scandal.
What's Next?
I went to sleep last night expecting no drastic changes overnight yet Rumsfeld is resigning so I can only be cautiously optimistic.
There will be no massive redeployment of US soldiers from Iraq, but there is hope for change in a new direction with new leadership.
The Democrats may not be able to solve all of the problems we are facing as a result of six years of neoconservative dominion, but at least we can keep the neoconservatives from making things worse and expanding executive powers even more.
And maybe, just maybe President Bush will make a better President when forced to work in cooperation with his political opposites.
But, let's not hope for too much. From Bush or the Democrats.
Summing Up The Elections Of '06 In One Paragraph
The American people were confronted with a choice, stay the course and keep being feed lies and witnessing corruption or make a change and hope the country can get back on the right course. The American people voted for change.
