"Mission Accomplished"

[tolex42]

We have seen democracy in action. The election has passed, now what?

Hopefully all the plastic signs along the highways will be gone and we will not have to endure political attack ads on TV and radio for another eighteen months. Many of those ads were funded by wealthy individuals or corporations whose names we will never know and we may never know what was their true purpose or agenda for secretly funding political ads.

We have basically reelected those with the same ideas on how to govern as those that we threw out two years ago. Those who took us to the brink of financial collapse and into two seemingly endless wars are now returning to power.

Many of the electorate grasped onto the phrase "get government out of the way of business and everything will be okay".

Let us consider what getting government out of the way of business may mean to us in the future……..

Could it mean less inspection of our food, medicine, toys, children's furniture, bridges and safety in the workplace?

Could it mean less oversight of businesses employing illegal aliens or providing Workers Compensation insurance or underfunding pension plans as promised?

Perhaps it means that the banks can return to the system of trading derivatives and currency or other complicated financial transactions that few of us understand so we relied on someone (the government) to police.

Maybe getting government out of the way of business may result in fewer police to enforce the law or prosecutors to try criminals or courtrooms and judges to handle civil cases.

The lack of government oversight could result in dirty restaurants or hospitals, unsafe nursing homes for the elderly, tax cheating, improperly maintained nuclear plants or school buses or unclean water. I could add many things to this list, and so could you.

We must be careful what we wish for, we may get it.

[wtdoor67]

Some pundits think the Pubs screwed up by pushing those Tea Party wackos. They goofed up about 3 Senate seats they should have taken. Nevada, Colorado and Delaware should have probably been won. Tea party candidates remind me of old Joe McCarthy. Sooner or later people are gonna figure them out.

Also those rich broads found out they couldn't buy their way in. The gal in Calif. spent 140 Million and McMahon spent about 40 Million. Holy Mother!

If Murkowski wins in Alaska it's gonna make Palin look even dumber if that's possible.

People should
realize you don't fix 8 years of screwing up in less than 2.

It has been a strange political year.

Palin gonna have a reality show? Great Caesar's ghost! Gotta agree with Rove. That ain't very presidential. Pubs sure cornered the market on weirdness this year.

Rubio seems a little normal, but Rand Paul, another wacko.

[returntotheeve]

Some pundits think the Pubs screwed up by pushing those Tea Party wackos. They goofed up about 3 Senate seats they should have taken. Nevada, Colorado and Delaware should have probably been won. Tea party candidates remind me of old Joe McCarthy. Sooner or later people are gonna figure them out.

Also those rich broads found out they couldn't buy their way in. The gal in Calif. spent 140 Million and McMahon spent about 40 Million. Holy Mother!

If Murkowski wins in Alaska it's gonna make Palin look even dumber if that's possible.

People should
realize you don't fix 8 years of screwing up in less than 2.

It has been a strange political year.

Palin gonna have a reality show? Great Caesar's ghost! Gotta agree with Rove. That ain't very presidential. Pubs sure cornered the market on weirdness this year.

Rubio seems a little normal, but Rand Paul, another wacko.

NO NO NO! Two years is plenty!

Thing is how many nuts were running with Tea party backing that shouldn't have gotten any votes but did? I'm talking to you O'Donnell!

Palin is the queen nut! Shes got a reality show and complains on it about her lack of privacy! WTF! Stay off Dancing with the Stars, Dummy!

AND Bristol didn't vote either. FYI.

And this is the current front runner for president for the GOP.

At least Miller did begrudgingly give his support. Saying that she was "constitutionally" capable of being pres. I wish I had said that. Thats some funny 5hit!

[topgroove]

I hear ya they should've taken the senate and would've if the tea bagers didn't screw up delaware, nevada and Colarado. But give the devil their due
Conservatives have done much better to rally their base than have liberals this year. the conservatives retook house not because the Obama administration failed. It was because the conservatives spent significantly more on a full-range media campaign that included a dominant TV presence, rallied their base, controlled the news media, which controlled the agenda, and effectively blocked an ineffective Democratic response that failed to counter lies, distortions, and half-truths.

Its gonna get intresting once republicans start explaining exactly where they plan to cut. Social Security, Medicade/medicare and defence are 68% of the budget. Sure you could repeal Obamacare, buts thats less than 5 billion. Once they start talking entitlement cuts they'll be treading on the third rail of politics.

[heelwinch]

I didnt delete anything SQUEALy, Lose or win.....I am still supporting the President of the United States, or as you call him "Black beauty" which I am sure in no way indicates you are a slimy racist. I dont call everyone a racist that is against the president, only the ones thats comments and cartoon postings clearly show that "the color non-white" is an adjective or depiction that they have to use each and every time they refer to the current President of the US.

I am licking no wounds......that is for quiters.......Fighters look at the wound, lick the blood off and continue on their way. Sorry to disappoint you.

History making......hardly........just another mile in the political road. My heart is not broken nor is my spirit or beliefs........shit if I can deal with lowering myself to have a conversation with your sorry ass, I can handle a change in political party.....a walk in the park......

ps....thought you didnt read any of my posts that were over a line or two.......I think you are fibbing again!!!!!

It's okay I understand your situation, but it was, history making. Not since Roosevelt has there ever been a turn over of seats like there was Tueday.

It's hard to see with blinders, some of you should take them off and see the world in front of you as 1 big picture, instead of all the little frames every time you swivel your puppet heads.

[wtdoor67]

Seriously backdoor...You site California, as an example for ANYTHING? Look at how CLOSE the "gal" in that democRAT enclave..Came to winnin.
And...the "Moonbeams".....elected "Moonbeam"...AGAIN!!! THAT shit is gonna be FUN to watch!!

Face it democRATS. Ya got your ASS handed to ya!
And if the republicans REALLY got the message..."America has gone Conservitave"...your ass is TOAST in 12.
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Close just counts in horseshoes and hand grenades. If I had spent 140 Million of my own money to buy a governorship I would be ticked.

It was a fair beating but no ass whipping. Now if they had taken the Senate it would have been an ass whipping.

It's gonna be a conondrum for the Pubs. If things go bad the next 2 years how they gonna spin that to blame it on the Dems?

I think the main stream Pubs gonna rein in those tea party knuckleheads.

Looks as if Murkowski is gonna be back in Alaska. What a strange turn of events. Palin gonna have hell explaining that. Sure hope she stays in for a presidential run. Maybe the Dems could run Jerry Brown against her. Sorta like handicapping a race you know? She could probably get Christine O'Donnell for her VP candidate. Dream ticket.

This next 2 years gonna tell the tale for the Pubs.

[wtdoor67]

The Repubsucks didn't want the Senate? Guess they could have took it if they wanted?

I guess they didn't want the Presidency either or they wouldn't have run idiots, right?

Probably too technical for them. Gotta wait till the time is right. They better come up with some good stuff by 2012 or it's gonna be bye, bye again.

Of course Fiorina was kind of a piker. She only spent 5.5 mill of her own money. You can't be cheap and expect to win.

Gregg you need to wean yourself off Limbaugh. That ain't a good source of info. You need to cozy up with those Log Cabin Republicans. That's probably your strain.

[Pootnaigle]

Ummmmmm so I spoze I'll hafta subscribe to the republican idea of health care........." DONT GET SICK and plan B..... IF YOU DO DIE QUICK"

[heelwinch]

I hear ya they should've taken the senate and would've if the tea bagers didn't screw up delaware, nevada and Colarado. But give the devil their due
Conservatives have done much better to rally their base than have liberals this year. the conservatives retook house not because the Obama administration failed. It was because the conservatives spent significantly more on a full-range media campaign that included a dominant TV presence, rallied their base, controlled the news media, which controlled the agenda, and effectively blocked an ineffective Democratic response that failed to counter lies, distortions, and half-truths.

Its gonna get intresting once republicans start explaining exactly where they plan to cut. Social Security, Medicade/medicare and defence are 68% of the budget. Sure you could repeal Obamacare, buts thats less than 5 billion. Once they start talking entitlement cuts they'll be treading on the third rail of politics.

Must be your boy Oberman didn't get the memo... He's down the tubes with MSNBC... headed for NPR...

What a naughty Liberal... he should have known better than to give 3 maximum contributions to 3 different liberals, while working for a Liberal media corp. What a dum fukk

[topgroove]

Must be your boy Oberman didn't get the memo... He's down the tubes with MSNBC... headed for NPR...

What a naughty Liberal... he should have known better than to give 3 maximum contributions to 3 different liberals, while working for a Liberal media corp. What a dum fukk

MSNBC host Keith Olbermann made campaign contributions to two Arizona members of Congress and failed Kentucky Senate candidate Jack Conway ahead of Tuesday’s election — a potential violation of NBC’s ethics policies.
Olbermann, who acknowledged the contributions in a statement to POLITICO, made the maximum legal donations of $2,400 apiece to Conway and to Arizona Reps. Raul Grijalva and Gabrielle Giffords. He donated to the Arizona pair on Oct. 28 – the same day that Grijalva appeared as a guest on Olbermann’s “Countdown” show.

The piece also notes that MSNBC president Phil Griffin tweaked Fox recently for the $2 million in corporate donations that it gave Republican Party groups.
It seems like there are two issues here: one is whether an opinionated host like Olbermann should be allowed by his employer to give to political candidates. And the other is whether, if he does contribute, he should disclose that fact when he interviews said candidates. The first question is debatable; the second seems like an issue of basic ethics.
It's also worth noting that Fox's Sean Hannity, who is a rough analogue of Olbermann on the right (except more powerful and popular), gave $5,000 to Michele Bachmann's political action committee in August, as Salon reported at the time. We asked a Fox spokeswoman about this at the time, but she declined to give a statement.
That Hannity contribution came on Aug. 31. Two weeks later, on Sept. 17, he interviewed Bachmann on his Fox show and did not disclose the donation.

• Justin Elliott is a Salon reporter. Reach him by email at jelliott@salon.com and follow him on Twitter @ElliottJustin More Justin Elliott