Even lame ducks can crap on a Constitution

President Bush is going to try to ram approval of his illegal wire-tapping scheme through Congress while he's still got enough Republicans to rubber stamp his ideas. Please contact your Congresscritters asap and urge them to stop this nonsense. The Bill of Rights Defense Committee offers some talking points here.

Now What?

Just a quick little post-election post: I am, of course, happy with the overall outcome yesterday. Like I said a few days ago, I don't expect some new dawning of liberty across the land. But I will definitely sleep easier knowing that there is at least one branch of government organized to place a check on executive power for the next two years.

Perhaps Rumsfeld's resignation is more satisfying than even the election...nah, not THAT satisfying, but pretty good nonetheless. That he stayed this long is a sign of the President's incredible arrogance.

The Democrats have to get moving and fast. They need to make some real legislative decisions so that when two years has passed they are still not running on a theme of, "Vote for us 'cause we didn't make this mess." Listening to John Murtha blather on rather incoherently on NPR this morning about the Dems' vague proposals for Iraq didn't inspire much confidence. I'm not smart enough (or maybe I'm just too bleary-eyed from staying up late last night) to say exactly what the Democratic agenda should be, but this should be the first order of business if there's any hope to make this win meaningful. Perhaps a good start would be reviving the Jeffersonian ideals of the party as a legislative philosophy?

A Long Night

I hit the hay around midnight, with the Corker camp jubilant and key Senate races still hanging. Republicans are two seats ahead in the Senate races this morning, 49-47. Missouri went to McCaskill in the wee hours. Key states still up for grabs are Montana, Virginia. Missouri, Ohio, and Pennsylvania flipped for the Democrats.

U.S. HOUSE
Republicans: 228
Democrats: 194

U.S. SENATE
Republicans: 47
Democrats: 49

GOVERNORS
Republicans: 22
Democrats: 28

Dems Win the House

CNN has just called the House for Democrats!
TENNESSEE SENATE
Corker: 53%
Ford: 46%

U.S. HOUSE
Republicans: 133
Democrats: 154

U.S. SENATE
Republicans: 46
Democrats: 47

GOVERNORS
Republicans: 15
Democrats: 25

Descrimination Legalized

Sadly, the amendment 1 gay marriage ban is passing overwhelmingly in Tennessee. We have voted 81%–19% to put discrimination in the state Constitution.

With much of Memphis is still not reported…
TENNESSEE SENATE
Corker: 51%
Ford: 48%

U.S. HOUSE
Republicans: 117
Democrats: 129

U.S. SENATE
Republicans: 46
Democrats: 45

GOVERNORS
Republicans: 11
Democrats: 22

More Updates

Ford is gaining as polls are closing in Middle and West Tennessee. TENNESSEE SENATE
Corker: 53%
Ford: 46%

U.S. HOUSE
Republicans: 60
Democrats: 69

U.S. SENATE
Republicans: 44
Democrats: 43

GOVERNORS
Republicans: 9
Democrats: 20

Latest Update

Disappointing news in the Tennessee Senate race. With only 4% reporting:
TENNESSEE SENATE
Corker: 56%
Ford: 43%

U.S. HOUSE
Republicans: 28
Democrats: 37

U.S. SENATE
Republicans: 42
Democrats: 32

GOVERNORS
Republicans: 7
Democrats: 12

Watching the Returns

OK, I’m home from work and have the TV on to watch the results. We’ve got a few friends coming over after we get the kids to bed. I’ll post the results in box score form like this:

U.S. HOUSE
Republicans: 17
Democrats: 30

U.S. SENATE
Republicans: 42
Democrats: 30

GOVERNORS
Republicans: 7
Democrats: 12


Stay tuned for updates. For those of you watching the tube like me, here’s a drinking game: Every time CNN mentions “voting irregularities” you take a drink. My prediction: We’ll all be hung over in the morning.

Support the Troops: Vote for Change in Iraq

Today’s the day that the Democrats are going to retake the House. America is ready for change in Iraq and they are throwing out the party that got us in this mess. Do your part by voting today. General Wesley Clark stars in these great TV spots by votevets.org. Forward to your friends.

Marriage Rights are Human Rights

“America did not invent human rights. In a very real sense, it is the other way round. Human rights invented America.” — Jimmy Carter

This Tuesday conservatives in eight states, including my state of Tennessee, will ask voters to legalize anti-gay discrimination. Sine the value of a democracy is measured by how it treats its minority citizens, I hope voters in those states will reject legalized discrimination and allow same-sex couple equal rights under law.

The religious right is distracting voters from the war, the economy, foreign policy, and healthcare with divisive wedge issues like this. Many conservative evangelicals are still delivering votes for the GOP on this issue. At least conservatives like this writer for Idaho’s New West understand that marriage rights are civil rights, declaring, “A vote for HJR 2 [a gay marriage ban] isn’t a courageous blow against the forces of evil. It’s a fear-based, irrational and mean-spirited blow against basic civil rights.”

The following states will have referendums on gay marriage bans next month: Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Virginia, Wisconsin. If you are voting in one of these states, click on its link to read more about the issue in your state.

This one matters

Unless you are living in the mountains sans any telecommunication devices or even the U.S. mail (an occasional dream of mine), you know Tuesday is Election Day. The "Brushfire" has been burning low lately, due to my ridiculous work and school schedule, and though I always feel fantastically ambivalent on Election Day, I felt some obligation to offer a grunt to two about the occasion, since I think this one actually matters.

You all--my friends and family who love me enough to actually spend time reading these idle ramblings--know that the most important issue to me these days is civil liberty and the exploding, uncontrolled, ghastly growth of unchecked, unrestrained, and unconstitutional executive government power. This election is important because it's a genuine opportunity for the American people collectively to protest this unacceptable and un-American situation. With all three branches of the federal government controlled by one party, there is no effective way to promote the checks and balances that preserve the core principles of our republic.

Realistically, I harbor no illusions that a change in the leadership of Congress will suddenly bring a new wave of small-government, pro-liberty energy to Washington. The quality of candidates from either of the major parties is pitiful. Extremely few opposition candidates are actually running on a platform of checking restrained government power. But my sincere hope is that a divided government will at least promote more thoughtful debate and dialogue, and possibly even stop some of the more egregious examples of anti-liberty activities, whether they are core constitutional issues like free speech, torture, and privacy, or broader issues such as lying about American foreign policy objectives and actions, or restricting free speech and commerce on the internet.

At any rate, it matters little whether the next Congress does anything specific to address the war in Iraq, health care, the environment, education, or any of the typical election-year issues that are a concern to voters, if we continue to lose the central freedoms that made America great in the first place. If we lose the Constitution, we lose everything. And that's why I'll bother to go to the polls on Tuesday, and why I'll be hoping for a regime change in Washington.

I’m Calling for Change

Today I did some volunteer work to help win Congress back from the GOP. I was calling voters in North Carolina’s 11th Congressional District, where Democrat and former University of Tennessee football player Heath Shuler is running against long-time incumbent Charles Taylor.

It was really easy to do, and I got a warm response from everybody who answered. MoveOn.org organized this Call for Change program. All I did was click buttons on a website to get the numbers. The website gives you the basic things to say, but encourages you to be real and honest, unlike a recent robot push poll call I got from Bob Corker’s campaign. I talked to some folks who sounded African American and were already supporting Heath Shuler. I could even tell the callers where their polling place is!

If some of my Blueneck friends want to get involved, go to the MoveOn website and click on the Call for Change link at the top. It’s really easy and only costs a little time and some long distance minutes on your calling plan. And on Tuesday night when you’re watching the returns you can know you did your part to help.