Lost Lake Tribune Nov 6, 2010 Front Section
Republicans Capture House in Historic Wave,
Claim 'Mandate' to Shrink Government
Republicans thundered into the majority in the House of Representatives Tuesday night, making historic gains by a proportion not seen in more than 70 years.
The party so far has won more than 60 seats, with about 65 net gains projected by the time all ballots are counted -- far more than the party needed to seize the majority. Democrats, with the help of a victory by Majority Leader Harry Reid, held the Senate by a narrow margin but suffered several big losses.
House Republican Leader John Boehner, speaking briefly to reporters Wednesday morning alongside his deputy, Rep. Eric Cantor, R-Va., claimed a "mandate" to cut the size of government and urged President Obama to respect the will of the voters and "change course."
He said the American people want a climate that will promote job growth as well as a more accountable, smaller federal government. He also said his party needs to "lay the groundwork" for repealing the "monstrosity" health care law, with the eventual goal of replacing it -- an unlikely prospect as long as Obama is in the White House.
"It's pretty clear that the Obama-Pelosi agenda's being rejected by the American people," Boehner said. "I think it's a mandate for Washington to reduce the size of government."
In races from Florida to Virginia to Indiana to Texas Tuesday night, voters were sending a rebuke to the party in power by electing Republicans over Democratic incumbents. Seniority did not seem to matter. Longtime representatives were falling just as hard as freshmen, succumbing to campaigns -- many of them backed by the Tea Party movement -- that tied them to unpopular federal policies and proposals.
The GOP gains would exceed those made during the Republican wave of 1994 when the party picked up 54 House seats. Not since 1938 has the party made such monumental inroads. With 218 seats needed for a majority, Republicans so far have officially won 239, while Democrats have won 188.
Though unable to reach a majority in the Senate, Republicans have so far picked up six seats from Democrats as they shoot for a stronger foothold in the upper chamber. In a symbolic victory, GOP Rep. Mark Kirk beat Alexi Giannoulias for Obama's old Senate seat in Illinois after a hard-fought race. Conservative Pat Toomey narrowly defeated Democratic Rep. Joe Sestak, taking over for party-switching Sen. Arlen Specter. Three-term Sen. Russ Feingold was the latest incumbent Democrat to go down, losing his race for re-election in Wisconsin to Tea Party-backed businessman Ron Johnson.
"What we're sensing tonight is a huge case of buyer's remorse all across America," Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell told supporters Tuesday night, describing the GOP gains as a rejection of the spending and "Washington takeovers" coming out of the federal government.
In North Dakota, Republican John Hoeven beat Tracy Potter for the seat held by outgoing Democratic Sen. Byron Dorgan. In Arkansas, GOP Rep. John Boozman trounced Democratic Sen. Blanche Lincoln, denying her a third term in Congress. Lincoln's vote for the president's health care overhaul was considered a turning point for the senator's popularity. Former Sen. Dan Coats in Indiana scored the first GOP Senate pick-up of the night, beating Democratic Rep. Brad Ellsworth for the seat left by retiring Democratic Sen. Evan Bayh.
However, Democrats held onto a handful of key seats, most importantly Nevada. Reid campaigned hard to retain his seat, with supporters casting Tea Party favorite Sharron Angle as dangerous and unfit to serve. Barbara Boxer was also able to fend off a stiff challenge from Republican Carly Fiorina in California. Patty Murray held on to her hotly contested seat in Washington State. Michael Bennet also held onto to his Colorado seat by a thin margin.
The party scored three victories for open seats. In West Virginia, Democratic Gov. Joe Manchin beat John Raese despite an aggressive campaign by the Republican to portray Manchin as a buddy to Washington Democrats and particularly Obama. In Delaware, Chris Coons beat Tea Party-backed Senate candidate Christine O'Donnell; in Connecticut, popular Attorney General Dick Blumenthal beat professional wrestling mogul Linda McMahon. All those open seats were previously held by longtime Democratic lawmakers. The Delaware seat used to be held by Vice President Biden, the Connecticut seat held by longtime lawmaker Chris Dodd and the West Virginia seat held by the late Robert Byrd.
Republicans also won open Senate seats in Florida, Utah, Kansas, Missouri, New Hampshire, Kentucky and Ohio. Those open seats were already held by Republicans, so the GOP wins there did not affect the balance of power.
The Senate race in Alaska is still too close to call. Republicans so far have claimed 46 Senate seats to Democrats' 51. Two independents vote with Democrats.
Among the slew of House victories for the GOP included Dan Webster defeated outspoken liberal Rep. Alan Grayson in Florida's 8th District, Allen West beat Rep. Ron Klein in Florida and Sandra Adams also picked up a Democratic seat in Florida. Tea Party-backed Kristi Noem ousted Democratic Rep. Stephanie Herseth Sandlin in South Dakota. Bill Flores beat moderate Democratic Rep. Chet Edwards in Texas' 17th District. Lou Barletta, a strident foe of illegal immigration, beat longtime incumbent Rep. Paul Kanjorski in Pennsylvania. Longtime Democratic Rep. Ike Skelton, a committee chairman, was also defeated in Missouri.
So-called purple states like Virginia followed a Republican trend on Tuesday. Republican Robert Hurt took Virginia's 5th District, defeating Rep. Tom Perriello who boldly campaigned with the president; Republican Scott Rigell defeated Virginia Democratic Rep. Glenn Nye in District 2. Democratic Rep. Frank Kratovil also lost in Maryland's District 1, while Democratic Rep. Zack Space lost in Ohio's District 18. Republican Larry Bucshon picked up Rep. Brad Ellsworth's Democratic seat in Indiana, where Democratic Rep. Baron Hill was also defeated by a wide margin.
On the other side, Democrat John Carney picked up the Republican House seat in Delaware formerly held by Rep. Mike Castle, who ran unsuccessfully for Senate. GOP Rep. Joseph Cao lost to Democrat Cedric Richmond in Louisiana. Massachusetts Democratic Rep. Barney Frank held his seat against upstart Sean Bielat.
With the strength of the Tea Party movement at their backs, GOP candidates were confident the enthusiasm of their supporters would help propel them to historic pickups in Congress and give them the leverage to put a check on the Obama administration's policies.
Though Democrats barnstormed into Congress in huge numbers over the past two cycles, helped in no small part by Obama's historic presidential run in 2008. This time, frustration over the economy and far-reaching legislation passed under the current administration fueled a crop of candidates vowing to bring a renewed model of small-government conservatism to Washington.
The most visible and vocal driver of that political breed has been the Tea Party, which aggravated several GOP primary contests by backing non-establishment candidates who, in many cases, won. A handful of those nominees lost on the Senate side Tuesday, opening the movement up to criticism that more tested candidates could have put the party over the edge. But the energy from the Tea Partiers was an undeniable factor in getting Republicans out to the polls.
Republican Rand Paul heralded his victory in the Kentucky Senate race Tuesday as a sign of the Tea Party's vigor. "We've come to take our government back," he declared in his victory speech. "Tonight there's a Tea Party tidal wave and we're sending a message to them."
A number of incumbents in both parties coasted to election, avoiding the upheaval that marked so many races. Vermont Democratic Sen. Patrick Leahy easily won his reelection race, as did South Carolina Republican Sen. Jim DeMint, who faced off against Democrat Alvin Greene.
Veteran Democrat senators Barbara Mikulski (MD), Ron Wyden (OR), Daniel Inouye (HI) and Charles Schumer (NY) all won their reelection races. On the Republican side, Richard Shelby (AL), Tom Coburn (OK), and Chuck Grassley (IA) sealed victories. John McCain (AZ). Richard Burr (NC), David Vitter (LA), John Thune (SD), Mike Crapo (ID), and Johnny Isakson (GA) also held on to their seats.
Freshman Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., also won her race to complete the term vacated by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton -- she will have to run again in 2012.
Thirty-seven governor's seats were also on the line, with Republicans taking the majority.
Republicans scored a big pickup in Ohio as John Kasich beat Democratic Gov. Ted Strickland, an enthusiastic Obama ally whom the president tried to save. Republican successes also included Tennessee with a victory by Bill Haslam. Tom Corbett seized a Democratic seat in the Pennsylvania governor's race, as did Scott Walker in Wisconsin. Nikki Haley the election for governor in South Carolina. Terry Branstad won in Iowa.
In California, former Democratic Gov. Jerry Brown will return to his old job after beating former eBay executive Meg Whitman. Other Democrat victories included New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo will keep his state's governor's seat in Democratic hands, beating Republican Carl Paladino. Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper won the Colorado gubernatorial race, beating Republican Dan Maes and insurgent third-party candidate Tom Tancredo. Deval Patrick won another term in Massachusetts, as did Martin O'Malley in Maryland, where ex-Gov. Robert Ehrlich tried to mount a comeback.
Information Gained from http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2010/11/03/republicans-capture-house-historic-wave-make-gains-senate/
Article prepared by Senior Editor, Ben Fugate
and edited by editors Rachel Fugate and Ben Fugate
Obama Appeals for 'Common Ground'
After Democrats Lose House
President Obama, reflecting on the Democrats' historic losses in Congress in the midterm election, appealed Wednesday for both parties to find "common ground" while continuing to stand by his administration's policies.
Though those policies were used to tarnish Democrats in races across the country, Obama described his decisions to date as "tough" but "right." But as he faces down a new landscape in Congress starting in January, the president said he must take "direct responsibility" for the frustration over the economy that led to those changes and pledged to do more to reach "consensus" with Republicans. "No party has a monopoly on wisdom . . . I want to engage both Democrats and Republicans. ... I do believe there is hope for civility. I do believe there's hope for progress."
The news conference in Washington gave Obama his first opportunity to explain what his approach will be to a split Congress, with Republicans decisively in charge of the House and cutting deep into the Democrats' majority in the Senate. Pressed for specifics, Obama suggested he'd be open to joining Republicans in calling for a moratorium on earmarks and taking a second look at a controversial provision in the health care law that requires businesses to file 1099 tax forms for large purchases.
Republican leaders, in a series of speeches since Tuesday night's victories, have called on Obama to move toward the center. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell, calling the election a "referendum" on Obama's policies, pointedly said Wednesday that the Democrats can either "work with us" or face another "change" election in 2012.
Obama on Wednesday directly attributed GOP gains to frustration over the economy, declining to sign on to claims that it was a referendum on his policies. "Some election nights are more fun than others. Some are exhilarating. Some are humbling," Obama said. "Yesterday's vote confirmed what I've heard from folks all across America. People are frustrated, they're deeply frustrated with the pace of our economic recovery."
Republicans are projected to pick up about 65 seats in the House of Representatives surpassing the gains they made in the 1994 election. They will not take the majority in the Senate but so far have snatched six seats away from Democrats. The seat remaining to be decided is the confusing race in Alaska where tea party Republican Joe Miller and Independent candidate Lisa Murkowski are facing a battle over write in ballots.
Information Gained from http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2010/11/03/obama-addresses-nation-democrats-lose-house/
Article prepared and edited by Senior Editor, Ben Fugate
Murkowski acts like victor, though questions linger
Alaska U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski is acting as though she already has pulled off an improbable victory after her write-in candidacy, enthusiastically thanking supporters and telling them they've made history. She may have won or she may be overly optimistic.
Murkowski's fate rests in the reading of more than 83,000 write-in ballots. As of Thursday, initial returns showed write-in ballots held a 13,439-vote edge over GOP nominee Joe Miller, but it's not clear how many of those are for Murkowski -- or how many of the ballots have been cast properly. Meanwhile, at least 37,800 absentee, early and questioned ballots also need to be tallied.
One major issue that could ultimately send the race to court: voter intent. The law calls for write-in votes to have the ballot oval filled in and the candidate's full name or last name next to it. That section states that the rules are mandatory and there are "no exceptions to them."
Lt. Gov. Craig Campbell, who oversees elections, said this week that ballot counters would debate over ballots on which there are spelling errors before determining whether they should count. Miller attorney Thomas Van Flein suggested that no such debate was needed, because clear standards exist for counting write-ins. He stopped short of saying the campaign would sue over misspelled ballots counted toward Murkowski's total. But he said the recourse it has is going to court. "We intend to have the state of Alaska follow the law," he said Thursday. Counting ballots, he said, is "an objective test, not a subjective test." Campbell's spokeswoman and the Division of Elections director pointed to case law when asked about the use of discretion in determining voter intent.
While statewide write-in efforts in Alaska have occurred before, the rules have changed.
These changes make it difficult to accurately gauge what Murkowski calls "slippage," write-ins she'll lose because they were improperly cast. Still, she figures she'll lose only a "smaller" number of those ballots. Since Election Night, she has sounded supremely confident as she touts the historic campaign she and her supporters waged. The last U.S. Senate candidate to win a write-in bid did so 56 years ago.
"The story of my write-in campaign will be told and retold; it will change the definition of American politics ... it re-enforces what we all knew: In Alaska, anything is possible when you have a small group of people who are determined to change the world," she said in an e-mail to supporters.
She also said her campaign did everything it could to avoid a repeat of the Republican primary that she lost in August to Miller, touting her strengths while aggressively responding to charges against her record. It also reached out both to English and non-English speakers, educating voters on how to cast votes for her in a way in which the ballots could not be disputed. The campaign even handed out rubbery blue wristbands that voters could discreetly bring with them into polling booths, depicting the process, and urged voters to write her name on their hands to get it right.
Her campaign also believes it will secure a huge chunk of the still-outstanding absentee vote, though Miller, an Army veteran, believes he did well among absentee military voters. Those ballots aren't due until Nov. 17.
Information Gained from http://www.adn.com/2010/11/04/1537148/murkowski-acts-like-victor-but.html#ixzz14VoyglWw
Teamwork, tenacity helped propel Bennet
In Senate race in Colorado
Incumbent Senator Michael Bennet won a close Senate race in Colorado, holding off challenger Ken Buck.
"This is definitely a race for the record books," said Bennet at a giddy victory rally Wednesday. Bennet was referring not just to his ballot-thin margin of victory, perhaps the smallest in a Colorado Senate race since 1956, but to a 22-month election effort that began the day he was appointed.
Bennet led by more than 12,000 votes Wednesday afternoon when Republican Ken Buck called him to concede the race.
"My Senate campaign has been the experience of a lifetime," Buck said in a statement. "I will be forever grateful to the thousands of Coloradans who helped make this grassroots journey possible."
Democratic analysts said Colorado's results provided a game plan for 2012 campaigns in both candidate choice and turnout. "(Outside groups) had a lot of money to drop in this year," said Michael Huttner, founder of ProgressNow in Colorado. "But to be effective, you have to be long-term organic. You can't just drop in a lot of money at the end and expect to win."
Wins by non-ideological candidates such as Gov.-elect John Hickenlooper and Bennet show that the Tea Party movement may lose "so long as Republicans continue to take extreme stances and Democrats run centrist candidates," said Hickenlooper manager Mike Melanson.
Although committed Republicans may have seen Bennet as an establishment Democrat, enough independents did not, said Colorado pollster Lori Weigel. Bennet was only technically the incumbent. "Being not wholly of Washington was helpful," Weigel said.
Bennet had 1,900 volunteers knocking on 325,000 Colorado doors on Election Day alone. Canvassers practically bumped clipboards in central Denver neighborhoods, hitting the same home four or five times in one afternoon until someone answered the door.
The campaign Tuesday delivered food to Colorado State University students waiting in long voting lines. Latino groups for the first time coordinated to target 88,000 infrequent Latino voters; when 18,000 of those turned in ballots early, Democrats took heart, said Jessie Ulibarri of Mi Familia Vota.
America's Voice, a national Hispanic group, said exit polls showed Bennet winning 81 percent of Latino voters in Colorado, part of a "Latino firewall" for Bennet and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid in Nevada. Word of ads for Reid's opponent, Sharron Angle, that were considered racially derogatory reached Colorado Latinos and helped push those margins.
Meanwhile, Buck ignored Latinos despite Republican claims that the party sought out Latino support. "No homework was done, and it cost him the election," Denver City Councilman Paul Lopez said.
Throughout the final weeks, separate vote monitors from the Bennet campaign, union groups and Organizing for America kept careful track of early-vote flows and neighborhoods that were "underperforming" their computer models. Extra volunteers went there. National women's groups combined sophisticated consumer information with voter lists to call independent women considered persuadable about Buck's failings.
"It really compelled women in the metropolitan area," said Melanson. He noted exit polls putting Bennet's margin with women at 56 percent to 42 percent. "I think that's where we'll find Bennet was able to pull this race out," he said. "We saw Republican and unaffiliated women move dramatically at the end," said independent Colorado pollster Floyd Ciruli.
While Buck was trying to run up the score in friendly rural counties, Bennet's supporters redoubled efforts to squeeze even higher margins from Denver and Boulder counties. Those extra votes helped make the difference.
Bennet may need all of his six-year term to dig out from more than $40 million in largely negative spending by both sides in Colorado. Exit polls Tuesday stated that 30 percent of voters said they were motivated by dislike of another candidate. Of those, 63 percent voted for Bennet.
Bennet, in his acceptance speech, promised to legislate from the middle, ignoring "blue" or "red" in the way he claimed to during the campaign. "I'm not going back to Washington to play politics," he said. "The Senate is going to change . . . it just doesn't know it yet."
Information Gained from Teamwork, tenacity helped propel Bennet in Senate race in Colo. - The Denver Post http://www.denverpost.com/election2010/ci_16518314#ixzz14Wc5eqHq
Article prepared and edited by Senior Editor, Ben Fugate
Editorial
First, I want to say congratulations to all the candidates who won Federal, State, and Local Government seats on Tuesday. Whether conservative, moderate, or liberal, I hope and pray that each one represents their constituents.
Second, I would like to say that I am disappointed that the Pillsbury proposal did not pass. My solution for the time being would be to rent out Pillsbury Hall and the gym to the school for $6,000 a month. Then Pillsbury could pay its bills easier. Sale of the campus must now become a national issue. Every investor should know about this offer of a campus in the middle of a sprawling town. Pillsbury must sell its campus soon to avoid ruining the MBA. The Pillsbury Board should meet twice a month until the campus is sold to the right party. This is my view on the sale of Pillsbury.
Now to the main subject: the future of America is in the hands of its people and its officials. The people of America need to encourage their newly elected and re-elected officials to accomplish five important objectives.
First, all government officials need to cut spending. They need to cut it where it hurts. The federal government needs to cut spending to 2006 levels. This needs to be done immediately. This would cut the budget to 2.6 Trillion. This would be achieved by ending the two foreign wars in January 2011. Then federal education spending should be eliminated. All pending earmarks should be deleted. Welfare and unemployment spending should be sliced in half. The congress then should cut all other spending by 10 to 15 percent. Each state needs to cut state spending by at least 10 per cent. This could be achieved in similar ways. As government spending is decreased, then inflation is suppressed and businesses can compete on a level playing field for contracts and clients. Spending cuts also decrease dependence on the government.
Second, all tax rates need to be cut to promote prosperity. Each federal income tax rate should be reduced at least 5 percentage points. All Americans who work should have to pay income taxes. The capital gains and corporate tax rates should be slashed in half. Cutting tax rates will improve cash flow for individuals and businesses and help them grow their businesses. This will in turn bring employment and progress.
Third, American government officials at all levels need to cut the size of government. They need to eliminate hundreds of thousands of government jobs. They need to reduce government salaries by 20 percent. Then all of these terminated workers need to be given advisory positions with private businesses to help them comply with government regulations. They can help businesses succeed when regulations are holding them back from progress.
Fourth, the new representatives need to eliminate thousands of regulations. The health care bill, the bailout (TARP), the Wall Street Reform, the Omnibus bill, CAFÉ standards, and the stimulus bill all need to repealed on January 22. All legislation passed since 1989 needs to be reviewed in detail. Then leaders should repeal each bill that is even the least bit unconstitutional. This includes Medicare part D, No Child Left Behind, and Sarbanes Oxley, among others. Businesses need to be released from having to follow so many laws and regulations. These bills hamper entrepreneurs from building new companies to compete with the corporations that exist today. They also keep small and large businesses from growing to their potential.
Finally, government leaders need to promote a culture of life among the states. Each state needs to pass a homogenous monogamous heterosexual marriage amendment, approving marriage between one man and one woman exclusively. Mothers need to be coaxed into having their babies no matter how the baby was conceived. All violent crimes need to be heavily enforced after giving a fair trial to each suspect. Embryonic Stem Cell research needs to be outlawed in each state. Safe religions need to be given freedom to worship in each state. Assisted suicide should be a crime across the republic. This would cut down on deaths in the nation.
If American leaders were to accomplish these objectives in the next five years, then the future of America is bright. However, if America continues down the path it is on right now, the future of America will be bleak and short. This is not because of the message of II Chronicles 7:14 but because of the message of Proverbs 14:34-35 “Righteousness exalteth a nation: but sin is a reproach to any people. The king's favour is toward a wise servant: but his wrath is against him that causeth shame.” (KJV).
Let us pray that American officials pass these objectives swiftly. Then let us get to work by sending letters and emails to our officials encouraging them to do the right things for their state and for America. The Lost Lake Tribune will attempt to do all it can to be a major player in the conservative resurgence across our great land.
Editorial Written by Senior Editor, Ben Fugate
Contributions to Editorial made by Mark Peterson, political editor
Senior Editor, Benjamin Fugate assumes full responsibility for all articles and opinions in the Lost Lake Tribune. Not all opinions reflect his viewpoint. However, he determines the viewpoints published in the newspaper and blog. If you have any issues with views expressed in the LLT, please email the LLT at lostlaketribune@twincities.mn, subject line: Lost Lake Tribune Viewpoint Issues.
If you have questions or comments please send them to lostlaketribune@twincities.mn, subject line: Letter to the Editor. The email address is the only acceptable form of communication with the Lost Lake Tribune and Senior Editor, Ben Fugate
Claim 'Mandate' to Shrink Government
Republicans thundered into the majority in the House of Representatives Tuesday night, making historic gains by a proportion not seen in more than 70 years.
The party so far has won more than 60 seats, with about 65 net gains projected by the time all ballots are counted -- far more than the party needed to seize the majority. Democrats, with the help of a victory by Majority Leader Harry Reid, held the Senate by a narrow margin but suffered several big losses.
House Republican Leader John Boehner, speaking briefly to reporters Wednesday morning alongside his deputy, Rep. Eric Cantor, R-Va., claimed a "mandate" to cut the size of government and urged President Obama to respect the will of the voters and "change course."
He said the American people want a climate that will promote job growth as well as a more accountable, smaller federal government. He also said his party needs to "lay the groundwork" for repealing the "monstrosity" health care law, with the eventual goal of replacing it -- an unlikely prospect as long as Obama is in the White House.
"It's pretty clear that the Obama-Pelosi agenda's being rejected by the American people," Boehner said. "I think it's a mandate for Washington to reduce the size of government."
In races from Florida to Virginia to Indiana to Texas Tuesday night, voters were sending a rebuke to the party in power by electing Republicans over Democratic incumbents. Seniority did not seem to matter. Longtime representatives were falling just as hard as freshmen, succumbing to campaigns -- many of them backed by the Tea Party movement -- that tied them to unpopular federal policies and proposals.
The GOP gains would exceed those made during the Republican wave of 1994 when the party picked up 54 House seats. Not since 1938 has the party made such monumental inroads. With 218 seats needed for a majority, Republicans so far have officially won 239, while Democrats have won 188.
Though unable to reach a majority in the Senate, Republicans have so far picked up six seats from Democrats as they shoot for a stronger foothold in the upper chamber. In a symbolic victory, GOP Rep. Mark Kirk beat Alexi Giannoulias for Obama's old Senate seat in Illinois after a hard-fought race. Conservative Pat Toomey narrowly defeated Democratic Rep. Joe Sestak, taking over for party-switching Sen. Arlen Specter. Three-term Sen. Russ Feingold was the latest incumbent Democrat to go down, losing his race for re-election in Wisconsin to Tea Party-backed businessman Ron Johnson.
"What we're sensing tonight is a huge case of buyer's remorse all across America," Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell told supporters Tuesday night, describing the GOP gains as a rejection of the spending and "Washington takeovers" coming out of the federal government.
In North Dakota, Republican John Hoeven beat Tracy Potter for the seat held by outgoing Democratic Sen. Byron Dorgan. In Arkansas, GOP Rep. John Boozman trounced Democratic Sen. Blanche Lincoln, denying her a third term in Congress. Lincoln's vote for the president's health care overhaul was considered a turning point for the senator's popularity. Former Sen. Dan Coats in Indiana scored the first GOP Senate pick-up of the night, beating Democratic Rep. Brad Ellsworth for the seat left by retiring Democratic Sen. Evan Bayh.
However, Democrats held onto a handful of key seats, most importantly Nevada. Reid campaigned hard to retain his seat, with supporters casting Tea Party favorite Sharron Angle as dangerous and unfit to serve. Barbara Boxer was also able to fend off a stiff challenge from Republican Carly Fiorina in California. Patty Murray held on to her hotly contested seat in Washington State. Michael Bennet also held onto to his Colorado seat by a thin margin.
The party scored three victories for open seats. In West Virginia, Democratic Gov. Joe Manchin beat John Raese despite an aggressive campaign by the Republican to portray Manchin as a buddy to Washington Democrats and particularly Obama. In Delaware, Chris Coons beat Tea Party-backed Senate candidate Christine O'Donnell; in Connecticut, popular Attorney General Dick Blumenthal beat professional wrestling mogul Linda McMahon. All those open seats were previously held by longtime Democratic lawmakers. The Delaware seat used to be held by Vice President Biden, the Connecticut seat held by longtime lawmaker Chris Dodd and the West Virginia seat held by the late Robert Byrd.
Republicans also won open Senate seats in Florida, Utah, Kansas, Missouri, New Hampshire, Kentucky and Ohio. Those open seats were already held by Republicans, so the GOP wins there did not affect the balance of power.
The Senate race in Alaska is still too close to call. Republicans so far have claimed 46 Senate seats to Democrats' 51. Two independents vote with Democrats.
Among the slew of House victories for the GOP included Dan Webster defeated outspoken liberal Rep. Alan Grayson in Florida's 8th District, Allen West beat Rep. Ron Klein in Florida and Sandra Adams also picked up a Democratic seat in Florida. Tea Party-backed Kristi Noem ousted Democratic Rep. Stephanie Herseth Sandlin in South Dakota. Bill Flores beat moderate Democratic Rep. Chet Edwards in Texas' 17th District. Lou Barletta, a strident foe of illegal immigration, beat longtime incumbent Rep. Paul Kanjorski in Pennsylvania. Longtime Democratic Rep. Ike Skelton, a committee chairman, was also defeated in Missouri.
So-called purple states like Virginia followed a Republican trend on Tuesday. Republican Robert Hurt took Virginia's 5th District, defeating Rep. Tom Perriello who boldly campaigned with the president; Republican Scott Rigell defeated Virginia Democratic Rep. Glenn Nye in District 2. Democratic Rep. Frank Kratovil also lost in Maryland's District 1, while Democratic Rep. Zack Space lost in Ohio's District 18. Republican Larry Bucshon picked up Rep. Brad Ellsworth's Democratic seat in Indiana, where Democratic Rep. Baron Hill was also defeated by a wide margin.
On the other side, Democrat John Carney picked up the Republican House seat in Delaware formerly held by Rep. Mike Castle, who ran unsuccessfully for Senate. GOP Rep. Joseph Cao lost to Democrat Cedric Richmond in Louisiana. Massachusetts Democratic Rep. Barney Frank held his seat against upstart Sean Bielat.
With the strength of the Tea Party movement at their backs, GOP candidates were confident the enthusiasm of their supporters would help propel them to historic pickups in Congress and give them the leverage to put a check on the Obama administration's policies.
Though Democrats barnstormed into Congress in huge numbers over the past two cycles, helped in no small part by Obama's historic presidential run in 2008. This time, frustration over the economy and far-reaching legislation passed under the current administration fueled a crop of candidates vowing to bring a renewed model of small-government conservatism to Washington.
The most visible and vocal driver of that political breed has been the Tea Party, which aggravated several GOP primary contests by backing non-establishment candidates who, in many cases, won. A handful of those nominees lost on the Senate side Tuesday, opening the movement up to criticism that more tested candidates could have put the party over the edge. But the energy from the Tea Partiers was an undeniable factor in getting Republicans out to the polls.
Republican Rand Paul heralded his victory in the Kentucky Senate race Tuesday as a sign of the Tea Party's vigor. "We've come to take our government back," he declared in his victory speech. "Tonight there's a Tea Party tidal wave and we're sending a message to them."
A number of incumbents in both parties coasted to election, avoiding the upheaval that marked so many races. Vermont Democratic Sen. Patrick Leahy easily won his reelection race, as did South Carolina Republican Sen. Jim DeMint, who faced off against Democrat Alvin Greene.
Veteran Democrat senators Barbara Mikulski (MD), Ron Wyden (OR), Daniel Inouye (HI) and Charles Schumer (NY) all won their reelection races. On the Republican side, Richard Shelby (AL), Tom Coburn (OK), and Chuck Grassley (IA) sealed victories. John McCain (AZ). Richard Burr (NC), David Vitter (LA), John Thune (SD), Mike Crapo (ID), and Johnny Isakson (GA) also held on to their seats.
Freshman Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., also won her race to complete the term vacated by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton -- she will have to run again in 2012.
Thirty-seven governor's seats were also on the line, with Republicans taking the majority.
Republicans scored a big pickup in Ohio as John Kasich beat Democratic Gov. Ted Strickland, an enthusiastic Obama ally whom the president tried to save. Republican successes also included Tennessee with a victory by Bill Haslam. Tom Corbett seized a Democratic seat in the Pennsylvania governor's race, as did Scott Walker in Wisconsin. Nikki Haley the election for governor in South Carolina. Terry Branstad won in Iowa.
In California, former Democratic Gov. Jerry Brown will return to his old job after beating former eBay executive Meg Whitman. Other Democrat victories included New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo will keep his state's governor's seat in Democratic hands, beating Republican Carl Paladino. Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper won the Colorado gubernatorial race, beating Republican Dan Maes and insurgent third-party candidate Tom Tancredo. Deval Patrick won another term in Massachusetts, as did Martin O'Malley in Maryland, where ex-Gov. Robert Ehrlich tried to mount a comeback.
Information Gained from http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2010/11/03/republicans-capture-house-historic-wave-make-gains-senate/
Article prepared by Senior Editor, Ben Fugate
and edited by editors Rachel Fugate and Ben Fugate
Obama Appeals for 'Common Ground'
After Democrats Lose House
President Obama, reflecting on the Democrats' historic losses in Congress in the midterm election, appealed Wednesday for both parties to find "common ground" while continuing to stand by his administration's policies.
Though those policies were used to tarnish Democrats in races across the country, Obama described his decisions to date as "tough" but "right." But as he faces down a new landscape in Congress starting in January, the president said he must take "direct responsibility" for the frustration over the economy that led to those changes and pledged to do more to reach "consensus" with Republicans. "No party has a monopoly on wisdom . . . I want to engage both Democrats and Republicans. ... I do believe there is hope for civility. I do believe there's hope for progress."
The news conference in Washington gave Obama his first opportunity to explain what his approach will be to a split Congress, with Republicans decisively in charge of the House and cutting deep into the Democrats' majority in the Senate. Pressed for specifics, Obama suggested he'd be open to joining Republicans in calling for a moratorium on earmarks and taking a second look at a controversial provision in the health care law that requires businesses to file 1099 tax forms for large purchases.
Republican leaders, in a series of speeches since Tuesday night's victories, have called on Obama to move toward the center. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell, calling the election a "referendum" on Obama's policies, pointedly said Wednesday that the Democrats can either "work with us" or face another "change" election in 2012.
Obama on Wednesday directly attributed GOP gains to frustration over the economy, declining to sign on to claims that it was a referendum on his policies. "Some election nights are more fun than others. Some are exhilarating. Some are humbling," Obama said. "Yesterday's vote confirmed what I've heard from folks all across America. People are frustrated, they're deeply frustrated with the pace of our economic recovery."
Republicans are projected to pick up about 65 seats in the House of Representatives surpassing the gains they made in the 1994 election. They will not take the majority in the Senate but so far have snatched six seats away from Democrats. The seat remaining to be decided is the confusing race in Alaska where tea party Republican Joe Miller and Independent candidate Lisa Murkowski are facing a battle over write in ballots.
Information Gained from http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2010/11/03/obama-addresses-nation-democrats-lose-house/
Article prepared and edited by Senior Editor, Ben Fugate
Murkowski acts like victor, though questions linger
Alaska U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski is acting as though she already has pulled off an improbable victory after her write-in candidacy, enthusiastically thanking supporters and telling them they've made history. She may have won or she may be overly optimistic.
Murkowski's fate rests in the reading of more than 83,000 write-in ballots. As of Thursday, initial returns showed write-in ballots held a 13,439-vote edge over GOP nominee Joe Miller, but it's not clear how many of those are for Murkowski -- or how many of the ballots have been cast properly. Meanwhile, at least 37,800 absentee, early and questioned ballots also need to be tallied.
One major issue that could ultimately send the race to court: voter intent. The law calls for write-in votes to have the ballot oval filled in and the candidate's full name or last name next to it. That section states that the rules are mandatory and there are "no exceptions to them."
Lt. Gov. Craig Campbell, who oversees elections, said this week that ballot counters would debate over ballots on which there are spelling errors before determining whether they should count. Miller attorney Thomas Van Flein suggested that no such debate was needed, because clear standards exist for counting write-ins. He stopped short of saying the campaign would sue over misspelled ballots counted toward Murkowski's total. But he said the recourse it has is going to court. "We intend to have the state of Alaska follow the law," he said Thursday. Counting ballots, he said, is "an objective test, not a subjective test." Campbell's spokeswoman and the Division of Elections director pointed to case law when asked about the use of discretion in determining voter intent.
While statewide write-in efforts in Alaska have occurred before, the rules have changed.
These changes make it difficult to accurately gauge what Murkowski calls "slippage," write-ins she'll lose because they were improperly cast. Still, she figures she'll lose only a "smaller" number of those ballots. Since Election Night, she has sounded supremely confident as she touts the historic campaign she and her supporters waged. The last U.S. Senate candidate to win a write-in bid did so 56 years ago.
"The story of my write-in campaign will be told and retold; it will change the definition of American politics ... it re-enforces what we all knew: In Alaska, anything is possible when you have a small group of people who are determined to change the world," she said in an e-mail to supporters.
She also said her campaign did everything it could to avoid a repeat of the Republican primary that she lost in August to Miller, touting her strengths while aggressively responding to charges against her record. It also reached out both to English and non-English speakers, educating voters on how to cast votes for her in a way in which the ballots could not be disputed. The campaign even handed out rubbery blue wristbands that voters could discreetly bring with them into polling booths, depicting the process, and urged voters to write her name on their hands to get it right.
Her campaign also believes it will secure a huge chunk of the still-outstanding absentee vote, though Miller, an Army veteran, believes he did well among absentee military voters. Those ballots aren't due until Nov. 17.
Information Gained from http://www.adn.com/2010/11/04/1537148/murkowski-acts-like-victor-but.html#ixzz14VoyglWw
Teamwork, tenacity helped propel Bennet
In Senate race in Colorado
Incumbent Senator Michael Bennet won a close Senate race in Colorado, holding off challenger Ken Buck.
"This is definitely a race for the record books," said Bennet at a giddy victory rally Wednesday. Bennet was referring not just to his ballot-thin margin of victory, perhaps the smallest in a Colorado Senate race since 1956, but to a 22-month election effort that began the day he was appointed.
Bennet led by more than 12,000 votes Wednesday afternoon when Republican Ken Buck called him to concede the race.
"My Senate campaign has been the experience of a lifetime," Buck said in a statement. "I will be forever grateful to the thousands of Coloradans who helped make this grassroots journey possible."
Democratic analysts said Colorado's results provided a game plan for 2012 campaigns in both candidate choice and turnout. "(Outside groups) had a lot of money to drop in this year," said Michael Huttner, founder of ProgressNow in Colorado. "But to be effective, you have to be long-term organic. You can't just drop in a lot of money at the end and expect to win."
Wins by non-ideological candidates such as Gov.-elect John Hickenlooper and Bennet show that the Tea Party movement may lose "so long as Republicans continue to take extreme stances and Democrats run centrist candidates," said Hickenlooper manager Mike Melanson.
Although committed Republicans may have seen Bennet as an establishment Democrat, enough independents did not, said Colorado pollster Lori Weigel. Bennet was only technically the incumbent. "Being not wholly of Washington was helpful," Weigel said.
Bennet had 1,900 volunteers knocking on 325,000 Colorado doors on Election Day alone. Canvassers practically bumped clipboards in central Denver neighborhoods, hitting the same home four or five times in one afternoon until someone answered the door.
The campaign Tuesday delivered food to Colorado State University students waiting in long voting lines. Latino groups for the first time coordinated to target 88,000 infrequent Latino voters; when 18,000 of those turned in ballots early, Democrats took heart, said Jessie Ulibarri of Mi Familia Vota.
America's Voice, a national Hispanic group, said exit polls showed Bennet winning 81 percent of Latino voters in Colorado, part of a "Latino firewall" for Bennet and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid in Nevada. Word of ads for Reid's opponent, Sharron Angle, that were considered racially derogatory reached Colorado Latinos and helped push those margins.
Meanwhile, Buck ignored Latinos despite Republican claims that the party sought out Latino support. "No homework was done, and it cost him the election," Denver City Councilman Paul Lopez said.
Throughout the final weeks, separate vote monitors from the Bennet campaign, union groups and Organizing for America kept careful track of early-vote flows and neighborhoods that were "underperforming" their computer models. Extra volunteers went there. National women's groups combined sophisticated consumer information with voter lists to call independent women considered persuadable about Buck's failings.
"It really compelled women in the metropolitan area," said Melanson. He noted exit polls putting Bennet's margin with women at 56 percent to 42 percent. "I think that's where we'll find Bennet was able to pull this race out," he said. "We saw Republican and unaffiliated women move dramatically at the end," said independent Colorado pollster Floyd Ciruli.
While Buck was trying to run up the score in friendly rural counties, Bennet's supporters redoubled efforts to squeeze even higher margins from Denver and Boulder counties. Those extra votes helped make the difference.
Bennet may need all of his six-year term to dig out from more than $40 million in largely negative spending by both sides in Colorado. Exit polls Tuesday stated that 30 percent of voters said they were motivated by dislike of another candidate. Of those, 63 percent voted for Bennet.
Bennet, in his acceptance speech, promised to legislate from the middle, ignoring "blue" or "red" in the way he claimed to during the campaign. "I'm not going back to Washington to play politics," he said. "The Senate is going to change . . . it just doesn't know it yet."
Information Gained from Teamwork, tenacity helped propel Bennet in Senate race in Colo. - The Denver Post http://www.denverpost.com/election2010/ci_16518314#ixzz14Wc5eqHq
Article prepared and edited by Senior Editor, Ben Fugate
Editorial
First, I want to say congratulations to all the candidates who won Federal, State, and Local Government seats on Tuesday. Whether conservative, moderate, or liberal, I hope and pray that each one represents their constituents.
Second, I would like to say that I am disappointed that the Pillsbury proposal did not pass. My solution for the time being would be to rent out Pillsbury Hall and the gym to the school for $6,000 a month. Then Pillsbury could pay its bills easier. Sale of the campus must now become a national issue. Every investor should know about this offer of a campus in the middle of a sprawling town. Pillsbury must sell its campus soon to avoid ruining the MBA. The Pillsbury Board should meet twice a month until the campus is sold to the right party. This is my view on the sale of Pillsbury.
Now to the main subject: the future of America is in the hands of its people and its officials. The people of America need to encourage their newly elected and re-elected officials to accomplish five important objectives.
First, all government officials need to cut spending. They need to cut it where it hurts. The federal government needs to cut spending to 2006 levels. This needs to be done immediately. This would cut the budget to 2.6 Trillion. This would be achieved by ending the two foreign wars in January 2011. Then federal education spending should be eliminated. All pending earmarks should be deleted. Welfare and unemployment spending should be sliced in half. The congress then should cut all other spending by 10 to 15 percent. Each state needs to cut state spending by at least 10 per cent. This could be achieved in similar ways. As government spending is decreased, then inflation is suppressed and businesses can compete on a level playing field for contracts and clients. Spending cuts also decrease dependence on the government.
Second, all tax rates need to be cut to promote prosperity. Each federal income tax rate should be reduced at least 5 percentage points. All Americans who work should have to pay income taxes. The capital gains and corporate tax rates should be slashed in half. Cutting tax rates will improve cash flow for individuals and businesses and help them grow their businesses. This will in turn bring employment and progress.
Third, American government officials at all levels need to cut the size of government. They need to eliminate hundreds of thousands of government jobs. They need to reduce government salaries by 20 percent. Then all of these terminated workers need to be given advisory positions with private businesses to help them comply with government regulations. They can help businesses succeed when regulations are holding them back from progress.
Fourth, the new representatives need to eliminate thousands of regulations. The health care bill, the bailout (TARP), the Wall Street Reform, the Omnibus bill, CAFÉ standards, and the stimulus bill all need to repealed on January 22. All legislation passed since 1989 needs to be reviewed in detail. Then leaders should repeal each bill that is even the least bit unconstitutional. This includes Medicare part D, No Child Left Behind, and Sarbanes Oxley, among others. Businesses need to be released from having to follow so many laws and regulations. These bills hamper entrepreneurs from building new companies to compete with the corporations that exist today. They also keep small and large businesses from growing to their potential.
Finally, government leaders need to promote a culture of life among the states. Each state needs to pass a homogenous monogamous heterosexual marriage amendment, approving marriage between one man and one woman exclusively. Mothers need to be coaxed into having their babies no matter how the baby was conceived. All violent crimes need to be heavily enforced after giving a fair trial to each suspect. Embryonic Stem Cell research needs to be outlawed in each state. Safe religions need to be given freedom to worship in each state. Assisted suicide should be a crime across the republic. This would cut down on deaths in the nation.
If American leaders were to accomplish these objectives in the next five years, then the future of America is bright. However, if America continues down the path it is on right now, the future of America will be bleak and short. This is not because of the message of II Chronicles 7:14 but because of the message of Proverbs 14:34-35 “Righteousness exalteth a nation: but sin is a reproach to any people. The king's favour is toward a wise servant: but his wrath is against him that causeth shame.” (KJV).
Let us pray that American officials pass these objectives swiftly. Then let us get to work by sending letters and emails to our officials encouraging them to do the right things for their state and for America. The Lost Lake Tribune will attempt to do all it can to be a major player in the conservative resurgence across our great land.
Editorial Written by Senior Editor, Ben Fugate
Contributions to Editorial made by Mark Peterson, political editor
Senior Editor, Benjamin Fugate assumes full responsibility for all articles and opinions in the Lost Lake Tribune. Not all opinions reflect his viewpoint. However, he determines the viewpoints published in the newspaper and blog. If you have any issues with views expressed in the LLT, please email the LLT at lostlaketribune@twincities.mn, subject line: Lost Lake Tribune Viewpoint Issues.
If you have questions or comments please send them to lostlaketribune@twincities.mn, subject line: Letter to the Editor. The email address is the only acceptable form of communication with the Lost Lake Tribune and Senior Editor, Ben Fugate
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