Perhaps democracy still works

I admit a sense of relief this morning. The idea that Republicans could bully their way back into control of the House despite this administration's bungling was just more than I could stand.

And, despite the robo calling, the Democrats have won 27 seats with the potential to pick up a few more. Tom Delay's former seat is Democratic, as is Tom Foley's. Crazy Curt Weldon lost, as did the mistress strangler, Don Sherwood (republican family values). Rush Limbaugh lost the race for Jim Talent in Missouri (more Republican family values at work) and Rick Santorum (homophobe) lost badly in Pennsylvania. (According to Crooks and Liars, Paul Begala called Limbaugh "a Self-Discredited Drug-Addled Gasbag" which of course brought a defense by Bill Bennett--more family values.) Kenneth Blackwell, and his fundamentalist, homophobic, and Christian Reconstructionist platform were all soundly thrashed. That made me happy.

Not all went well. Marily Musgrave won in Colorado, and Roskam beat Tammy Duckworth in Illinois. That last one is particularly painful, since Roskam participated in some of the most negative campaigning out there. Now he credits her for her service, but during the campaign, he didn't. In Tennessee, racist ads still worked against Harold Ford, but George Allen may have lost a sure Republican seat in Virginia with his blatant racism.

We still have numerous problems. At least some of our gain comes only because of sex scandals--the only scandal that our media seems able to cover. And speaking of our media, CNN interviewed Tom Delay this morning who assured us that the Dems would "defund the war on terror." But who invites a disgraced, corrupt, indicted congressman as a pundit?

But I will take it. The first woman Speaker of the House, and a nation-wide referendum on Bush. We still have a chance to take the Senate. Today, as opposed to my response two years ago, I feel good.