Some Updated Results in National Contests

Here's the way the map looks this morning:


The changes since last night: IN-Obama, MT, MO-McCain

There were two Senate races yet to be decided by the time I packed it in last night. It looks like Norm Coleman has barely eked out a win over porn-writing "comic" Al Franken in Minnesota. With 99% reported Coleman has just over a 700 vote lead. Keep that seat in the GOP column.

Norm was the first guy I ever donated a dime to in politics. Following the 2002 funeral/political rally for Sen. Paul Wellstone, I was so outraged by the despicable behavior of the Democrats at that event I sent $100 to Coleman. He won in 2002 and is now on his way back for a second term.

In Oregon RINO Gordon Smith is barely leading his Dem opponent by 15,000 votes with 75% in. If the Dems are looking for votes to prevent a filibuster, Smith is one of the first guys they'll go to if he makes it back to Washington.

It looks like the Dems will have 56 Senators, which certainly makes it easier to stop a filibuster as long as people like Smith, Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins are there, along with Joe Lieberman. The Dems won't be able to afford to throw Lieberman under the bus now as they had hoped to. I expect he'll keep his chairmanships as long as he doesn't depart the Dem caucus.

With Minority Leader Mitch McConnell returning to lead the GOP, the Dems will have their hands full trying to enact very liberal legislation. Mitch has been able to hold the GOP together when it counted. I think the Fairness Doctrine is dead for at least another two years.

In the House the Dems will have a 258-177 edge for a net gain of 15. Certainly not the 25-40 some had predicted. Sadly, Jack Murtha survived, but in Florida, multiple marriage vow offender Tim Mahoney was defeated. The balance of power in the House really isn't much different than it was yesterday. The minority can't do much whether it's a bare minority or a huge one.

And did anyone notice the bit in Obama's speech where he said "it may not take one term" to fix America's problems? Keeping true to form, he's already running for his next job. The only higher position than 1st term president is 2nd term president. The pattern continues.