The most important race was the House race in CA. Who won to replace Congress woman Ellen Tauscher?

Being on vacation makes you sassy, Joan. Some nice Palin snark, of which there can never be enough, sez I.

I'm enjoying the spin, but even more, I'm enjoying yet another driving home of a salient point that soooooo many Republicans are forgetting in their salivation over a 2010 midterm with the economy on the rocks and no healthcare bill: YA STILL GOTTA PLAY THE GAME.

Otherwise, the Pirates wouldn't have beaten the Yankees in 1960 on Mazeroski's home run. Whatever the polls say and whatever the conventional wisdom is, you've got to hold the election. And as long as you can keep Diebold out of it, the results tell the story.

Yes, Garamendi won. I'm a recent ex-Californian always respected John G., so that's good news.

Looks like we've passed the referendum protecting domestic partner rights here in my adopted state of Washington. Won't be long, I expect, before a gay marriage bill comes up. Bring it.

This is good news for District 10, as Garamendi is more liberal than Tauscher. How come republicans aren't talking about that ... A liberal Democrat wins in a republican district.

Why is it that serious people become a lot less credible as soon as they start Twittering?

They don't bring it up because of the RDF: Republican Distortion Field. Democrats winning a GOP district? Didn't happen. Can't happen. Doesn't matter if it did. Michelle Malkin said so.

Not helpful, not interesting, not worth the time.

You asked, Joan.

Works for me. Interesting that Salon itself is markedly less hostile to Twitter than Open Salon. Will have to ponder why that is.

Enjoy your downtime.

I'm COMPLETELY green!!! Anne Lamott is one of my favorite writers, period. Hope you're both having a glorious mini-vacation...

Only one was covered, NY's 23rd of course, but not the California race. Well that is okay. The governor's races while important to state political machines, are not necessarily indicative of how people will vote next year. Gov. Corzine was kind of an offensive Governor. He def blends in well with NJ politics. I briefly knew Paddy McGahn, so I am fairly familiar with the rough and tumble NJ Political machine. Politics is an art in NJ, a beautiful corrupt art. It is unsurprising Corzine lost given his reputation in NJ. Better that weasels are thrown out of office. It is never a bad thing. Oh well, I am spurred on to do finally finish Real Housewife of Alaska, part III and IV!

Oh, and just so you know I don't mind the new design at all.

My kids really worked hard for R-71, they rounded their friends up, they talked about it, they joined groups, they were really active again. Sigh, I do love my home state of Washington. We defeated another one of Eyeman's initiatives. I want to write an initiative demanding Tim Eyeman get a job! Hah, were you here when we were trying to get the Tim Eyeman is a horses ass initiative, it didn't make the ballot, but it was a great premise for an initiative!

She's all your's, Joan. To do with whatever you want. We know she won't ever represent the NY 23rd in Congress. But Doug Hoffman might, starting in January of 2011.

If Dede Scozzafava is the least bit tolerable to Joan Walsh, then she clearly had no business ever being a Republican. Which is now sort of obvious.

Forget gay marriage, forget abortion. If, as was that case, Dede Scozzafava would have given the Democrats support on "Union card check" legislation, then it is actually better to have a Democrat-in-name in that seat. It would be nauseating to have to listen to Democrats saying that "card check" (which even many Democrats cannot stomach) had even a whisper of "bipartisan" support.

Go to hell, Dede Scozzafava. Do not collect $200. Do not punch your ticket to the House of Representatives. Time for you to write your book, as they say. Should be a monster smash hit on the bestseller lists.

"...all yours," not "all your's."

I think my worst typos are when something makes me as angry as the Dede Scozzafava story.

That was quite the angry rant! Wow!!!! Okay, we will take DeeDee and every Republican you think is a RINO, they are officially welcomed to the party, thanks for offering them up, does that include Lindsey Graham? Olympia Snowe? Susan Collins? John McCain? Hell we will take ex-Senator Link Chaffee too!

Ahh the party of Lincoln, how far you have fallen down the rabbit hole of anti-intellectualism. It is a sad, sad thing, have you become the Whigs? The Dixiepubs? The Birchers? The Wallacites? Hmm, what shall we call the new republi-con party... oh wait, you can be the party of the Moral Minority, crying about abortion and gay marriage... well then, carry on.

Like, here's some fun immaturity:

Pat Buchanan can't stop obsessing about gay people (Cris?) because secretly, he's an old Fairy McFaggington.

That was some might fine impotent rage with a capital I.

Now your rage matches your politics and your life. Always coordinate!

What's your take on all of this? To me, despite the GOP spin, it was a pretty good day for progressives.

McConnell won in Virginia by distancing himself decidedly from his religious right past, and Deeds lost because he tried to be Republican-lite. Progressives stayed home, which should be a lesson for Dems.

McConnell also thanks, but no thanks to Palin and other right wing outside voices. He won by running a basically positive, moderate campaign. It was no victory for conservatives.

(Of course, he may govern as a conservative. But he didn't campaign as one.)

In New York, Dems won a seat they hadn't been able to pickup since the Civil War, and the teabaggers made that possible. Even in a solidly conservative district, the teabaggers were too fringe for them and tilted the race to Owens.

Thanks, right wing fanatics!!

:>)

California gives us a true progressive to replace the centrist Tauscher, and the Dems picked up two mayoral races, if I'm not mistaken.

All in all, it looks to me like a repudiation of the far right, not some vindication.

Unfortunately, I have a feeling too many Dems in power will take away the wrong message from this. I hope I'm wrong . . .