Post-election thoughts

GOP: House -24; Senate -6; Governors -6.
Looks like a clean sweep for the Dems; Georgia 8 and 12 are still too close to call but the Democrat is leading in each and these were the two best takeover hopes for GOP.

A few thoughts:

0. Who's happiest today? Hamas, the mullahs in Iran, North Korea, Hugo Chavez. That says a lot I think.

1. The Senate is LOST. 8,000 votes in Virginia and 2,000 in little Montana are quite material and barring some horrible arithmetic or absentee changes the Democrats will have a 51-49 advantage.

2. This means the Republicans need to find very good, reliably conservative but heretofore very low profile jurists for any Supreme or appeals court nominations. Possibly a former or sitting Senator (from a state with a Republican governor, of course)

3. Maybe the lame-duck 109th Senate can CONFIRM JOHN BOLTON???

4. Any chance to get Joe Lieberman to caucus with the Republicans in exchange for a leadership seat on one of the big committees? (though wonder if committees are split down the middle if Senate is 50/50)

5. Need strong new leadership for the minority - Dennis Hastert hasn't and doesn't cut it. Jury out on McConnell.

6. Only silver lining I can see from Virginia is that at least George Allen blew a Senate seat (and control) and not the Presidency for the GOP.

7. Any Republican or conservative who thinks this is a flash in the pan should remember that the last time the Democrats took over the House (1954) they held it for 40 years. GOP couldn't catch a break in the past 14 months: Katrina, Abramoff, trumped up DeLay charges, Ney, Cunningham, Foley and, of course, Iraq. It ain't the economy.

8. Iraq. Hope that with the election over the Bush Administration takes the gloves off and makes real, sustainable headway. Even if this means taking out Moqtada al-Sadr. If this is to be a story in 2008 it needs to be "How Bush turned Iraq Around"

I leave the more erudite analysis to the Monk.