Texas 23

Rodriguez wins!

The election today was a result of the suit brought in the wake of the DeLay manufactured redistricting.  As with DeLay’s own seat, it didn’t work out how he had planned.  While DeLay and his supporters blame the indictments for his unemployment, I think DeLay would have probably lost anyway.  (Morrison, DeLay’s Democratic opponent in 2004 got 45% of the vote.)  It could have saved the city of Houston $2 million if DeLay had just stayed in the race and lost. 

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Webb Victory

Had you asked me 20 years ago if I would support Jim Webb as a Democrat for Senate, I would have given you an earful and more.  (In context, a reliable source tells me I have mellowed.)  I nit-picked everything I read from him or about him. 

In the last few years, while so many Americans called me and people like me traitors, I found Webb again.  He stood up for John Kerry and Jack Murtha.  He wrote a NYT editorial defending their service and scolding the Swiftboaters who had been backed by the owner of Perry Homes — a man who has caused many problems in my dear city and to our country.  I reconsidered my long-held opinion of Jim Webb.  I caught up with his writing and thinking.  He won me over.  When I read that he had decided to run against Allen, I was over-joyed.  I sent him a little money early on and then later, when I could.

Today, at 2:00 p.m., Allen conceded.  What that meant to me is many-fold.  First and most importantly, it means that NO ONE can call me or anyone who holds similar opinions as I do traitors ever again.  That is over.  Second, it is a step in the direction of finally proving that Democrats have the troops’ welfare in mind and will back that up with action, not simply hollow words.  Third, this should sink the swiftboaters once and for all.  We will still have to reason with them, but now, the weight is tilting in our favor.

Congratulations, Jim Webb.  I for one am proud that you will be in the Senate.  Proud and extremely happy.

The Lengths Some Will Go

One of my colleagues is gay.  We often talk politics, more so in the last few years, since 9/11 greatly affected our work.  Yesterday afternoon, I wento to the copy room and while running my copies, brought up the case of Representative Foley.  He had read about it, just as I had, and in the course of our conversation, I told him of my fear: that once again homosexuality and pedephilia would get conflated. 

I was completely wrong.  What has happened is the questioning of how old one has to be to consent.  Yep.  I missed the mark on this one.  Listening to Micheal Savage on the way home (Friday), he didn’t want to judge Foley prematurely.  However, Savage managed to say that Ruth Bader Ginsburg supported changing the age of consent to 12.  I haven’t fact-checked that yet, but given the source, well, I can take my time.

Then my pet wingnut, Sparkle, had this to say: 

Not to defend this scumbag at all, but I am reading that the age of consent is 16 in Washington, so that would make what he did not a crime . . .

Disclaimer not withstanding, she is arguing that the 16 year old knew what he was doing.  Later in the same thread, she says:

I want to make this observation though. And I want to make it clear that I am in no way defending Foley, but I have made the point here before that teenagers today are exposed to WAY too much sexuality too early. I mean look at the way the teen responded. When I was that age if someone who was 50 had said to me “I’d love to slip those shorts off you” or ” do I make you horney?” I would have gone screaming into the street. This kid acted like it was just another interesting IM. and he is not alone. Kids today are too sexualized and that is just the damn truth. This was no innocent child here. Not to blame him. I blame society. But it isn’t quite the same as talking that way to an 8 yr old (sadly enough)
Rightwingsparkle | 09.30.06 – 5:29 pm 

I see you working this. 

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39%

Rasmussen has finally gotten to the point that he couldn’t manipulate the responses anymore.  Or he has finally called the right people.  I have been watching this for quite a while now, and today is the first day his poll has gone below 40%.

Here’s the breakdown.  What is interesting is that more strongly disapprove (42%) than the strongly/somewhat approve combined.

Update:  It’s off the page now, averaged into the totals for September.  Paying members can see it, but for today, the number is back to 40%.