RSSWhat Would Constitute A Landslide Loss For The Republicans
With the vehemence that the mainstream media is attacking the Republican party and anyone that has ever gotten within a whisper of agreeing with the Republicans (see Joe Lieberman), the political landscape in midterm elections has always been treacherous for the party holding the Presidency. Just 4 years ago the political world was amazed that the Republicans held on to their majority and did not lose any ground.
But what the political media lacks in objectivity, they sure do display their ignorance of history when it suits them. Fortunately, there are columnists like Charles Krauthammer who can eloquently explain the layout of the land even if the Democrats win both the house and the senate.
What to say about such a victory? Substantial, yes. Historic, no. Before proclaiming a landslide, one has to ask Henny Youngman’s question: “Compared to what?” (His answer to: “How’s your wife?”) Since the end of World War II, the average loss for a second-term presidency in its sixth year has been 29 House seats and six Senate seats. If you go back to Franklin Roosevelt’s second term, the House loss average jumps to 35. Thus a 25/6 House/Senate loss would be about (and slightly below) the historical average.
True, today there is far more — and more effective — gerrymandering as computer power and shamelessness both have grown exponentially. So fewer seats are competitive. But that is only true for the House. You cannot gerrymander the Senate. (Of course, the Democrats are trying even that, with their perennial push for two Senate seats for the 9-to-1 Democratic District of Columbia, which should instead exercise voting rights in the state of Maryland to which it is geographically, economically and culturally contiguous.)
In his sixth year, the now-sainted Ronald Reagan lost eight Senate seats that gave the chamber back to Democratic control. That election was swayed by no wars, no weekly casualty figures, no major scandals. The first inkling of the Iran-Contra scandal broke on the morning after the election. via Townhall.com
Raymond Lee Oyler’s car Spotted Near Forest Fires By Secret Surveillance Cameras
The charges against Raymond Lee Oyler just got a bit more difficult for him to explain. A car linked to Oyler was spotted near at least 10 other arsons. Yesterday, Raymond Lee Oyler was charged with murder and arson by prosecutors as they stated “the evidence against him as overwhelming”, but they have not provided details.
VICTORVILLE, Calif. (AP) — A car linked to a man charged with setting a wildfire that killed five firefighters was spotted near at least 10 other arsons, an official involved in the investigation said Friday.
Cameras secretly placed atop utility poles in remote areas captured details of a car registered to a man who said he had sold it to Raymond Lee Oyler months ago, said the official, who requested anonymity because the case was continuing.
Four French Nationals Convicted of Beating Two gay American Tourists in St Maarten
“Personally, I’m happy they reached a guilty verdict. Emotionally, it raises a lot more questions than it answers.” (Richard Jefferson)
Four French nationals on St. Maarten were convicted of beating two gay American tourists with tire irons. One victim Ryan Smith, an employee of the CBS News show 48 Hours suffered brain damage while the other victim, Dick Jefferson, had his skull cracked. The four 
men were sentenced to three to six years for the crime. The comments of Dick Jefferson regarding this crime mentioned later sound like a educational tool for Caribbean islands like Aruba and the rest.
Three citizens of the island’s French half — Glen Cockly, Micheline Delaney and Allan Daniel — and a man from the nearby French Caribbean island of Guadeloupe, Michel Javois, were found guilty of public violence and grievous bodily harm by Judge Jan Bosch.
Bosch determined that Javois, nicknamed “Duracell,” was the one who assailed Smith and Jefferson — who are employees of CBS News in New York — with a tire iron as they left a bar with friends on April 6 while vacationing in St. Maarten.
Nephew Charged in the Murder of Former Heavy Weight Boxing Champion Trevor Berbick
The 20 year old nephew, Harold Berbick, and another 18 year old man have been charged in the murder of former Heavy Weight Boxing Champion Trevor Burbik in Jamaica
Harold Berbick and an 18-year-old man from the same eastern region were charged late Thursday and were to appear in court Friday, Const. Courtney Gibbs said.
Saddam Hussein Crimes Against Humanity Verdict Expected Sunday … and this just in … Saddam Closer To Nuclear Bomb Than Anyone Thought
Three years after Saddam Hussein was found hiding in a spider hole giving himself up to US 
troops, Sunday could be the day that he is convicted of “crimes against humanity” and condemned to death in an Iraqi Court.
Saddam, 69, and seven co-accused have been charged with crimes against humanity for the killing of 148 Shi’ite villagers after an attempt on his life in the town of Dujail in 1982.
If convicted, Saddam faces death by hanging, a prospect Shi’ite Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki, with some disregard for judicial independence, has said cannot come soon enough. (Reuters)
Posted November 3, 2006 by Scared Monkeys Homeland Security, Media, Politics, War on Terror | 41 comments |
