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Begich Wins

By TChris, Section Elections 2008
Posted on Tue Nov 18, 2008 at 08:06:15 PM EST
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The AP reports:

Alaska Sen. Ted Stevens has lost his bid for a seventh term. The longest-serving Republican in the history of the Senate trailed Anchorage Mayor Mark Begich by 3,724 votes after Tuesday's count. That's an insurmountable lead with only about 2,500 overseas ballots left to be counted.

Welcome, Sen. Begich.

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    Begich Wins | 27 comments (27 topical)

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    Told you so this morning! (5.00 / 2) (#1)
    by andgarden on Tue Nov 18, 2008 at 08:07:17 PM EST


    Thank goodness! (5.00 / 2) (#2)
    by DFLer on Tue Nov 18, 2008 at 08:12:13 PM EST
    My Anchorage niece can now hold her head up.

    Also, door closing on Guv Palin's road to the Senate...thank god!

    THAT is the best thing (5.00 / 0) (#4)
    by bluegal on Tue Nov 18, 2008 at 08:15:15 PM EST
    Am I the only one that was actually terrified by Sarah Palin?

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    No (5.00 / 0) (#5)
    by Lil on Tue Nov 18, 2008 at 08:26:56 PM EST


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    No from here, also. (none / 0) (#21)
    by jeffinalabama on Wed Nov 19, 2008 at 06:55:41 AM EST
    She reminds me too much of our former governor Fob James, but with more star power, or media access.

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    No. In fact, (none / 0) (#14)
    by shoulin4 on Tue Nov 18, 2008 at 10:26:05 PM EST
    during the election, one day I was walking to a class and thinking about the possibilty of her getting into office, and it was such a horrible thought that I actually scared myself to a few tears. I'm not joking.

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    Great news! (5.00 / 5) (#3)
    by Teresa on Tue Nov 18, 2008 at 08:12:45 PM EST
    We've sure had a lot of close elections this time.

    Seats (5.00 / 1) (#6)
    by jedimom on Tue Nov 18, 2008 at 08:28:55 PM EST
    Are we at 58 now or 57?
    And is Franken recounting?

    58 including Joe Lieberman and Bernie Sanders (5.00 / 1) (#7)
    by andgarden on Tue Nov 18, 2008 at 08:31:00 PM EST
    The Republicans will probably be unable to filibuster any judicial nominees. That's big.

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    Does that exclude Minnesota and Georgia? (none / 0) (#8)
    by Teresa on Tue Nov 18, 2008 at 08:39:54 PM EST


    Parent
    Yes, (5.00 / 1) (#10)
    by andgarden on Tue Nov 18, 2008 at 08:44:54 PM EST
    Those would be 59 and 60.

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    We'll get it in two years if things don't fall (none / 0) (#11)
    by Teresa on Tue Nov 18, 2008 at 08:46:45 PM EST
    apart. Who would have believed this? George Bush has destroyed the Republican Party.

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    No crystal balls for me (5.00 / 2) (#12)
    by andgarden on Tue Nov 18, 2008 at 08:52:24 PM EST
    This is a good majority, and it's time to do as much as possible over the next couple of years.

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    Yes, this time we can only blame ourselves (5.00 / 2) (#13)
    by Teresa on Tue Nov 18, 2008 at 09:02:55 PM EST
    if we don't. It's a perfect setup for us.

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    agreed (none / 0) (#22)
    by sj on Wed Nov 19, 2008 at 09:31:18 AM EST
    We'll get it in two years if things don't fall apart

    if the Democrats act like Democrats and get Congress out of the ~20% approval rating range.

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    A big "if" (5.00 / 1) (#25)
    by lentinel on Wed Nov 19, 2008 at 11:08:14 AM EST
    but I suppose it's possible.
    Anything's possible.
    But if they don't come out of their collective comas soon, we could just as easily see 60 republican senators in 2012.

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    Do Not Count On (none / 0) (#15)
    by gyrfalcon on Tue Nov 18, 2008 at 11:29:54 PM EST
    Joe Lieberman voting for cloture.  His self-image is critical for him, and he's invested a great dealon his devotion to the Republicans' right to filibuster.

    There are other Blue Dog Dems. who won't vote for cloture, either, on a lot of issues.


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    What could prevent him (none / 0) (#16)
    by cal1942 on Wed Nov 19, 2008 at 12:24:11 AM EST
    from failure to vote for cloture would be the possible immediate loss of his committee chairs and losing the option to run again in 2012.

    If he is obstructionist he'd probably get trounced in 2012.

    It's just possible his ego will cause him to vote for cloture.

    That's what I hope anyway.

    Parent

    If.. (none / 0) (#24)
    by lentinel on Wed Nov 19, 2008 at 11:05:12 AM EST
    Liberman didn't get his chairmanship taken away now, he is unlikely to lose it in the future... imo.

    And 2012 is a long way off.
    Who knows what things will be like at that time?
    We could be at war with Oceania.

    And Joe could create his own party, as he has already done, and the chumps in Connecticut would go for it.

    Parent

    I disagree. (none / 0) (#26)
    by MyLeftMind on Wed Nov 19, 2008 at 12:52:15 PM EST
    If they took away his committee chairmanship now, they'd have nothing to hold over his head for the next two years.  If he refuses to vote with Dems to break Republican filibusters, they can strip him of his chairmanship in 2010.  Lieberman's no fool.  If he's powerless for his last two years of his term, he doesn't stand a chance for reelec

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    After today (none / 0) (#18)
    by Radiowalla on Wed Nov 19, 2008 at 12:32:14 AM EST
    I think Joe will be much more willing to play ball with the Democrats.  Sue me if I'm wrong, but I think his days as a spoiler are over.

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    There is a weird possibility (none / 0) (#17)
    by cal1942 on Wed Nov 19, 2008 at 12:28:45 AM EST
    that the GOP keeps this seat.

    If Stevens demands a recount and wins, he'd go to the Senate which would promptly reject him.  Then Palin would appoint a successor.

    Unless Alaska law says otherwise this would be a small chance that the seat stays in the GOP caucus.

    I don't think that will happen but I wouldn't put the recount demand past Stevens and the GOP.

    No professionally conducted recount (none / 0) (#19)
    by andgarden on Wed Nov 19, 2008 at 12:43:53 AM EST
    is going to make up a 3,700 vote lead under these circumstances. It's over, and Begich won.

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    Oh, do I ever hope you're right! (none / 0) (#20)
    by DeborahNC on Wed Nov 19, 2008 at 02:25:55 AM EST


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    A bit of wind goes from the sails... (none / 0) (#23)
    by lentinel on Wed Nov 19, 2008 at 10:59:57 AM EST
    From WashPo:

    "Begich ran as a conservative Democrat, supporting gun owners' rights and additional domestic drilling for oil production, including in wildlife areas where most Democrats have opposed drilling."

    So, what have we won?

    What a choice - between a guy who wants to drill baby drill in wildlife preserves, and a convicted felon.

    it's impossible to win (none / 0) (#27)
    by of1000Kings on Wed Nov 19, 2008 at 12:59:30 PM EST
    anything in Alaska w/o favoring drilling...

    the citizens of Alaska want more free money from the government, the only way to get more than the 3000+ they received last year is to produce more oil...

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    He seems fairly typical of all... (none / 0) (#28)
    by MileHi Hawkeye on Wed Nov 19, 2008 at 02:04:54 PM EST
    ...Western Democrats, except for the drilling stance.  Luckily, we are sending a handful of new D's to the Senate (my new Senator being one) who will counteract the "drill here, drill now" mentality and act as a buffer to that idea.    

    Parent
    Begich Wins | 27 comments (27 topical)

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