Decision ‘10: Game On

Rachel started us off with Tuesday’s results and the gyroscopic spinning thereof.

Rachel, way out of character for a political talking head, calmly noted that the changes aren’t huge, but may be building.

Apparently the far right failed to notice that scaring the bejabbers out of the locals and splitting the vote in New York’s District 23 lost them the election and increased the Democratic majority in the House.

The tea party Republicans are way more focused on throwing their weight around in their own tent, and at this point it serves the Republican Party right.

Thoughtful, principled Republicans, there was a point months ago – hell, years ago – when you could have demanded sanity and taken your party back. Really any of those times when people were screaming that it should be illegal to be Muslim or gay or desirous of reasonably priced health care in this country.

You could have stood up, smacked down, and brought a little dignity back, but no: You kept quiet and still in the hopes of scooping up a few easy loonbat votes.

So you stay there and enjoy that bed you made. Can I pull up the covers for you? I hope Representative Bachmann doesn’t keep you awake.

The most irritating thing about this Republican Purity movement is that it puts me on the same side of a political issue as Senator Lindsey Graham. Cut it out, wingnuts.

One More Thing:

Dick Armey’s FreedomWorks is providing talking points to Michele Bachmann’s Run Around the Halls of Congress Actin’ All Crazy protest, and Rachel decided to help out her buddy by pointing us to a couple of intriguing articles about him.

Just in case you were worried he’s not reaching his full potential as a sleazebag.

(A tip of the hat to Rachel’s amazing Webmaster Will for his excellent link blog.)

Decision ’09: Sticker Shock

Rachel noted that as the final tallies come in, New York’s Mayor Bloomberg (somehow both Republican and Independent) spent $100 million to get 557,059 votes, or about $179 and change per vote.

He could theoretically have saved money by simply giving each likely voters an MP3 player with a campaign song on it.

Rachel summed up the LGBT Election News, good and bad:

Question 1 in Maine bummed us all out and Virginia elected an attorney general who is scary as hell. (LGBTs who live in or are traveling through Virginia, please do your part to protest by breaking Cuccinelli’s “natural laws” happily, thoroughly, and often. I’ll meet you there for the holidays.)

On the upside, Washington approved the “everything but marriage” Referendum 71, Kalamazoo rocks, and the south may have elected a couple of Gayors.

Also, marijuana did well, which means maybe in a few years people will freaking relax enough to let people marry who they want.

“Friendly” Fire

In the face of the awful news that five British soldiers were killed by an Afghan soldier  –a supposed ally– at a checkpoint, Rachel welcomed recently resigned State Department official Matthew Hoh for a fascinating interview.

Tragic Wand

Rachel reported that the Iraqui government has spent thousands of dollars on “bomb detectors” that are somehow magically calibrated to detect, bombs, guns, ivory, and, oh dear, truffles.

Up to a kilometer away, through walls and from moving planes and stuff.

I hope you’ll excuse me. I have to finish work on a device I’m marketing to the Iraqi government that can totally tell when someone in the area has a crush on you.

It’s Not Easy Being Green

The next big Republican slowdown is on climate change legislation. And they have a point: If they can just delay action for another 10 or 15 years, it’ll all be moot. As will all other legislation. GOParadise!

On that note, Rachel sat down with former Vice President Al Gore to talk about saving the planet and try to get him to dish on other Vice Presidential matters.

Moment of Geek

Rachel decided to give us a gentle, nonpolitical sendoff and remind us that there is good in the world.

Just in case we all needed it for some reason.