Republicans Pointing Fingers

There was some expectation that Democrats would win one of the houses of Congress in this election cycle. Taking both houses of Congress was a bit of a suprise to the country. Here is an article from the Washington Post about the resulting turmoil in the Republican Party after their stunning loss.

Republicans' Angry Factions Point Fingers At Each Other

The Fight for Congress

This year's Congressional elections are particularly exciting for the Democratic National Committee. There is a real possibility that the party may gain seats in the U.S. House of Representatives. Presently, Republicans run both the U.S. Senate and the House of Representatives, making it difficult for Democrats to push any agenda forward.

Recent articles in the Washington Post and the New York Times, just as two examples, point out how close the races are. In the Senate, there is a possibility of regaining majority. However, our best chances are in regaining the House of Representatives where some Democrat challengers have a big enough lead that the real possibility is in sight.

Folks, this is going to be a nail-biter. It brings us to the next point, which is to stress the importance to go out and vote. As election day draws near, it appears that the margins are getting smaller and smaller. Your vote is needed to make the possibility of a Democratic win in Congress a reality.

Boehner Wins Majority Leader Race Replacing DeLay

WASHINGTON, Feb. 2 — Representative John Boehner, an eight-term Congressman from far west Ohio, defeated Representative Roy Blunt of Missouri today in a stunning upset to succeed Tom DeLay as the House Republican majority leader.

Mr. Boehner received 122 votes to 109 for Mr. Blunt in a runoff made necessary by an inconclusive first ballot. The victory for Mr. Boehner signaled that many House Republicans are uneasy about the lobbying scandals that threaten to tar some of their party colleagues and wanted far more change than Mr. Blunt seemed to promise.

The first ballot ended inconclusively, with Mr. Blunt earning 110 votes, Mr. Boehner 79 and Representative John Shadegg of Arizona 40. Representative Jim Ryun of Kansas, the world-class miler of the 1960's, got two votes.

Mr. Shadegg and Mr. Ryun, who had not been an announced candidate for the post, then withdrew, leaving Mr. Boehner and Mr. Blunt to battle for a majority. There are 231 Republicans in the House, so 116 votes were needed for victory.

The rest of the NY Times story is here.