I have every right to expect, infact I demand that the Govt do EVERYTHING in its power to keep me and my family safe.

Weren't you the guy sneering at the residents of New Orleans who failed to evacuate and complaining about how they expected the Government to take care…

Michael Savidge wrote:
State-sponsored terrorism, neo-colonial foreign policy and outright deceit and hypocrisy are just a few of the reasons the "bad guys" came knocking on your door.
No reasonable person is defending Al Queda's actions (nor…

opposing the renewal of the Patriot Act, the NSA program and the Swift money transfer surveillance program is all the evidence you need to deem someone a card carrying member of the loony left.

Well, no. Governments of yester-year would never have allowed such policies to be enacted in the…

The validity (or not) of your arguments are in many ways beside the point. A few steps back and you might begin to try and unravel all the reasons it has come to this.

State-sponsored terrorism, neo-colonial foreign policy and outright deceit and hypocrisy are just a few of…

Alistair, sorry to interrupt your echo chamber, or should that be circle jerk?

Keep it seemly James. No one is talking to you like that.

How about we assume that the Dems gain control of the House, and that the GOP retains the Senate 49-51, and that as a result some…

As for your view that your views are majoritarian in the home of the brave the exit polls tend to indicate otherwise.

And if the NSA programme was legal then why did it explode in…

NSA program only covered suspected terrorists calling from outside the US to a US phone number, so it didn't violate any laws covering domestic wiretaps. The program was reviewed by…

Russ,

New thread... yea or nay...

Alright, you've convinced me. I'm still feeling my way with this discussion thing ...

New thread here for poll-watching, now that the returns are poised to come in. Feel free to keep on arguing in this one though ...

New thread... yea or nay...

The discussion with NO (Jesse) James could stay here perhaps...

Murtha is not being persecuted; his views and his offered solution of redeploying the troops in Iraq to Okinawa is just too stupid to be true.

Sigh ... this is exactly what I mean. In the 'Meet the Press' interview in June, which attracted all the attention, he was asked…

Danyl & Joe

Why hasn't the US hasn't been attacked since 9/11?

Maybe Osama has been at the beach, or have there been several massive attacks in the US that the Bush administration has covered up to cling desperately to power to keep making money from Halliburton?

Let me try to…

Fair ping, to paraphrase Albert Francis Gore there was no need on my part to get snippy. :)

Here's a clue: 90 percent of House Democrats voted against the NSA's Terrorist Surveillance Program; 80 percent voted against the terrorist interrogation bill. All these counterterror programs are at risk if House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi gets the speaker's gavel next year . . .

So basically what you're saying…

Virginia: D 52 R 47
Montana: D 53 R 46
Missouri: D 50 R 48
Tennessee: D 48 R 51

Missouri is too narrow, but its not looking too bad so far.

Salon has a guide to watching (webbing?) the elections…

90 percent of House Democrats voted against the NSA's Terrorist Surveillance Program; 80 percent voted against the terrorist interrogation bill.

So those would be the secret, no-warrant-required wiretapping bill, and the "goodbye, habeas corpus" bill? Gee, isn't it awful they voted against those? Still waiting for solid evidence of Nancy…

Why hasn't the US hasn't been attacked since 9/11?

Maybe Osama has been at the beach, or have there been several massive attacks in the US that the Bush administration has covered up to cling desperately to power to keep making money from Halliburton?

Its started...

SENATE EXIT POLLS AS OF 5:30 EST: Democrats Leading: Virginia (52-47), Rhode Island (53-46), Pennsylvania (57-42), Ohio (57-43), New Jersey (52-45), Montana (53-46), Missouri (50-48), Maryland (53-46)…GOP Leading: Tennessee (51-48), Arizona (50-46)…

Show 51-49 democrat senate...

We will see..........

Nov. 7, 2006 — Preliminary exit poll results indicate that nearly six in 10 voters today disapprove of the way President Bush is handling his job.

About four in 10 approve. That's down from 53 percent approval in 2004, and 67 percent just before the…

"What's nuts is that you believe this nonsense"

Danyl, all I can say is that I live in the US, I talk to Americans everyday, I travel around the US, I watch US TV every night, and you don't.

I can tell you without fear of contrdiction that…

There's a line in a Pacino film (City Hall?) that goes something like:

The only thing that…

Homer: Not a bear in sight. The "Bear Patrol" is working like a charm!
Lisa: That's specious reasoning, Dad.
Homer: [uncomprehendingly] Thanks, honey.
Lisa: By your logic, I could claim that this rock keeps tigers away.
Homer: Hmm. How does it work?
Lisa: It doesn't work. (pause) It's just a…

Homer: Not a bear in sight. The "Bear Patrol" is working like a charm!
Lisa: That's specious reasoning, Dad.
Homer: [uncomprehendingly]…

sigh* Thanks for the thoughtful rebuttal, but I think I'll leave RB to decide what's permissable discourse around here and respectfully suggest you stick the 'tude in the first available orifice.

And I was all good with it right up till that point. That wasn't a very respectful suggestion. I'm…

The fact is that the US hasn't been hit again after 9/11 and that is not an accident.

Lisa Simpson: "I've got a rock in my pocket that protects me against tigers."

Homer Simpson: "How do I know it works?"

Lisa: "Do you see any tigers around?"

Homer: "Lisa, I…

Could you include a link to one of those clearly stated views, answers and policy postions please? I've not found them since searching after your earlier post.

Thanks,
tim

Murtha is not being persecuted; his views and…

Anyone monitoring the IRC political chat channels right now? I'd imagine that the big nets like undernet/dalnet/efnet etc…

With all due respect, you'd think New Zealand is one country where the media has learned to take polls with a grain of salt, and a whole bottle of tequila. Apparently not, and you'd think CNN would learn from experience.

whew are there bonus points for feeding the trolls?

*sigh* Thanks for the thoughtful rebuttal, but I think I'll leave RB to decide what's permissable discourse around here and respectfully suggest you stick the 'tude in the first available orifice.

Actually, you do have a small point and one I was about to make before you started frothy:…

Anyway, distraction from real issue. Which is: will this election really reflect popular sentiment. As I…

"Is corruption in Washington, D.C., the dominant issue driving voters at the polls today? That's what CNN's exit polls are showing, according to Wolf Blitzer and Bill Scheider, who are chatting about their exit numbers on TV as we speak. Scheider just said that 42% of voters…

How will the Dems make life is easier for terrorists? Where have you been hiding?

The Dems are against the Patriot Act, and are on record as saying they would do what they can to repeal it. The Patriot Act allows the CIA to talk to the FBI…

Your question about protectionism is a red herring as well as being a load of bollocks.

The US did not agree to a free trade deal with Australia on agriculture. And neither Dems nor…

So what are the implications? I bet none of you know much about Nancy Pelosi, the loony tunes San Fran lib who would become speaker if the Dems win. Well, Osama, Al Zawaheri, Kim Jong Il, Armdinajad the head hackers in Iraq and various other assorted despots will…

So, why your urban population should continue to funnel tax $$s to a few rural land owners *and* pay higher prices for their food should be a…

Excellent insights into the state of US democracy.... many US seats look like the long intestine of a cow.... they have taken gerrymandering to a new level.

Somewhat novelly for the US – normally for everyone else – the DNC decided in its "50 State Policy" – to actually…

From what…

...in which Michelangelo Signorile interviews the male sex worker at the centre of the Haggardgate fundie gay sex imbroglio

Craig Y.

First you argue that Nancy Pelosi will make it 'easier for terrorists to attack America' (I hear she also plans to drown puppies and poison wells).

__Well, Osama, Al Zawaheri, Kim Jong Il, Armdinajad the head…

Nancy Pelosi is way left, further left than mainstream NZ positions.

We're talking about the same Nancy Pelosi right?

The one that voted for the Patriot Act, the No Child Left Behind Act, the Unborn Victims of Violence Act and against the Gun Ban Real Act, the Farm Security and…

Over here it is the left that does vote fraud, you wont get that from sites like Salon.com and CNN which are solidly left media outlets. Be very skeptical of the US MSM, there is no doubt which way they lean.

Just one example for you: The FBI has an…

What specifically?

Just one example for you: The FBI has an…

"Would that be the same bush that allowed the 9/11 terrorist attacks to occur?"

I see loony tunes exists in NZ as well as San Fran. Do you seriously think that any American would have allowed the 9/11 attacks to occur? I mean seriously?! To describe such views as "silly",…

she is incoherent. I have seen her on CSPAN and her "speeches" are an illogical ramble of unrelated thoughts blurted out.

She needs to get one of those earpieces the prez uses.

__I bet none of you know much about Nancy Pelosi, the loony tunes San Fran lib who would become speaker if the Dems win. Well, Osama, Al Zawaheri, Kim Jong Il, Armdinajad the head hackers in Iraq and various other assorted despots will be happy campers indeed if…

Dick Cheney has repeatedly told the media that he agonised over the shoot down decision in relation to flight 93.

As the NORAD…

Some of that background may be of use brokering deals between the factions but certainly there would be much pressure on her to keep the messages moderate so the Democrats may fight the Presidentials from…

It is not just that she is left, she is incoherent. I have…

"Connecticut is not listed because it is simply a rerun of the primary with Republicans getting to vote this time. While ideologically interesting, it has no effect on control of the Senate since the two leading candidates are both Democrats..."

So the predictions of…

Go PUBLIC ADDRESS SYSTEM....!!!!

:)

I see loony tunes exists in NZ as well as San Fran. Do you seriously think that any American would have allowed the 9/11 attacks to occur? I mean seriously?! To describe such views as "silly",…

Meanwhile, the usual chaos and under-provisioning at polling places ...

Nancy Pelosi, the loony tunes San Fran lib who would become speaker if the Dems win.

As far as I can tell from looking at their policy platforms, "looney tunes libs" in the US would fit squarely in the middle, or possibly slightly towards the left, of the Labour party…

Whatever the results, my worries are that these Midterms will be the…

3:4 Republicans hold Senate
4:13 Dems take Senate

4:15 Republicans hold House
15:19 Dems take House

which means the R's are pretty heavily favoured to win the…

:)

From the GOP handbook of Maryland politics:

(1) Recruit homeless men in Philadelphia;
(2) Bus them into Maryland;
(3) Arrange for the Republican governor's wife to greet them upon their arrival;
(4) Outfit them in hats and T-shirts for the governor's re-election campaign;
(5)…

From the GOP handbook of Maryland politics:

(1) Recruit homeless men in Philadelphia;
(2) Bus them into Maryland;
(3) Arrange for the Republican governor's wife to greet them upon their arrival;
(4) Outfit them in hats and T-shirts for the governor's re-election campaign;
(5) Have them pass out…

What leaves me staggered is that there is so much evidence of corruption and cronyism in the Bush administration yet the mid-terms will still be a close call. Seems the fundies will stick together no matter What Jesus Would Do.

"Sure the Republican party is corrupt and filled with hypocritical…

Let the Democrats die a natural and well deserved death while the Republicans run the country into the ground. Maybe a decent political system will rise from the ashes. It's better than acting as co-enablers to a cabal of religious idiots.

An interesting theory, and perhaps workable if it weren't…

"A man entered an Allentown polling site, signed in and proceeded to smash one of the electronic voting machines with a metal cat paperweight, poll volunteers said.

"Michael Young, 43, will be charged with…

I must object somewhat to the notion that the American people have failed to repudiate the gang of thugs currently running things over there. It's pretty well accepted (in…

Robyn, something very cool on youtube is HBO doco "Hacking Democracy" linked on Scoop FP....

It's out there on the torrent wires too. I grabbed it this week, but went out and left the torrent running: uploaded 1.4GB. Whoops.

And may I say Al, I think it's a feather in…

So the question is, can we and did we keep it cleaner here in NZ?

Yes. Because our version of a serious electoral scandal is Labour's pledge card, or National's GST bill. The amount of money involved in those two combined would buy you like 30 seconds of air time…

tis 4pm ET now.... so first results coming through around 1pm NZT.

on the first tuesday after the first monday thing... that means that if Monday is the 31st of October then the election is on November 8. I think. And then for once it will not be…

As for the…

Dirty tricks tend to encourage people to stay at home, not vote the other way, so I don't know how accurate the polls can…

George Bush, trying to save a Republican candidate in a Nebraska district: "Now, it seems to me if you're sending someone from this country to Washington, you better have someone who understands…

Are there some Tuesdays that come before Mondays in America?

Only thing I can think of is that there are some first tuesdays in a month which come before the first monday (if for instance the 1st is a Tuesday). Can't imagine why anyone would set such an odd rule…

A bipartisan party. Bring a date and a donation.

Instead of donating to one political party, have a website matching you up with potential donators of the opposing party. Intead of giving the money to politicians get together and spend…

Quite revealing – if a little unsettling.

I wonder if you could do the same sort of thing for NZ elections? We've just all been…

Not that it will matter – he's pretty much dead…

Will it be a Democratic rout or did the polls tighten enough for the Republicans?

I think that, ultimately, we will all be disappointed that the American public still cannot see the current paradigm for what it is. A slim win for the Dems, but slimmer than we might hope.…

In effect, the Senate will come down to four states: Montana, Missouri, Tennessee and Virginia.

Even aside from the strategic significance of the Tennessee contest, I'm fascinated to see the outcome of the Ford/Corker bout. Robyn, a quick search of YouTube will quickly bring you up to speed on that…

One final spanner in the works: if the Dems take the Senate 51-49, Joe Lieberman could be the one-seat majority. Could he be lured across the aisle by Karl Rove?

OTOH, are there any moderate Republicans who might be tempted to pass the other way?

"On the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November of every even-numbered year, elections are held for all 435 members of the United States House of Representatives and 33 or 34 of the 100 members of the United States Senate."

Um... I'm going to stay out of it and…

On the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November of every even-numbered year, elections are held for all 435 members of the United States House of Representatives and 33 or 34 of the 100 members of the United States Senate.

Um... I'm going to stay out of it and…

Cos this ain't one, national election, but 435 district-wide Congressional elections and 33…

May I ask what is it that these elections are for?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mid-term_elections

And:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._midterm_elections%2C_2006

I know it's not the president and I think it's something to do with the senate, but I'm not sure I know exactly what the senate is.

Is it like if New Zealand MPs were elected in a seperate…

http://dir.salon.com/story/news/feature/2005/01/18/scandal/index.html?pn=1