A WELL-EARNED KICK IN THE GUT

The voters gave the Republicans a well-earned kick in the gut yesterday.  They have taken control of the House of Representatives by an overwhelming margin.  They needed 15 seats to get control.  They have won at least 28.  As of this morning the Senate is still in play.  At best the Republicans will have a one-seat margin in the Senate. 

When I got up at 4:00 this morning and started to look at results, I can honestly say that I was neither surprised nor disappointed.  I've been saying this for weeks ... and I'll say it again right now ... this may be the best possible outcome for the future of our Republic.

This is good news .. and bad news.  Good news because of the message it sends to Republicans.  Bad news because of the message it sends to Islamic jihadists who are dedicated to the destruction of our culture.

One thing is certain.  The Republicans worked very hard for this defeat.  They've earned every lost seat.  The Republican majority that was sent packing yesterday bore little resemblance to the Republican majority that rode to power 12 years ago.  In 1994 we were promised less government.  Over the next 12 years the Republicans more than doubled the size of the government.  We were promised control over runaway spending.  In the last six years discretionary spending has doubled.  We were promised fiscal responsibility.  We got a bridge to nowhere in Alaska.  We were promised the elimination of the Department of Education.  After all, educational achievement had been on a steady decline since education was federalized under this Department.  In no time at all the Republicans doubled funding for the Department of Education.  In the meanwhile America continues to slip on the international scorecard of educational achievement.

The Republicans, in full control of the government, couldn't even manage to stop the Mexican invasion.  How many Hispanics invaded our country across the Mexican / American border in the last 12 years?  Twelve million?  Twenty?  Funny, but I don't remember pressing 1 for English in 1994. 

So how did I actually vote when I got that provisional (see below) ballot in my hand.  Straight Libertarian.  I voted for every Libertarian candidate on the ballot.  I couldn't bring myself to vote for the Social Democrat Party ... and the Republicans simply had not earned my vote.  I was heartened this morning to read the following line from an Augusta Chronicle story on the vote:  "With the aid of statewide distribution of Libertarian Neal Boortz's radio talk show since the last election, the Libertarian Party is enjoying its strongest support ever, making Georgia one of the party's most vibrant states."  Good to hear.

I was wondering how I would feel when I woke up on November 8th to find the Republicans out of power in the House.  Now I know.  I'm rather enjoying this.  I'm enjoying the thought of Republican party leaders getting together somewhere to try to figure out what went wrong.  Will they second guess their free-spending habits?  Will they re-think their big-government agenda?  Will they swap recriminations on their failure to stem the Mexican invasion?  Will the wonder what would have happened if they had adopted a national agenda as they did in 1994, rather than insisting on their concentration on local issues?    Will they ask why President Bush never pulled out his veto pen ... not until the issue of federal funding for stem cell research was on the table?

If the Republicans had maintained their power we would have faced two more years of business as usual.  Two more years of spending and government growth.  Now we have two years of Republicans figuring out how they can convince the American people that they deserve to lead again.

IT WASN'T JUST IRAQ

Amid the ruins of the carnage from last night's election results, an interesting statistic stands out.  According to exit polls, what was the most important issue in the election?  Iraq, right?  Nope...42% of voters said corruption was number one.  Islamic terrorism came in at  40%...then the war in Iraq at 37%.  In other words, last night's vote wasn't just an overwhelming rebuke of President Bush and the Republican Party based on Iraq.  There were other issues at play.

Take corruption.  There were plenty of reasons for voters to grow tired of the GOP.  Sure, some of the so-called scandals over the past few years were really played up by the media, but after a while the stench grew to the point that voters could no longer ignore it.  The Foley case was most likely the last straw.  Voters instinctively knew that the Republican leadership knew all about Mark Foley and his stalking of pages, but did nothing.  But it's very interesting that terrorism comes in second at 40%.  Because Democrats are the least-equipped party to ever deal with the issue of Islamic terrorism.  That just shows you how far the Republicans have fallen, that they lost their on their signature issue.

Also not mentioned in the reporting on the exit polling was illegal immigration.  If there is any one single issue that has the Republican base fed up with the president and his party, this is it.  Now that Speaker Pelosi, and new committee chairmen Alcee Hastings and John Conyers will be taking over in January, perhaps Republicans will get the message --- but not before we get amnesty for the illegals already here.

THE FIRST JOB FOR DEMOCRATS

The largest component of the Democrat voter base is comprised of voters who vote for a living, voters who have abandoned their adult responsibilities and have, to one extent or another, become wards of the state.  Democrats will immediately try to expand the American social welfare state.   Look for proposals for new tax credits and exemptions .. but only for lower income Americans.  Look for increases in the minimum wage ... the government setting wages rather than leaving that up to the competitive free market.  Look for proposals to shift payroll taxes away from lower income workers and onto the evil rich.  In short ... look for more government. 

The government-dependent voting base must be expanded.  That will be Democrat job number one.

GREAT NEWS FOR THE MEXICAN INVADERS

I saw Richard Gephardt on the tube this morning.  Naturally he was quite pleased with yesterday's developments.  He was doing a good job of chanting the "The must compromise" mantra of the new Democrat majority.  More specifically, Gephardt was saying that there would probably be pretty quick action on immigration reform, now that the Republican control of the House was gone.

He's right.  Amnesty for illegals is on the way.  President Bush is for it.  The Senate had already voted for it.  The only roadblock was the House.  Now, with Democrats in control, the House will be eager to go along.

This will be one of the first moves the Democrats make ... right after they go to raise the minimum wage.  Amnesty for illegal aliens will be the order of the day, amnesty without any meaningful controls to make sure that the invasion ceases.

Every one of these invaders is looked on as a potential future vote by Democrats.  Nothing will be done to stem the tide.

VOTING ... A LOOK INTO OUR FUTURE

I had a bit of a problem voting yesterday. I showed up when the polls opened.  When I finally got to the check-in table the computer would not allow me to cast a vote.  I later discovered that somehow my voter registration had been changed from my residence address to my work address.  Something had changed since the 2004 election ... but I can't figure out what it was.  At any rate, I went back after the show, cast a provisional ballot, and changed my registration.  Problem solved .... unless someone sees fit to change my registration without my knowledge or consent again.

More amazing was my experience at the polling place.  It was a lesson in basic government incompetence.  Let me try to set the scene.

After you filled out the voter information sheet you were directed to one of two tables.  One table was labeled "A - L"  The other table "M - Z".  There were two touch-screen computers at each table.  Poll workers would use these computers to check in the voters and give them their access cards for the voting machines.

Though there were two computer touch-screens at the A  table, only one was being used.  Both screens at the M table were in use.  To make matters worse, the two ladies running the screens on the M table were working very efficiently, while the woman at the A table looked like she had never seen a computer before in her life.  In no time the line at the A table was snaking out of the door and down the hallway, while the line at the M table was .... well, there was no line.  The two ladies there had nothing to do.

I just couldn't watch this idiocy without saying something, so I got out of line and went inside to find the poll manager.  I said "Look, you have two women sitting at this table doing nothing.  You have an empty computer screen at the A table.  Why not let one of these ladies work that screen to see if you can shorten that line?"  She just looked at me with a blank stare.  Finally she said "Well, you would have to wait to vote anyway!  See that line for the voting machines?"  At this point one of the two ladies working the M table said "We can check those people in here!"  Again ... blank stare from the poll manager.  "Can you let some of the people in that line come over here to be checked in?" I asked?  Blank stare.  But finally the light bulb went on and she announced that people with the A - L names could go to the M - Z table to check in. 

As the line was shifting I heard a woman say "This is what it's going to be like with government health care."

Exactly right.

EMINENT DOMAIN WINS BIG

There were some bright spots last night.  Proposals in 9 states passed limiting the right of government to take private property. Eminent domain abuse ballot initiatives won overwhelmingly in Florida, Georgia, Arizona, Michigan, Nevada, New Hampshire, North Dakota, Oregon, and South Carolina.  The Kelo decision could turn out to be the best thing that ever happened to the anti-eminent domain movement.  All of the propositions won handily by an average of 75%. Not one proposal to limit eminent domain lost.

The message is clear:  people do not want government to be in the business of stealing people's private property to give it to private interests.  Greedy politicians of both parties at local levels throughout the country are squealing like stuck pigs this morning...upset that the voting public has shot down their latest scheme to confiscate more property to build stores and shopping malls.  Perhaps the abuse of the eminent domain clause will soon end once and for all.

It makes you wonder how a public that put the Speaker's gavel in Nancy Pelosi's hand could at the same time pass decent legislation to curb the eminent domain rip-off.  It does give you a bit of hope...perhaps voters didn't get everything wrong last night.

FIRST MUSLIM ELECTED TO CONGRESS

Minnesota has elected its first Muslim member of Congress...his name is Keith Ellison.  And just who is this guy?  Well, of course he's a Muslim.  No crime there...plenty of good people are Muslims.  Perhaps Mr. Ellison is a good one.  Maybe not, because it turns out he has quite the past...with an affiliation to the Nation Of Islam...and our old pal Louis Farrakhan.  Oh boy.

Back in 1990, when Ellison was a law student at the University of Minnesota, he was a member of the Nation Of Islam.  He wrote an article in the school newspaper defending Louis Farrakhan against charges that he was a racist.  Calypso Louie a racist?  No way...how could that be?  Now keep in mind that Farrakhan has said some wonderful things in the past....calling Adolf Hitler a great man and Judaism a "gutter religion."  Such a tolerant person.

Now it may be that Ellison is a decent enough guy and his affiliation with Louis Farrakhan was just a temporary indiscretion, as he now says it was.  But what cannot be disputed is that last night's victory of the Democrats over the Republicans is one that has Islamic terrorists the world over cheering.  Never have they had an entire election go their way. 

Make no mistake, the passing of the speaker's gavel from Dennis Hastert to Nancy Pelosi has emboldened Al-Qaeda just a little bit more.

RACE BAITING LAST MINUTE SCARE AD IN ATLANTA

OK ... so this is nothing new, but you would think that sooner or later Democrats would grow tired of the race-baiting last-minute ads trying to frighten black voters into thinking that Republicans will be coming for them with a noose in the dark of night.  Well .. it has happened again .. right here in Atlanta. 

Georgia Democrat Congressman John Lewis, former Atlanta Mayor and U.N. Ambassador Andy Young and current Atlanta mayor Shirley Franklin have teamed up to produce a campaign ad for John Eaves, a black Democrat running for the position of Fulton County Commission Chairman.  (Atlanta lies almost exclusively inside Fulton County).  The ad suggests ---- hell, it doesn't just suggest, if flat-out says that if the Fulton County voters let those Republicans get control of the Fulton County Commission it will be like setting the dogs and water hoses on blacks again.  In fact, it will be worse! 

Here ... read the text of the ad for yourself:

You can listen to the ad right here. Well, they've gone and replaced the audio. So if you missed it when I played it on the air today, you'll just have to go with my transcript above.

I'm not surprised that John Lewis made this ad.  He's never been one to avoid a little race-baiting in a campaign.  He rather loves playing the black victimization card.  Andrew Young?  No surprise there either.  Young has a history of playing the race card in his political efforts.  Young is just the type of bigot you would expect to tell black voters that Republicans would "turn back the clock on equal rights and human rights" if they get control of the commission.  By the way --- a Republican has been in control of the commission for years now ... and thus far no blacks have been lynched.

But Shirley Franklin?  Now that's a disappointment.  A huge disappointment.  I've had dinner with Shirley Franklin a few times, and frankly I was impressed.  Thus far she's done an admirable job for the City of Atlanta.  Now she allows herself to be used by John Eaves in a cheap, crass attempt to scare black voters into thinking that if he doesn't win this race all of the work of Martin Luther King Jr. will have been lost.  Mayor Franklin should be ashamed, and she should offer a public apology to the black voters of Fulton County for her implication that they are dumb and ignorant enough to buy this load of crap.

And just why do Democrats like to resort to race-baiting advertisements at the last minute during a campaign.  Because it works, that's why.  Perhaps that's why you won't hear an apology from the mayor.  John Eaves won by a wide margin.

REDNECK SCRAP BOOK

Now that's a snow blower!.  More in the Redneck Scrap Book.

READING ASSIGNMENTS

Just a few thousand votes separate U.S. Senate candidates George Allen and Jim Webb in the most-watched national race at the moment.  And to think...if the people who had voted for the Green Party candidate had all voted for the Democrat, there would probably be no recount.

With Democrats winning the House in a blowout landslide and the Senate up for grabs, President Bush is going to take to the podium at 1pm this afternoon and comment on the elections.  We'll see if he says anything about staying the course in Iraq.

After being given up for dead politically a few months ago, Arnold Schwarzenegger won re-election in California handily.  This will be the Governator's final term in office...after recalling Democrat Gray Davis 3 years ago and winning that special election.

Now that they've won, which Democrats are going to chair which important committees?  How about the former impeached judge Alcee Hastings running the intelligence committee?  John Conyers running the judiciary.  It could be worse...no, actually it couldn't.

This was no surprise: the candidate running Mark Foley's place in Florida...and having to run under the name of "Mark Foley"...lost.  Oh, and Mark Foley didn't even vote for himself in his own district!  How times change...a month ago, he was considered an easy seat for Republicans to win.

Fred Barnes writes that it would have been possible for Republicans to avoid losing the House and maybe the Senate...if they had just done a few things.  Their first mistake:  abandoning the reform agenda that brought them to power in 1994.

Now that her party is in power in the House and maybe the Senate, Hugh Hewitt says this makes things more difficult for Hillary Clinton in 2008.  He also says John McCain should forget about running for president and so should Bill Frist.

So with the Democratic blowout last night, what exactly does it mean for Republicans?  Michael Medved reports that it doesn't necessarily mean we should surrender in Iraq, nor does it mean that you can expect voters to vote for you when you don't really stand for anything.

Before the first ballot was even cast, Democrats were doing all they could to call into question the legitimacy of the elections...in case they were going to be close.  Michelle Malkin tells us this even includes Speaker-to-be Nancy Pelosi.

Dr. Walter E. Williams says there is a new book out about economics that everyone should read.  Even though it can be a boring subject, some college professors have gotten together and written a small, 200-page tome about the issue...in plain language everyone can understand.

Election results from CNN.

Watch Dr. Randy Martin's short video clip showing how the FairTax saves lives.

A slut nixes sex in Tulsa, Are we not drawn onward, we few, drawn onward to new era, No, Sir. Panic is a basic in a prison, Tarzan raised Desi Arnaz' rat and more palindrome fun here.

Here's a perfect stocking stuffer for the hairy-nostriled loved one in your life. Excavate and de-hair at the same time!

You've heard Herman Cain fill in for Neal Boortz. Read his latest online column. Your chance to see Herman speak at a live event in Atlanta 11/16.

BOORTZ BLAST NEWSLETTER
Everyone is talking about the Boortz Blast newsletter. Do you want yours? Sign up here and we'll deliver it directly to your inbox every 2 weeks. If you signed up but aren't receiving it, either your company or your spam filter could be keeping it from you. Try using a personal email address and check your spam filter's junk folder for wayward newsletters.

COMMUNITY
If you like Neal and are looking for like minded people to hang out with online or off, check out these places:

Talkmaster Yahoo Group

Belinda Skelton, Ken Rogers, Laura Nunemaker and Brian Ganey assist in the daily preparation of Nealz Nuze!