Congratulations, Democrats! You did what pretty much happens in a good chunk of mid-terms
(Fox News) Democrats reclaimed control of the House of Representatives Tuesday night after eight long years out of power, dealing a major setback to President Trump’s legislative agenda — but Republicans were able to expand their narrow Senate majority and, with it, preserve the ability to confirm crucial judicial nominees.
The split decision on Capitol Hill follows one of the most intense and chaotic midterm campaign seasons in recent memory, in which President Trump barnstormed the country for GOP candidates and powerful Democrats, including predecessor Barack Obama, did the same for the other side.
For his part, Trump was able to help prevent a total Democratic takeover in Congress, and he avoided a repeat of President Obama’s first midterm elections in 2010, when his party lost 6 seats in the Senate and 63 in the House.
Retiring House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wisc., said in a statement that “history had repeated itself” Tuesday night, noting that since 1862, the president’s party has lost an average of 32 House seats during the midterms. After Tuesday’s elections, Democrats appeared poised to gain approximately two dozen seats in the House, while Republicans looked to net at least two Senate seats.
At the moment, Democrats have 219 seats and the GOP has 193, with a few still pending. 218 is needed for House control.
In the Senate, it’s sitting at 51-45 GOP, with the Republicans picking up at least two extra seats. Claire McCaskill and Heidi Heitkamp were two of the Democrats who lost, as did Joe Donnelly (D) in Indiana. A few others may occur, or not. Some races are too close at this time, like between McSally (R) and Sinema (D) in Arizona (how Arizonans vote for a woman, Sinema, who hates Arizonans, is unbelievable). And it is super close between Democrat Jon Tester and Republican Rosendale in Montana.
And you have Romney winning the GOP held seat in Utah. Magic underwear for everyone!!!
What now?
Pelosi and top Democrats have vowed to open a series of investigations into the White House upon reclaiming the House, including probes into Trump’s unreleased personal tax returns, alleged collusion with Russia, and potential ethics violations by administration officials.
Prominent firebrands including Democratic Reps. Maxine Waters, Adam Schiff, and Jerry Nadler are slated to be elevated to lead the House Financial Services Committee, Intelligence Committee, and Judiciary Committee, respectively. With control of those and other key committees, Democrats will have the legal authority to issue subpoenas to compel Republicans and others to provide documents or appear at hearings — and to seek contempt proceedings if they don’t comply.
“We will be able to get answers the Republicans were unwilling to pursue,” Schiff told CNN in October. “Records that the Republicans wouldn’t ask for.” (Pelosi has said that trying to obtain Trump’s tax returns would be “one of the first things we’d do.”)
Schiff added that he would place a “very high priority” on determining whether the Trump Organization had laundered money through Russia.
It’s going to be investigation-palooza, which will just fire Trump up even more. Watch him take a page out of Obama’s playbook and stonewall and ignore the investigations. Even the uber-leftist NY Times Editorial Board thinks Democrats should be really careful, and start with pushing policies. Ones that are not uber-leftist. That they should avoid impeachment (good luck with this, they will hold all sorts of crazy hearings). And that they should not go crazy with subpoenas. Good with this, too.
Here in NC
NC Voter ID Amendment looks like it's going to easily pass. You can bet a lawsuit will be filed by Thursday by those who want illegal voting https://t.co/H878fXfgiV
— William Teach2 ??????? #refuseresist (@WTeach2) November 7, 2018
As of this morning, with 99% reporting, it is sitting at 56% approve. You also have Marcy’s Law, which is about victim’s rights, which will pass with 62%. NC Democrats were 100% against it, and offered up some weak excuses, which mostly boiled down to “hate anything GOP pushes.” All six of the amendments offered by the GOP majority look to pass.
In Washington state the carbon tax initiative looks like it will fail
If Democrats ever want to fight climate change at the national level, they’ll need help from state-level progressives first. Blue states will need to function as “laboratories of democracy,†trying out creative new climate policies and finding their faults before their debut on the national stage.
On Tuesday, Democrats didn’t get that help.
Though progressives cruised to victory in Washington State—Senator Maria Cantwell, a Democrat, easily won reelection—by late Tuesday night, voters appeared almost certain to reject Initiative 1631, a ballot question that would have established the nation’s first carbon tax. With 64 percent of the vote counted, 56 percent of voters opposed the measure—enough of a rout that The Seattle Times declared it defeated. The Associated Press has yet to call the race.
Even liberals weren’t buying this scam. But, hey, fortunately we have California!
LOS ANGELES (AP) — California voters have approved a measure requiring all eggs sold in the state to come from cage-free hens by 2022.
— Juliet Williams (@JWilliamsJourno) November 7, 2018
