Political Capital

"I earned capital in the campaign -- political capital -- and now I intend to spend it,"

Oh, my god...that just scares the hell out of me. This is going to be a rough four years. Looking for the positive in this is proving difficult, but it is there. We got beat, but we didn't get trounced. Let them think they have a mandate...they don't. 49% of the voters in this country hate the ground Bush walks on. Barack Obama trashed Alan Keyes in Illinois. If there was one thing that made me smile on election night it was Alan Keyes' concession speech.

The gloating in the AGN will start soon enough, so brace yourselves. We can take at least a small amount of comfort in knowing that those Archie Bunkers out there are going to have their butts handed to them by the party they support. Their Republican vote isn't admission into some kind of exclusive club. They won't be shielded from anything. Health care costs will soar into the stratospehere. Manufacturing and professional jobs that pay a decent wage will continue to hemorrage overseas. Record deficits will merely add to our already monstrous national debt. The conflict in Iraq is just going to get worse. Anytime one of these things jumps up to bite them on the ass we need to be there to say, "Go talk to your president."

Another thing that spacedark pointed out earlier has been picked up elsewhere. Mac Thornberry ran without opposition. That can't happen in 2008. We've got four years to find someone to run against him. This is a big area and there has to be someone around here who can do it. Money shouldn't be a concern. Not with Kos and Atrios and Air America. People will donate just to make him come home and fight and drain Republican resources away from battleground states.

We can do it.

blogarillo