Posted on 11/14/2006 4:37:47 PM PST by GretchenM
The president, vice president, and some Cabinet members met with CEOs of US auto manufacturers. Video and text here.
He also met with Senator Mel Martinez, R-FL, who was recently named to be the new head of the Republican National Committee.
Stocks rallied, the Dow-Jones Industrial Average hit a record high today. The S&P ended at its highest point since November 2000. Oil and gold prices slipped. The NASDAQ ended at its highest point since February 2001.
Sorry if that wasn't clear.
Thanks for the Dose GretchenM....I think that M stands for Mom tonight ;)
I love the puppy photo!
~E
One man's pandering is another man's strategic marketing. This IS politics ilovew. Never be confused about that.
Just stating how I feel. I don't want to be misunderstood, and I fear I have been, which is why I thought it would be best for me to leave.
This is where I come for support at the end of the day. I can't listen to Rush any more. I can't read most threads on FR any more. I need this place.
I know you're not fighting, just frustrated...I was trying to be cute and funny.
(If you want to fight with someone another time/another place, I'll be happy to help!)
Have a good night (but I hope you'll stick around).
E
Thank you for that lovely Scripture quote, Kay, tonight, and every night.
Leave it to Beazley to brighten the day -- and chase an orange balloon when the orange roses have gone missing.
[I'm posting the following summation so that we can archive the information and then stop thinking about it . . . It's time for the masochistic negativity to stop. I for one plan to spend the next two years enjoying the President's "sprint to the finish line"!]
THE 2006 ELECTION: A REALITY CHECK
This morning, Tarnsman posted an AWESOME historical overview that detailed the results of all mid-term elections since 1870 (Grant) . . . PERSPECTIVE is a wonderful thing!
Posted on 11/14/2006 3:09:32 AM PST by Tarnsman
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1738236/posts
MORE HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE:
NEWT GINGRICH AND THE GOP DEBACLE OF 1998
In 1998, Clinton's '6th year', Congressional Republicans under the leadership of Newt 'Conservative Contract With America' Gingrich were expected to crush the Democrats in the mid-term elections.
Here's what actually happened:
Before the election -- 230R 204D (+26R)
After the election -- 226R 207D (+19D)
Yep, the Democrats actually gained seats and Newt resigned in political disgrace.
RONALD REAGAN AND HIS '6th YEAR' DEFEAT IN 1986
In 1986, Ronald Reagan and the GOP suffered HORRIBLE electoral losses:
8 Senate seats . . .
Moving the GOP from the majority (53-47 +6) to the minority (55-45 -10) . . . [At worst, GWB will face a 49-51 (-2) minority -- and that -2 will include a very GWB-leaning Independent!!]
5 Congressional seats . . .
Giving the Democrats an even wider margin in the House
from a 253-182 (+71) majority to a 258-177 (+81) majority! . . . [It appears that GWB/the GOP will endure a much smaller +28ish D majority!]
Why did Reagan suffer such devastating losses in 1986?
Like President Bush, he just wasn't able to avoid the '6th' year hex! First there was Bork, then Reykjavik, then the election losses, then Iran-Contra, and then an historic 23-point drop in his JA rating in just one month -- AND GUESS WHAT: THE UBER CONSERVATIVES DESERTED HIM IN DROVES [FYI: These are the same conservatives who today use a bastardized version of the Reagan legacy as a weapon with which to bash President Bush -- what a bunch of soul-less losers!] . . .
MICHAEL BARONE'S FINAL ANALYSIS:
The Basic Political Balance
A couple of numbers from the EMR exit poll. Party identification was 38 percent Democratic, 36 percent Republican. That's only a point different from 2004's 37 percent Democratic, 37 percent Republican. Republicans did worse because they had less support from independents this time. [DrDeb: Yes my Doubting Thomases, the Republican base DID show up at the polls; it was the Democrat-leaning Independents that tipped a VERY close election to the Democrats!]
. . . Does this represent a revolution in party strength? A significant change, I think, but not a revolution. The Democrats never dipped below 200 members in the House, except for one moment in the Gingrich revolution when there was a vacancy, and now they're up to about 231, the number of seats in which they currently hold a lead as the counting in some races continues.
You can read Barone's entire analysis at
http://www.usnews.com/usnews/opinion/baroneblog/archives/061110/the_basic_polit.htm#more
SO WHAT'S NEXT?
I agree with FRED BARNES:
THERE'S STILL LIFE IN THAT LAME DUCK
Bush isn't done yet.
WHEN REPUBLICANS won the House and Senate in 1994, President Clinton was badly shaken. At a White House press conference, a reporter suggested Clinton might no longer be "relevant" as a leader. It took weeks for Clinton to recover his composure. It turned out, of course, that he was as relevant as ever as a national leader. Presidents always are.
If President Bush was shaken, he didn't show it. He waited only hours after Democrats had captured Congress last week to assert himself. And he instantly changed the media story from an Election Day repudiation of his presidency to his removal of Defense secretary Donald Rumsfeld. He followed that with a press conference at which he listed the issues where compromise might be reached with congressional Democrats. This was before he'd met with either Democratic leaders Nancy Pelosi or Harry Reid.
Bush is a lame duck, but only technically (he won't run again). He intends to be a very live duck in his final two years in the White House. When he talked to Henry Paulson, then the CEO of Goldman Sachs, last spring about becoming treasury secretary, he promised to push hard for a serious agenda no matter what the outcome of the midterm election. The result was bad for Bush, but he plans to keep his promise.
Is Bush suffering from delusions of grandeur? Not really. True, he'll have to make concessions, probably painful ones, on legislative initiatives. And his prospects for getting conservative judicial nominees through the Senate are slim. But as we learned from the Gingrich years, you can't govern from Capitol Hill. The president, even weakened as Bush is, remains the central figure in Washington.
You can read the rest of Fred's commentary at
http://weeklystandard.com/Content/Public/Articles/000/000/012/945golku.asp
And on a VERY INTERESTING NOTE . . .
GETTING OUT OF IRAQ?
Michael Barone posits a very interesting alternative to conventional wisdom!
http://www.usnews.com/usnews/opinion/baroneblog/archives/061114/getting_out_of.htm#more
THE PRESIDENT AND HIS BEAUTIFUL FIRST LADY ARE GOING TO BE IN ASIA FOR EIGHT DAYS . . . I FOR ONE CAN'T WAIT TO SEE ALL THE GORGEOUS PHOTOS . . . ENOUGH of the grossing, let's start focusing on the important issues!!
Thanks, Deb!
Wow,
Those are some great articles. Thanks a ton.
E
I still hate it when they are out of the country...there are enough loons here let alone over seas!!!
I bet, or should I say hope that the President stops in Iraq or Afghanistan on his return to the US.......btw...loved the Barone article
Ohio's under a lot of stress currently (personal stuff); additionally she's spent a great deal of time over the last several days defending the President's honor and integrity here at FR . . . I understand her frustration!
I think we all just need to take a deep breath and RELAX:
Remember, "An angel still rides in the whirlwind and directs this storm"
The President plans to sprint to the finish line and I plan to get there with him!
The President honor NEEDS NO defending! He is one of the few men in DC that actually HAS any!!!!
ME TOO!
--Just doing one of my pop-ins!....Ron Popeil Rotisserie Chicken coming my way in a few seconds...
ha ha ha...I just cracked myself up...I thought ...I'm part of the pop-by public ;-)
I agree with DrDeb. Everyone needs to take a breath and relax.
With the Dems in charge, we are all going to need each other more than ever and the President will need our prayers.
THANK YOU Jewels, I couldn't agree more!!
We need to do lunch and decompress . . . freepmail me!!
"ha ha ha...I just cracked myself up...I thought ...I'm part of the pop-by public ;-)"
You are so much fun . . . too bad you don't live closer -- we'd have a riot over lunch!!
If you posted this yesterday or something, I missed it. There is a thread written by Anchoress.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1636664/posts
Sorry if it is a repetition, it might be helpful.
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