[Doctor Stochastic]

The GOP isn't doing so well in the by-elections.

[KQQL]

YEp....Suagr issue hurt GOP ......in LA....

Looks good for Mexican sugar now

[KQQL]

YEp....Sugar issue hurt GOP ......in LA....

Looks good for Mexican sugar now

[sinkspur]

The GOP isn't doing so well in the by-elections.

This guy's in the minority, and he'll vote with the Republicans, or he'll be out on his ass in two years.

Louisiana's always been the armpit of the United States, and it reconfirmed its status tonight.

[patriciaruth]

The Democrats hold a good registration edge on Repubicans in Louisiana and have a good apparatus to get out their vote which the Republicans don't.

If control of the House or the Senate had been in question, then we might have stimulated more Democrat crossover voters to support the President in the war effort and with other conservative issues. But as control was not in question, a number of them felt they had the luxury of voting their party roots and local issues.

That's the way our Republic works.

[Thane_Banquo]

It's hard to win against vote fraud.

[rightwing2]

The GOP isn't doing so well in the by-elections.

Indeed, this is a curious anomoly. The GOP lost the 2001 election badly losing both important governorships in Virginia and New Jersey, but we lost those races because Bush refused to campaign for the Republican candidates for fear of damaging his sky-high 85% poll ratings. This time we lost the three post November special elections at least the two in Louisiana despite the fact that Bush campaigned heavily for the GOP candidates. I would be tempted to say Terrell lost because she was such an uninspiring candidate from my perspective were it not for Fletcher's surprising defeat in the House race as well.

There is one much overlooked thing that might have made the difference in this race and explain this most unexpected outcome. This was the first test and trial run of the hated infamous Democrat Congressional Majority Insurance (Campaign Finance Reform) bill that I have been predicting will in all likelihood result in the more or less permanent loss of both houses of Congress for the GOP come November 2004. These initial surprising twin GOP defeats in Louisiana where the GOP should have won both at least makes it appear that I may be correct in so predicting and that 2004 will be a RAT sweep of Congress, the much delayed reverse of what happened when the GOP took control of both houses in 1994.

No one wants to hear it, but thanks to Bush's signing of the CFR bill, our beloved GOP congressional majority will be proven to be a very temporary one. Sadly, this did not have to be, but Bush inexplicably broke his campaign promises and capitualted to the RATS on one of the most critical issues of his Presidency. Speaker Hastert was right. Democrat Campaign Finance Reform will be Armageddon for Republican control of Congress. Prepare to say hello to our first Socialist Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi two years from now.