You're Kidding!

Okay, so is this a case of an overzealous judge, or a case of overzealous police?

Either way, to throw this confession out, thus requiring a full, complete investigation and trial, should not set well with the people in Kittanning, Pennsylvania.

I Wonder ...

... does Darth McCaskill's victory mean that the proudly unemployed blogger Ol' Roy Temple will become employed again?

Early Predictions for 2008

The party that eliminates the political exemption from the state's No-Call List takes it all!

Don't Blame St. Charles County Voters!

We did our job! We gave Senator Jim Talent a 12,000 vote margin, and it was lost in St. Louis county and city. I mean honestly -- 19% in the city of St. Louis?

We all know that St. Charles County has been a republican stronghold for years, and we managed to hold on to that image -- for now.

Not only did voters in St. Charles County continue to support their republicans, but republicans actually picked up one office that many didn't think possible.

In the biggest surprise of the evening, republican Michelle McBride edged out Assistant Collector Sharon Boerding for the top spot in the Collector's Office. Congratulations to her!

McBride, who had very little campaign organization and no campaign experience whatsoever, was seen taking down her signs in the dark while the votes were being counted. A very unassuming woman, I'm sure she was elated with her victory, and will take over her new position with humility, and will do a good job.

Because she won a seat that has been held by a democrat, the late Barbara Walker, for many years, you can assume that she will have a target on her in four years.

Sheriff Tom Neer out-polled his challenger, deputy Ed Copeland. Steve Ehlmann became the new County Executive in a real squeaker over that campaign guru Jim Rutherford, Rick Zerr beat out the Time and Temperature guy, Mike Carter (even though Carter's own MOTHER recorded a robocall that went out, declaring Carter to have always stood for "truth, justice and the American way")! I mean, how can you vote against THAT logic?

After a couple of back and forth hours from 8:00 till 10:00, republicans Nancy Matheny and John White had their victories for the county council. White will retain his seat and Matheny will take over for republican Bob Schnur, who is leaving the council this year after losing the primary for County Collector to McBride.

The best news of the evening is that, while the U.S. House changed hands, the Missouri House did not. Big congratulations goes out to every one of the members of the county legislative delegation, who held all seven state representative seats. Senator Scott Rupp beat his democrat foe, Rep. Wayne Henke, in a rematch of April's special election, and the state senate will remain under republican control, as well.

I should hope that, when the dust settles, republicans will sit down and REALISTICALLY look at what they've been doing, and where they're going from here. We may have won these elections locally, but in races like the 18th district, there is NO excuse for Tom Dempsey to win by a measly 700 votes against a joke like Joe Koester. There is no excuse for Sally Faith to only beat labor goon Tom Green by a mere 300 votes. I wouldn't vote for Green for village idiot, but fortunately for him, that's not a post he needs to run for! There is also no excuse for Vicki Schneider to only win by 300 votes.

The blood is in the water. Republicans had a chance to squash democrats in a year where democrats were throwing everything they had, and they didn't, which leaves the dems salivating at what's to come.

What's to come?

My predictions: Senator Chuck Gross, in his final two years in the senate, gets tapped by County Executive Steve Ehlmann to become County Administrator. Dempsey gets the nod to become the republican candidate to succeed Gross, and Green gets the democrat's vote. In April, voters will vote in this race, and in the special election that will have to be called to replace Doug Funderburk on the County Council, as he goes to the Missouri House of Representatives. This senate race will become the most expensive on record, with traditionally republican business interests throwing tons of cash toward Dempsey and labor unions throwing tons of cash toward Green. The county council race will become the most expensive in history with the same groups throwing money there, as well. Early rumors place former state Representative Cindy Ostmann on the top of the list to run. Dempsey wins the senate seat, republicans hold the county council seat, and then the real fun begins. Who will run for Dempsey's seat after it has been vacated?

We can already be sure that Koester will be the democrat nominee. After coming so close to beating Dempsey already, we just have to hope that repubs get their act together before then.

Republicans Deserved It

"A stinging and discerning referendum on the ways of Washington," writes AP reporter Calvin Woodward.

Republicans in Washington and Jefferson City have forgotten how to communicate. There is just no other excuse for it. The litany of scandals plaguing Washington from the republican side of the aisle that continue to go seemingly unchecked, the governing style of, "we are in power, we know what's right, so we're doing this and don't owe you an explanation," and the complete and utter breakdown of decent communication with voters landed the speaker's gavel in the hands of democrat Nancy Pelosi last night.

Congressman Lacy Clay responded with, "democrats will raise the minimum wage, close gaps in homeland security, find Osama bin Laden, work on a prescription drug plan, and work towards energy independence for the country."

Not so fast, Lacy! First of all, the senate is still up for grabs, and we may not know the outcome of that until later today. Secondly, the only way dems will get their agendas passed is through the objections of the president, and that's not likely on many of the agenda items your party holds near and dear.

While you talk about gaps in homeland security, the rest of the country recognizes that there has not been an attack on the United States since 9/11. While you talk about raising the minimum wage, the rest of the country sees a vibrant economy. (Remember the talk a few years ago, "it's the economy, stupid!"? Whatever happened to that?) While you talk about finding Osama bin Laden, you have to first recognize that we're at war, and the survival of the people of Iraq depends upon our troops being there. While you talk about energy independence, the rest of the country knows that we have to continue exploratory drilling in places like Alaska -- places your party doesn't see fit for oil excavation.

The biggest thing that the rest of this country will see is that a Speaker Pelosi will become the most liberal of the limousine liberals, and it will take a mere two years of her at the helm of this ship for Americans to flock back to the Republican Party.

Jim Talent went on the attack for the first time in his political career and it backfired on him. There's no better way to put it. Coupled with his inability to get his message across to voters effectively, we now have to deal with Darth McCaskill for six whole years in the United States Senate.

But hey -- Illinois was able to get over having Carol Mosely Braun, so maybe there's hope!