COFFEE BREAK 223

+ updated at 11:21am ESDT on Wednesday, November 3, 2010

+ TruthDig offers "Payback at the Polls" by Robert Scheer. Excerpt: "Barack Obama deserved the rebuke he received at the polls for a failed economic policy that consisted of throwing trillions at Wall Street but getting nothing in return. His amen chorus in the media is quick to blame everyone but the president for his sharp reversal of fortunes. But it is not the fault of tea party Republicans that they responded to the rage out there over lost jobs and homes while the president remained indifferent to the many who are suffering."

+ I was so happy 4 years ago when my congressional district elected a Democrat for the first time in 50 years. Last night, that so-called Democrat, Michael Arcuri, got defeated and I did not shed a tear. 2006 was a wave election for the Democrats just as yesterday's election was a wave election for the Republicans. Arcuri possibly would have lost even if he had sided with the Democrats on key legislation during his second term. But he didn't. He voted against the Healthcare Bill and the Caps-for-Trade bill. He even joined the Blue Dog Caucus (The DINO caucus: Democrats In Name Only). In other words, he turned off his base. There was little enthusiasm left for Michael Arcuri. In the district North of us, Bill Owens, a Democrat who was really a Democrat, stemmed the tide and was re-elected to his seat in Congress.

Howard Dean coined the phrase "The Democratic Wing of the Democratic Party." Owens is that kind of Democrat ... Progressive, Compassionate ... and he won. Hopefully, our next Democratic representative in the NY 24th will be a real Democrat.

By the way, the Blue Dog Caucus was decimated yesterday. Half of them lost. Voters chose Republicans rather than Democrats pretending to be Republicans.

+ Candidates Sarah Palin supported in the Primaries got beat last night in Delaware, Utah and probably Colorado and Alaska. The Senate would probably have gone to the Republicans if her candidates had lost in those Primaries to more moderate Republicans (not that there any Moderates in the GOP any more). So, thank you very much Sarah. Even in a wave election, voters can discern candidates who are simply too extreme, too irrational.

+ Daily Kos offers "Cheers and Jeers: Wednesday" by Joe in Portland, Maine.  There is some really insightful political analysis in this post.