The Right Stuff In The Morning
Wednesday, November 5, 2014
Good morning! In the news today: Republicans seized control of the Senate and gained seats in the House in a rout that topped even the worst fears of Democrats; Big pickups for the GOP in North Carolina, Arkansas, Colorado and, it appears, Alaska; Republicans held Georgia and Kentucky. Dems kept New Hampshire and, in a surprise, nearly lost Virginia, though the Republican there hasn't conceded; Scott Walker prevailed in Wisconsin and Rick Scott in Florida, big GOP wins; and Democrats blamed Obama for all of it.
Have a great day.
Keith
Republicans seize control of the Senate . . . Republicans scored a stunning electoral rout in the midterm elections, taking control of the U.S. Senate after a bitter campaign in which anger at Washington gridlock was turned against a president who took office promising to transcend it.
By early Wednesday, Republican candidates had won at least 10 of the day’s 13 closely contested Senate races. They took seats held by Democrats in Iowa, Colorado, Arkansas, Montana, South Dakota, West Virginia and North Carolina — more than enough to seize control of the Senate for the first time since 2007.
In addition, Republicans won at least 10 more seats in the House, adding to their majority. And GOP candidates won gubernatorial races from Florida to the high plains, including those in deep-blue Maryland and Massachusetts. Washington Post
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Republicans rout Dems in the House . . . House Republicans, exploiting deep unhappiness with the president and a favorable political playing field, were headed to a midterm rout on Tuesday, strengthening their grip on the chamber and potentially winning an historic majority.Politico
GOP sweeps governors races . . . Republicans swept governor's races across the country Tuesday, holding on to control of key swing states like Florida, Michigan and Ohio and scoring upsets in Democratic bastions like Maryland, Massachusetts and Illinois. Associated Press
Tillis wins stunning victory in North Carolina . . . Republican Thom Tillis rode a wave of frustration with Washington Tuesday night to unseat Democrat Kay Hagan after the most expensive Senate race in U.S. history. Charlotte Observer
Purdue defeats Nunn with conservative message . . . Republican David Perdue beat Michelle Nunn to replace Sen. Saxby Chambliss in Georgia, winning outright a race that many predicted would go into a runoff. His decisive victory was a sign that demographic changes in the state have yet to affect its political orientation. Perdue ran a conservative campaign, both tactically and ideologically. Politico
Walker triumphs in Wisconsin . . . Republican Gov. Scott Walker defeated Democrat Mary Burke Tuesday, ensuring himself a second term in Madison and raising the prospect of a political future at the national level. Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Louisiana headed into overtime . . . Louisiana's Senate campaign is heading into overtime. Sen. Mary Landrieu, D-La. and Bill Cassidy were running neck-and-neck ahead of the field of eight candidates late Tuesday, but well short of the 50-percent-plus-one vote needed to avoid the Dec. 6 runoff. New Orleans Times-Picayune
How McConnell saved himself in Kentucky . . . McConnell ran a shrewd, presidential-caliber campaign that was years in the making and ended in a stunning 16-point margin over Alison Lundergan Grimes.Politico
GOP appears to have snagged Alaska . . . Republican U.S. Senate candidate Dan Sullivan appeared to grab an insurmountable lead over incumbent Democratic Sen. Mark Begich early Wednesday, with 97 percent of Alaska's precincts reporting. Alaska Dispatch News
Shaheen keeps New Hampshire for Dems . . . Sen. Jeanne Shaheen defeated Republican Scott Brown, the former Massachusetts Senator who moved to the Granite State last year. Manchester Union-Leader
Gardner scores win for GOP in Colorado . . . Congressman Cory Gardner unseated Sen. Mark Udall in Tuesday's election, becoming the first challenger to defeat an incumbent senator in Colorado in 36 years. Denver Post
Cotton grabs Pryor's Arkansas Senate seat . . . Republican Tom Cotton has unseated Democratic incumbent U.S. Sen. Mark Pryor, giving Republicans a key seat as they attempt to gain control of the U.S. Senate. Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
Scott holds of Crist in Florida governor's race . . . Bolstered by a $100 million campaign and a stronger economy, Gov. Rick Scott overcame his own political liabilities and a fierce challenge from Democrat Charlie Crist on Tuesday as he won a second term that solidified Republican control of the state. Miami Herald
Warner claims victory in Virginia . . . U.S. Sen. Mark R. Warner (D) declared victory over Ed Gillespie (R) late Tuesday in a remarkably close contest for a second term that is likely to tarnish the Democrat’s image as an untouchable force in Virginia politics. The contest was so close that Warner’s opponent declined to concede, but the Democrat promised to serve a second term working across the aisle with a new Republican majority in the Senate. Washington Post
Montana rejects Socialists' Senate bid . . . Rep. Steve Daines defeated Democratic State Rep. Amanda Curtis. Curtis, who represents Butte in Montana’s House of Representatives, was under fire for her ties to a radical labor group called the Industrial Workers of the World. Free Beacon
Roberts holds Kansas Senate seat . . . Kansas Sen. Pat Roberts maintained his seat in the U.S. Senate on Tuesday, delivering a win despite trailing by double digits in September and defeating millionaire Democrat-turned-independent Greg Orman. Free Beacon
Fluke flops in California . . . Sandra Fluke, the feminist icon who rose to national prominence after being called a "slut" by conservative talk radio host Rush Limbaugh, and after urging that Obamacare require religious institutions to cover abortion and birth control, has failed in her effort to win a seat in the California State Senate. Breitbart
Mia Love makes history in Utah . . . Utah’s Mia Love made history Tuesday by becoming the first black Republican woman to win a seat in Congress, eking out a close victory over Democrat Doug Owens.Washington Times
George P. Bush wins in Texas . . . The Bush political dynasty has a new junior member, George P. Bush, who has won an election in Texas for an obscure statewide office, local media reported. AFP
Steyer, Greens have a bad night . . . For Tom Steyer and other environmentalists, $85 million wasn’t enough to help Democrats keep the Senate blue or win more than a single governor’s mansion in Tuesday’s toughest races. Politico
Republicans will be able to move Keystone . . . Republicans will command a filibuster-proof Senate majority in favor of the Keystone XL pipeline after Tuesday’s election victories — and they could be within striking distance of assembling a veto-proof bloc for the project, increasing their leverage over President Barack Obama. Politico
Immigration a loser for Democrats . . . Immigration was a losing issue in the 2014 election, with Republicans who announced their opposition to President Obama’s legalization plans earning victories across the country and voters in Oregon easily defeating a referendum that would have granted driver’s licenses to illegal immigrants. Washington Times
The Democratic turncoats . . . The most disgraceful thing about this campaign, aside from the race baiting, has been the sight of Democratic candidates ditching any sense of principle and abandoning President Obama. Can any of these candidates explain what Obama did that they did not ask of him? He’s unpopular not because he’s Barack Obama. He’s unpopular because his policies, and the policies of the Democrats holding their noses as he passes, are a failure. White House Dossier
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Democrats blame Obama for losses . . . Democrats dismayed with the loss of the Senate are pointing the finger squarely at President Obama. In race after race across the country, vulnerable Democrats were unable to shed the shadow of a deeply unpopular White House. The Hill
Obama pivot not likely . . . Voters demanded change from Washington on Tuesday, and Republicans say it’s now up to President Barack Obama to deliver it. But don’t count on that happening. Politico
Election Night Fast and Furious dump . . . The Justice Department has handed over to House investigators 64,280 pages of documents related to the notoriously botched Operation Fast and Furious — data President Barack Obama had claimed was exempt from congressional review.Newsmax
Solicitor General likens Jerusalem to Crimea . . . Lawyers for the Obama administration compared Israel’s control of Jerusalem to Russian claims over the Ukrainian territory of Crimea during oral arguments this week before the Supreme Court in a case concerning the rights of U.S. citizens to list Jerusalem as part of Israel on their passports. Free Beacon
Obama appeases Burma . . . Despite hailing Myanmar opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi as “an icon of democracy,” U.S. President Barack Obama is quietly acquiescing to the government's decision to bar her from running for the presidency in next year’s election, U.S. officials say.Reuters
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Detainee brought from Afghanistan for trial . . . A Russian member of the Taliban made his first appearance in a federal court in Virginia on Tuesday, marking the first time a military detainee from Afghanistan has been brought to the U.S. for trial. Associated Press
Iran general masterminds Iraq ground war . . . Militia commanders told The Associated Press that dozens of advisers from the Iranian Revolutionary Guard and the Lebanese Hezbollah were on the front lines in Jurf al-Sakher, providing weapons training to some 7,000 troops and militia fighters, and coordinating with military commanders ahead of the operation. Associated Press
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Amnesty International accuses Israel of war crimes . . . Amnesty International on Wednesday accused Israel of committing war crimes during the war in the Gaza Strip this summer, saying it displayed "callous indifference" in attacks on family homes in the densely populated coastal area. Fox News
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Teachers, parents give Common Core low marks . . . Teachers and parents are not giving high marks to Common Core, according to a series of new polls which show widespread dissatisfaction with the national curriculum standards in the first months of widespread implementation.Fox News
Vatican condemns Maynard's suicide . . . The Vatican's top bioethics official on Tuesday called "reprehensible" the suicide of an American woman suffering terminal brain cancer who stated she wanted to die with dignity. Fox News
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