Well, Lindy, one blessed result of the California House race is that Bilbray's win saves us from the huzzahs and bloated "gottcha" boastings of the Demo/Liberal Party.
I was already psychologically prepared for the Dem's "Victory" party and their endless projections of an even more stupendous victory in the November mid-term elections.
Now maybe we can relax a few minutes. Even Nancy Pelozi is silent.
Republican wins House race in Calif.
Staff and agencies
07 June, 2006
By ROBERT TANNER, AP National Writer 6 minutes ago
A former Republican congressman narrowly beat his Democratic rival early Wednesday to fill the House seat once held by jailed Randy "Duke" Cunningham, one of several contests in eight states closely watched as a possible early barometer of next fall‘s vote.
"I think that we‘re going back to Washington," Bilbray told cheering supporters. He will serve out the remaining seven months of Cunningham‘s term and get a boost for the November election.
The race was viewed by Democrats as an opportunity to capture a solidly Republican district and build momentum on their hopes to capture control of the House.
Also in California, State Treasurer Phil Angelides narrowly beat Controller Steve Westly in the state‘s gubernatorial primary. He next faces GOP Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger , who faced no credible opposition in his party‘s nomination.
"You‘ve given me a chance to fight for you, for the California of our dreams, and I will not let you down," Angelides said while his supporters chanted, "Go, Phil, go!"
Elsewhere, Alabama Gov. Bob Riley easily beat back a GOP primary challenge from Ten Commandments judge Roy Moore, while Democratic former Gov. Don Siegelman — who campaigned while on trial on corruption charges — lost his comeback fight against Lt. Gov. Lucy Baxley. Also in Alabama, voters passed a ban on gay marriage by a 4-to-1 margin.
Baxley is trying to become Alabama‘s second female governor and the first elected in her own right. Alabama‘s first woman governor, Lurleen Wallace, was elected in 1966 as a stand-in for her husband.
Another W, , ) won the nomination for a fourth term. After his ties to disgraced lobbyist Jack Abramoff became known, Burns saw his popularity fall. But he beat several primary challengers and won nearly three-quarters of the vote. His Democratic challenger in the fall will be state Senate President Jon Tester.
Mississippi, Montana, New Mexico and South Dakota also held primaries. Corruption and allegations of corruption — in California, Alabama and Montana — crisscrossed the country. Immigration was a campaign issue from the South to the Plains.
National Democrats spent nearly $2 million on the race; the GOP spent $4.5 million. President Bush and first lady Laura Bush recorded telephone messages for Bilbray, while the Democrats‘ last two presidential candidates — John Kerry and Al Gore — urged supporters to back Busby.
Bilbray, made immigration the centerpiece of his campaign, proposing a fence "from the Pacific Ocean to the Gulf of Mexico" and restrictions to keep illegal immigrants from collecting Social Security and other benefits.
Busby focused her campaign on public dissatisfaction with the Bush administration and the GOP-led Congress, and assailed Bilbray for working as a lobbyist in Washington. She consistently referred to him as "the lobbyist Bilbray." |
