also, when Clinton had a hit put on bin Laden in the midst of the Lewisky scandal, the Republicans claimed a "wag the dog" scenario, and Clinton backed off when the GOP yelled "politics."

So there it is. Clinton backed off because of politics. Kinda says it all about him, doesn't it.

Many of them are very close.

What worries me in the pit of my stomach are all those eminently hackable voting machines.

Until they really think about the cost of attributing any "moral values" to republicans:

Take white Catholics, swing voters who went for President George W. Bush in the 2004 election. This time 44 percent of them plan to vote Democrat versus 42 percent who plan to vote Republican.

If they stay home the gop is dead. And they get to stay true to their professed morals. It'll be the first time in 6 years, but hey, they gotta start cleansing themselves of their sins sometime, right?

31 Percent of White Evangelicals Would Vote for Democratic Candidate in Their District...

...leaving 69 Percent who will either stay home, or vote for the gop candidate...

If they don't stay home, and go vote for gop candidates, they show themselves up as lying immoral hypocrites who've sold their souls cheap, and for what? A vicarious feeling of power? A pat on the head and a stab in the back from Bush while he laughs at them as suckers behind their backs? And they'll be repudiating everything their professed religion has taught them all their lives.

And still lose the house and the senate.

It seems to me that many Americans may have reached the same point as my father's grandfather with regards to the war on terror and the war in Iraq...the math just doesn't work and most voters have come to that conclusion. Regardless, we'll know for sure soon enough.

Read more here:

Church investigates priest who says he fondled Foley
Last Updated: Friday, October 20, 2006 | 10:24 AM ET
The Associated Press

A Roman Catholic diocese has opened an investigation of a priest who said he fondled and shared saunas while naked with Mark Foley when the former U.S. congressman was a boy in Florida.

Bush Urges Nation To Be Quiet For A Minute While He Tries To Think

WASHINGTON, DC--In a nationally televised address ... President Bush urged all citizens, regardless of race, creed, color, or political affiliation, "to quiet down for just one minute" so he could have "a chance to think."

"Every American has an inalienable right to free speech and self-expression," Bush said. "Nonetheless, I call upon the American people to hold off on it for, say, 60 seconds. Just long enough for me to get this all sorted out in my head."

"Please," Bush added.

While the president said achieving a unilateral peace and quiet "would not be easy," he hoped that citizens would respect his wish and work toward a temporary cease-talk so that he could can hear his own thoughts "for once."

"Make no mistake: It will take patience and sacrifice," Bush said. "But such drastic measures could lead to a better tomorrow for all of us, especially for your commander in chief."

Bush then closed his speech by exhaling sharply, tightly closing his eyes, and massaging his temples. "I just -- Christ, I just need a goddamn minute, you know?" he said.
 

If they stay home the gop is dead.

Nobody is saying that Democrats will be picking up 50 seats, or even 40 seats. But could this hit 25 or 30 or 35 seats in the House? Absolutely. Democratic voters are spitting nails and can't wait to vote while their Republican counterparts are showing signs of despondency and may be impervious to party pleas to turn out and vote, no matter how elaborate the program is. That's how midterm election debacles occur: disproportionate turnout.

...and have a decent shot at the senate:

As Republicans see their fortunes in Senate and House races decline, the trend appears to be spilling over to gubernatorial contests.  Overall, Democrats are still expected to pick up between five and eight seats, but some races are getting closer than expected as another Republican-held seat moves to the Toss Up column.

If I was Bush I'd want more than just a minute to try and think.

Bush: "Karl...they can't really do this to me, can they...Karl...Karl?"

Rove: "George, your damn war is going to cost us the election and put an end to the GOP era..."

Bush doesn't.

Bush: "Karl...they can't really do this to me, can they...Karl...Karl?"

Rove: "George, your damn war is going to cost us the election and put an end to the GOP era..."

Bush: "The war had to be fought."

However this forecast bitter disappointment for the Demos, and the Left.

Our analysis -- based on a race-by-race examination of campaign-finance data -- suggests that the GOP will hang on to both chambers

Is our method reliable? It certainly has been in the past. Using it in the 2002 and 2004 congressional races, we bucked conventional wisdom and correctly predicted GOP gains both years. Look at House races back to 1972 and you'll find the candidate with the most money has won about 93% of the time. And that's closer to 98% in more recent years, according to the Center for Responsive Politics. Polls can be far less reliable. Remember, they all but declared John Kerry president on Election Day 2004.

Maybe TL's title for this thread is a misprint. It's starting to look more like:

"GOP's base is losing it!"