But I'm not wholly convinced.  I think it just shows incumbents are always in danger in bad economic times.

And that's nothing new.

First, the GOP now must recognize it will either lose without conservatives or will win with conservatives. In 2008, many conservatives sat home instead of voting for John McCain. Now, in NY-23, conservatives rallied and destroyed the Republican candidate the establishment chose.

I have said all along that the goal of activists must be to defeat Scozzafava. Doug Hoffman winning would just be gravy. A Hoffman win is not in the cards, but we did exactly what we set out to do -- crush the establishment backed GOP candidate.

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Why Democratic politicians persist in ignoring the factors that brought them victories in 2006 and 2008 is a mystery to me -- Rahm Emanuel seems to think that time has stood still since 1994, even though the same amount of time has elapsed since then as the period from 1953 to 1968. It is hard to escape the conclusion that the Democratic leadership is largely out of touch with the Party faithful and indeed broad swaths of the American public.

People are not happy with the spending. People are not happy with showering money on Wall Street. People are not happy that attention is being given to health care reform, which most do not have a problem with. People are not happy with the so-called Cap and Trade legislation which more and more know to be unneeded and there only to make its supporters rich and richer. And people are very unhappy that their taxes are going up next year when the Bush tax cuts expire.

"At this moment, we have no new bail offer," Galli said.

OPERA KRAKOWSKA

November's line-up boasts Stravinsky's A Soldier's Tale (4th), Szymanowski's King Roger (9th), Moniuszko's much-loved The Haunted Manor (Straszny Dwor, 14th, 15th, 17th) and Puccini's Madame Butterfly to round things off (28th, 29th).

WASHINGTON - The White House distanced itself Wednesday from Democratic losses in two states, saying the races for governor hinged on local issues and were not a referendum on President Barack Obama.

The Republican victories Tuesday in Virginia and New Jersey energized the opposition and are a setback for Obama as he struggles to overhaul the U.S. health care system, win passage of climate change legislation, and build political support for his handling of the war in Afghanistan.

They could also be ominous for Democrats ahead of next year's midterm elections, when a third of the Senate, all of the House of Representatives and most governorships are on the ballot.

But White House press secretary Robert Gibbs told reporters that voters in both states went to the polls to work through "very local issues that didn't involve the president."

The presidential spokesman said that voters were concerned about the economy. He said "I don't think the president needed an election or an exit poll to come to that conclusion."

Armed Services Committee Chairman Ike Skelton (D-Mo.) has expressed his opposition to the healthcare reform bill pending before the House Wednesday morning.

Skelton is not the only panel chairman who is planning to vote no. Agriculture Committee Chairman Collin Peterson (D-Minn.) has been highly critical of the legislation that could be voted on later this week.

In a statement sent to The Hill, Skelton said, "While the bill unveiled last week is an improvement over the bills considered by House committees during the summer months, it does not represent the right balance for the people I represent and I do not intend to support it.

"I oppose the creation of a new government-run public option and continue to have serious concerns about its unintended consequences for Missourians who have private insurance plans they like. I remain concerned about the bill's impact on rural hospitals and doctors. The proposed reductions to Medicare reimbursement could further pinch the budgets of rural healthcare providers.

"And I worry that the House bill does not clearly prevent federal funds from being used for abortion services. As a pro-life member of Congress, I cannot support a reform bill that would allow taxpayers to fund abortions."

Of course, Waxman can't let an opportunity to yell "what about the children!" to pass...

"One thing is clear: We should not allow the drug policies that the NFL, Major League Baseball, and other sports leagues have put in place to be rendered null and void. That is an invitation to steroid abuse in professional sports. And it will inevitably lead to more steroid use on high school football fields and baseball diamonds."

Surprisingly, Rep. Bobby Rush was quite candid...

"You don't want to have 435 members of Congress writing a law that would have in any way some immediate conduct and effect on your players,"

a) congratulate the man on his heroics and then get him some medical attention.

b) get him some medical attention and then congratulate him for his heroics.

c) subdue and taser him, chain and cage him, take him to the judge, then get him medical attention.

obs, jobs, jobs. Yesterday's result wasn't a referendum on Obama or the Republican brand. Voters are simply fed up with the economy; every exit poll confirmed this. Look at the reemergence of "Reagan Democrats" in middle-class parts of New Jersey. The message for the Obama Administration is that it had better pivot quickly from health care and climate to the economy, or Democrats face dire consequences in 2010. The message for Republicans also can't be encouraging: the "tea party" brand won't work on a large scale outside of its base, so it had better get serious about offering real solutions for the economy.