A YEAR LATER, THE PEOPLE SPEAK LOUDLY

Progressives can take heart once again after last night’s elections.  In major races and issues across the country and here in Kentucky, the people spoke loudly and clearly as to how they feel about the direction the Republicans have taken us since the 2010 elections.  A year ago this morning, we woke up having given over control of the whole country, state by state, to the Republicans after they campaigned hard preaching and promising that they were all about JOBS, JOBS, JOBS.  Instead, in the year that followed, they did not bring even one jobs bill forward in Congress and they stymied every single piece of legislation President Obama and the Democrats tried to pass to help  the unemployed, suffering Americans.  But they have brought at least 27 bills to the floor that would dictate how women could, or rather, could not control their own bodies.  They have passed legislation prohibiting federal funds to be used for abortion—even though it was already prohibited.  They also passed a resolution just last week that the motto of the United States is “In God We Trust”.  Keep in mind, however, that that was already our motto.  No one that I know of has ever suggested that it should NOT be our motto or that it be changed.  But, in the House Republicans’ infinite ignorance, they felt a need to spend their time, while citizens of this country are unemployed, hungry and homeless, by re-affirming that our official motto is “In God We Trust”.  Well, it’s a good thing that we do trust in God, because we certainly can’t trust our Republican members of Congress to do a blamed thing that might help those of us who are not millionaires and billionaires.  Let us not forget that the very first thing John Boehner and the House Republicans did after the 2010 elections was to establish for every two weeks they were in session, they would take a week off.  Additionally, they have made no secret of the fact that they fully intend to do absolutely nothing to help this country’s economic situation before the 2012 elections.  Nice gig, if you can get it.

            Here in Kentucky, David Williams went down in flames to incumbent governor, Steve Beshear.  He was overwhelmingly defeated by a more than 20 point margin.  All those millions that Daddy-in-law Terry Stephens spent amounted to pretty much nothing.  For some reason, Terry Stephens really, really, REALLY wanted his son-in-law to be governor.  I know for a fact that not only did he spend millions trying to buy the election, but he was also making phone calls all day yesterday trying to twist arms to go vote for his son-in-law.  I happened to be in an office visiting with a friend when his call came in.  But it all came to naught and I am delighted--so delighted, in fact, that I may help the Williams/Farmer machine remove all those “Williams/Farmer” signs that sprouted up overnight near the polling places.  Sadly, though, based upon Williams’ concession speech, his ego simply will not allow him to recognize that the people of Kentucky want him to just go away.  He said, “…The candidate wasn’t nearly as popular as I’d hoped I would be, but the agenda is a correct agenda…”  How deluded can you get?  We can only hope that when it is time for his re-election that the people will once and for all get it through his head, but don’t hold your breath.  His home county and the surrounding counties voted heavily in his favor, obviously having been brainwashed.

            In Ohio, SB 5--the Union-Busting bill that newly-elected Governor Kasich powered through soon after taking office was soundly defeated and will now be repealed.  In conservative Mississippi they were not able to pull off the most restrictive attack on reproductive rights yet—the “personhood” amendment, which would have defined a fertilized egg as a person, thus outlawing any abortion, even in cases of rape or incest.  It would have also made illegal most forms of birth control and made miscarriage a matter for criminal investigations.  Thank God, even in the most conservative of states, reasonable Mississippi minds prevailed—soundly prevailed.  In Maine, after the Republican legislature decided to make it more difficult to vote by eliminating the 38-year rule allowing same-day voter registration, THE PEOPLE swiftly let them know that wasn’t going to fly and re-instated same-day registration.  In Michigan, THE PEOPLE have successfully recalled Republican Assemblyman, Paul Scott, a crony and ally of the Republican Governor Rick Snyder.  And, THE PEOPLE of Arizona have recalled the author of the onerous anti-immigration law, State Senator Russell Pearce.

            If I were Governor Scott Walker in Wisconsin right now, I’d be sweating bullets…

            We can only hope that Mitch McConnell, John Boehner, and the rest take a lesson from yesterday’s elections.  But egos and arrogance being what they are and based upon  how big their egos have become and the arrogance they have displayed over the last few years, like David Williams, they will probably continue to be unable to hear  the loud and clear voice that was spoken yesterday by THE PEOPLE.

            All in all, it was a very good day.