Special Us Elections: Republicans take House of Representatives

A victorious Republican Party has swept President Obama’s Democrats out of the House of Representatives. A mixture of early results and predicted outcomes indicate a bad election for Obama. Television networks have projected Republicans picking up at least 50 House seats, more than the 39 they needed for a majority.

  Republican John Boehner, who is likely to be the next Speaker in the House, said the results should mean change.

He told supporters: “For far too long, Washington has been doing what’s best for Washington, not what’s best for the American people. And tonight this is starting to change. We must remember: it’s the president who sets the agenda for a government. And the American people have sent him an unmistakable message, and this message is ‘change course’.“

There was better news for the Democrats in the Senate where the Republicans made only moderate gains, although including Tea Party candidates for the first time. But the Republicans have failed to take the 10 seats they needed to gain control of that chamber.

 

 Elections 2: Tea Party favourites have mixed fortunes

One of the rising stars of the Republican party, Marco Rubio has won the Senate seat in Florida.

Rubio who is a young Cuban American, is a conservative and considered in the forefront of the Tea Party’s assault on the US Congress.

Addressing his supporters after his win, Marco Rubio said:
“There was a moment earlier in this campaign where I didn’t know how I was going to raise the money to be competitive and I’ll never forget the next morning my children showed up and they had collected their allowance which was largely quarters and single dollar bills and handed it to me – I didn’t tell them that, they overheard me – and it was in that moment I was reminded about what this race and election was really all about. It was not about any of our individual ambitions, but it was about the future.

“Our Nation is heading in a wrong direction,and both parties are to blame. And what Americans are looking for desperately are people who will go to Washington DC and stand up to this agenda that is taking us in the wrong direction and offer a clear and genuine alternative.”

While Rubio won through, another Tea Party darling Christine O’Donnell fell short. Despite her quirky personality, a series of financial woes and her idiosyncratic views on religion failed to convince middle of the road voters in Delaware to back her.

Elections 3: Democrats retain Senate 

In the American mid-term elections, the Democrats have maintained control of the Senate – which may be some comfort for President Obama who has lost control of the House of Representatives.

In the Senate, 50 seats are needed to have a majority and so far, the Democrats have 51 and the Republicans 46.

In Kentucky, Tea-Party favourite and eye-doctor Paul Rand has won in Kentucky, beating Democrat Jack Conway whose nasty-ad attack backfired alientating voters and apparently handing his opponent victory on a plate. In Indiana, the Republicans’ Dan Coats, an establishment figure, has won in the Senate race beating Demoncrat Brad Ellsworth. 

 In Vermont, Patrick Leahy has won a seat in the Senate for the Democrats, beating Republican Leonard Britton.In South Carolina, the Republican candidate Jim DeMint has beaten Democrat Alvin Greene to a seat in the Senate. Alvin Greene was perhaps the most unlikely of candidates in this election. An ex-soldier with no previous political experience, his Youtube video went viral and many thought he had a chance of winning.

In Georgia, Michael Thurmond has won for the Democrats in the race for control of the Senate beating incumbent Republican candidate Johnny Isakson.

In North Carolina the Senate seat has been won by Republican candidate Richard Burr, who beat Democrat Elaine Marshall.

In Ohio, as expected, Republican Rob Portman (previously a Bush administration trade director) has beaten Democrat Lee Fisher to a seat in the Senate.

West Virginia, a highly-prized seat, has been won by Democratic Governor Joe Manchin, beating Republican John Raese, seen as something of a showman. This isn’t all good news for Obama however, as Manchin tends to plough his own furrow, often campaigning against presidential policies.

In Florida, much to the dismay of the Democrats, Republican Marco Rubio has won a seat in the Senate against Democrat Kendrick Meek. 38 years old with four children, the son of Cuban immigrants, Rubio is very much a rising star of the Tea Paryty and the Republican Party.

In Alabama, Republican Richard Shelby has beaten Democrat William Barnes to a seat in the Senate.

In Oklahoma the Republican candidate Tom Coburn has beaten Democrat Jim Rogers to a seat in the Senate.

In Missouri Republican Roy Blunt has won against Robin Carnahan in the race to the Senate.

In Illinois, after an incredibly close race, it appears that Republican Mark Kirk has won a Senate seat against Democrat Alexi Giannoulias after an extraordinarily ill-natured campaign – voters being offered the choice between “a thief and a liar”.

In Pennsylvania after an incredibly hair-tight race, it seems that Republican Pat Toomey has won the race to the Senate against Democrat Joe Sestak.

In Maryland the Democrat candidate Barbara Mikulski beat Eric Wargotz to the Senate.

In Delaware Democrat Christopher Coons has beaten Republican Christine O Donnell to a seat in the Senate – pundits are saying that O Donnell, who was forced to deny being a witch during her campaign, was just too extreme.

In Connecticut the Democrats have held onto their Senate seat, Dick Blumenthal beating Linda McMahon for the Republicans.

In New Hampshire, the Republican candidate Kelly Ayotte has won a seat in the Senate, beating Democrat Paul Hodes.

In Arkansas, Republican John Boozman has won a Senate seat beating Democrat Blanche Lincoln.

New York voted overwhelmingly Democrat although results have not yet been called.

In Wisconsin Republican Ron Johnson has beaten Democrat Russ Feingold in the race to the Senate. This is a huge blow to the Democrats. Ron Johnson’s first experience of politics was when he went to a Tea Party meeting a year ago. He has previously blamed global warming on sunspots.

In North Dakota the Republican John Hoeven has beaten Democrat Tracy Potter to a seat in the Senate.

In South Dakota the Republican candidate John Thune was running uncontested and it was therefore no surprise that he won.

In Kansas, Republican Jerry Moran has beaten Democrat Lisa Johnston to a seat in the Senate.

In Louisiana, Republican David Vitter has beaten Democrat Charlie Melancon to a seat in the Senate.

In Colorado results are so tight that a result has not been called between Democrat Michael Bennet and Republican Ken Buck.

In Iowa, Republican Chuck Grassley has beaten Roxanne Conlin to a seat at the Senate.

In Nevada, after one of the most extreme and bizarre campaigns in these mid-term elections, Democrat Harry Reid is predicted to retain his seat in the Senate meaning that Republican Tea Party extremist Sharron Angle, who infamously remarked that a group of “Latinos” looked “a little Asian” to her, will have to wait another two years before she can get back on the campaign trail.

In Utah, Republican candidate Mike Lee has beaten Democrat Mike Ganato to a seat in the Senate.

In Arizona, it is no surprise that Republican John McCain has beaten Rodney Glassman to hang onto his seat in the Senate.

In Idaho, the Republican candidate Mike Crapo has beaten Democratic Republic Tom Sullivan to a seat in the Senate.

In Washington results are still being counted in the race between Democrat Patty Murray and Republican Dino Rossi.

Oregon Democrat candidate Ron Wyden has beaten Republican Jim Huffman to a seat in the Senate.

In California, Democratic candidate Barbara Boxer has beaten Hewlip Packard millionaire Carly Fiorina to retain her seat at the Senate despite Fiorina having splashed her cash as if tomorrow was already paid for.

In Alaska the race has been untidy and in some ways dependent on voters’ ability to spell the write-in candidate’s name: Lisa Murkowski, the incumbent Republican. (Her name was not on the ballot papers and had to be written in.) In the event, this seems to have made no difference and polls indicate that she has seen off challenges from Republican Tea Party favourite Joe Miller and Democrat Scott McAdams.

In Hawaii, Democrat Daniel Inouye, who has represented the State in the Senate for 48 years, is expected to hang onto his seat, leaving hopeful Republican Cam Cavasso out in the cold.

The results so far indicate a better night for Obama than many predicted. US presidents have a habit of losing seats at the mid-term elections and yet still going on to win a second term.

Attack: Dozens killed in Baghdad blasts

Nearly 60 people have been killed and more than two hundred others injured in a series of coordinated bombings across Baghdad.

At least ten explosions ripped through mainly Shi’ite areas of the Iraqi capital.
The devices, thought to have been planted in cars or along the roadside, were designed to cause the maximum amount of chaos.

One of the biggest blasts appeared to target restaurants and cafes in the Shi’ite slum of Sadr City.

It comes two days after suspected al Qaeda militants caused a bloodbath when they took hostages in a Catholic church.Iraq remains in political limbo almost eight months after an inconclusive vote, raising fears that insurgents might exploit tension to try and reignite sectarian war.

From: Euronews