With Ike Skelton’s defeat Gene Taylor would have been the ranking Democrat on the House Armed Services Committee, in line to chair it when the Dems regain control of the House. It is a loss of seniority that will have negative impacts for the coast down the line, especially at the shipyard.
Ironically, the person who cost both Skelton and Gene their jobs in one Nancy Pelosi kept her House seat and the people in her House district the benefit of her seniority. Meantime the clout of the Mississippi delegation in Congress has never been less.
sop
I despair for this region.
Have all decent moral people left? Have they lost their minds and voted for the ‘pragmatic’ choices, the ones who are in and can ‘bring home the bacon’?
Pigs at the trough are still pigs at the trough. Immoral,unethical pigs compound the problems and re-electing them or electing them defies common sense.
This is in truth and in fact, Viewfromhell, a hellhole of all hellholes.
Grab the old ladies and snatch up the babies and run like hell.
And the ghost of Dollar Bill returns to the house. As my mom says “Every dog will have his day.”
Yep, the good folks in Louisiana re elected a crooked perv as their Senator and elected Dollar Bill Lite.
As big an embarrassment Vitter is for the GOP, Richmond will hurt Obama and friends worse.
sop
Gene was effective not just because of his seniority but because Members on both sides recognized him as an expert on shipbuilding and force protection matters and they knew that he always worked in good faith with no back stabbing or double dealing or hidden agenda. Some of his biggest achievements were when the Republicans were in charge. He was able to pass an amendment improving benefits for National Guard even though it was opposed by the Republican chairman. No one else would have tried but Gene won because he worked the issue Member to Member instead of deferring to the leadership.
Republicans are in charge of the Senate and House of North Carolina for the first time in 100 years.
Corruptions scandals in NC did not help.
Last night watching the national election coverage one of the big themes in the exit polling is the voting public wants the parties to work together to solve the many problems which plague the nation.
Bi-partisanship was the hallmark of Gene’s career in congress. Judging from the campaign, which was predicated on the negative and demonization of the other party, I do not see Palazzo working across party lines.
I also do not see the change people across this country desire happening anytime soon.
sop
The second congressional district is officially eliminated in Louisiana in the 2012 realignment. I look for Richmond’s term to be a quicker 1 termer than Cao. The number of voters in that district ensure it will be absorbed into Steve Scalise’s district.
Supa Sleuth does not know of which he writes. If Louisiana does loose a congressional district as expected in 2012 the third congressional is more likely to be absorbed into the second, sixth and seventh districts. Landry will be the one term congressman. Richmond may be absorbed into Oakdale.
The First Congressional District may loose its gerrymandered southern tail as well.
Russell is absoultely correct in that the reason Republicans took over both houses of the NC legislature. I can’t believe all the corruption has not been publicized. The former Lt. Gov. is still in jail.
I can understand the sadness over Mr. Taylor’s loss. However, if you sleep with dogs you will get their fleas. The election was a repudiation of democrat policies, not support for the Republican party. He was tied to the national Democrat policies.
It will beinteresting to see how the redistricting goes with all the new Republican governors and state legislatures.
I agree with your interpretation of the election results. The people of South Mississippi, mainly off the coast, voted a good man out because he had the wrong letter after his name as he didn’t support Obama. I think the term that applies is useful idiot, which happens to be our term of the day here at Slabbed. I don’t disagree with the message sent Team Obama last night but we didn’t have to shoot ourselves in the foot here in South Mississippi.
To the extent the folks at Zero Hedge are in the US, London and Zurich I’ve had more than one person ask me offline which investment bank or hedge fund the gang is fronting. To the extent Wall Street money fuels these elections I guess it is only fair they should point out their rubes themselves as they bought themselves a 2 year timeout from any oversight yesterday. Given my time on the finance boards I appreciate the depth of the humor.
Where in any of this is the change people desire? No where.
By my rough calculations we have another 5-7 years of economic bad luck ahead.
sop
Supsalemgr,
What the hell are talking about “…if you sleep with dogs you will get flees.” Do you know something we don’t know ? Was Gene Taylor sleeping with Obama ? Really ? Well I don’t believe it, an it’s a hell of a shame that such slander should be used as a rationalization by those ungrateful idiots whose stupidity guided there anger in voting Taylor out. And you know what, some dogs are treated to repel fleas no matter where they lie. Personally I never saw Taylor scatch in all the years he was in office !
Hell’s gonna freeze over when the majority of these polarized party politicians do the right thing for the people they represent. Most (Republican and Democrat) are a bunch of hell bound pissants whose only concern is raising money to get re-elected. PERIOD !