A few thoughts about the election and the future of this country.

[Skinner]

It's been a week since election day, and so far I haven't taken the time to post anything about it. I have had so much on my mind that each time I tried to gather my thoughts I didn't really know where to begin or what to say. If this ends up sounding like a stream-of-consciousness mishmash of random thoughts, that's because it is.

I think what I find most striking about our amazing run of victories last week -- winning back the House and Senate for the Democrats -- is that I'm not actually that excited about it. Don't get me wrong: I know that this is a huge deal, and I am glad that it happened. But beforehand, when I considered the possibility that we would have a huge win like this, I expected to spend the following week in a state of euphoria. That hasn't happened. At all. More than anything, I just feel emotionally drained. Pleased, but worn out.

I have a lot of friends who are not involved in politics, who apparently think of me as their friend who is obsessed with politics (probably with good reason). So, I got a lot of emails this past week that started with some variation of the words "I've been thinking of you." I suspect many other DUers received similar correspondence. Here's my favorite:

thinking of you

whatever part you and your bride played in this great moment for all mankind, we thank you. my god what a feeling! it's like han solo just showed up out of nowhere and shot away vader's ship. how's that for a profound historical analogy.

I hope that the profound historical analogy ends up being true. At the very least we know now that Han's been thawed out of carbon freeze.

A lot of people have been curious to know how I've been celebrating. Funny that. Here's how I celebrated: I painted one of the rooms in my house (more on that later), and I stopped checking my email. (If you're wondering why you haven't received a response to the message you sent me, that is the reason.) I was supposed to go through all the email yesterday but I got sidetracked. I will do my best to get through them all later today -- or Wednesday at the very latest.

One emotion which I was not expecting at all, but which I have been feeling since the election is this nagging feeling of bitterness. As I was painting, I foolishly put on the new Dixie Chicks CD, thinking that it would be appropriate background music for the crushing defeat of the Bush agenda at the hands of the American people. As I listened to the words to "Not Ready to Make Nice" I couldn't help thinking about what a huge waste the last six years have been. To be honest, I don't feel particularly sorry for the Dixie Chicks -- they're wealthy and famous and they'll be fine -- but I do feel some connection, some empathy for how they were singled out for such hatred and scorn simply because they figured out before the rest of America that the current president of the United States is an embarrassment and a fool who is not qualified for the job, and whose misguided policies have left our country morally and financially bankrupt. I wonder how the Dixie Chicks feel about the election results. Vindicated? Bitter? Yes, I feel vindicated. It's nice to know that the rest of the country finally figured out what we've been saying all along. But it is incredibly sad that it took so long. How many lives had to be ruined, how much did our moral standing in the world have to be squandered before people finally woke up? What a massive waste. It makes me angry and bitter and sad. I try not to think about it, and I considered not mentioning it in this post, but I think it needed to be said. If only so I can get it out of my system.

So, what now?

I think perhaps another reason I am having difficulty celebrating is because I think it may be a long, long time before the current mess gets cleaned up. I fear that fixing everything that the Republicans have fucked up may not even be possible. I know many of you have extremely high expectations for the new Congress -- in some cases unrealistically high, in my opinion. I think you are probably setting yourself up for disappointment. Bush is still president, and there isn't going to be a progressive revolution anytime soon. Even if we held the House and Senate and the Presidency, fixing the damage is a gargantuan task that could take years. Voters don't particularly like the idea of gridlock, but I suspect it may be the best that we can hope for, at least for the next two years. Make no mistake: gridlock is a hell of a lot better than the steaming pile of excrement we've been subjected to for the last six years. If the new Congress can stop the Bush Administration from making things worse, then they will have done a great service to their country. If they can start to turn things around, that's even better.

The Democrats should immediately start work on implementing the policies they articulated during the campaign. Raising a minimum wage is a no-brainer -- it's very popular with voters, it will help countless Americans, and it shows the clear difference between Democrats and Republicans. Implementing all the security recommendations in the 9/11 report is also a no-brainer. It will make this country safer, and it shows that Democrats are serious about national security. I suspect that most Americans will be shocked to learn that it wasn't already done. Doing so would illustrate the stark contrast between the two parties: While George W. Bush was busy making this country less safe with his idiotic war in Iraq, he completely ignored the 9/11 report. Implementing the 9/11 recommendations will also have a useful side-effect: It will provide Democrats with much-needed political cover on national security so we can push for an end to the war in Iraq.

I know many progressives want to see Congress move quickly to impeach the president; I am not one of them. It is my opinion that doing so would be a political disaster for our party, but more importantly, moving quickly to impeach could do grave harm to our country. Believe me, I would personally love to see Bush get impeached. But doing so now would come at much too great a cost -- if it could be made to happen at all, which is doubtful. I believe that impeaching Bush -- coming so soon after Clinton was impeached -- could begin a cycle of recrimination that would be extremely difficult for our country to get out of. I suspect that the next Democratic president would likely find himself impeached as well. That is, if there were another Democratic president, which probably wouldn't happen in 2008 if we tried to impeach Bush. To be clear, I have not ruled out impeachment. I fully support aggressive oversight of the Bush Administration by the Congress, including investigations where they are appropriate. But we cannot possibly impeach based on what we have now. My view is very simple: Investigations first, then we can discuss impeachment.

It is my opinion that humiliating the Republicans at the ballot box is a much more effective way of rolling back the damage done by the Bush Administration. Sure was great to see George Allen, Rick Santorum, Conrad Burns, Mike DeWine, and their ilk get sent packing. Especially George Allen and Rick Santorum. And what's great is that it was done by the American people themselves -- not by a bunch of partisan hacks in Washington, DC. Looks like the Republicans' prospects for 2008 were pretty well gutted in the process. Giuliani and McCain are the only ones left -- and everyone knows Giuliani has no chance (except, perhaps, Giuliani). If you need more evidence of the current state of the Republican party, consider this: Trent Lott is running for Minority Whip.

In a nutshell, my opinion of the election and the current state of affairs in American politics is this: We -- and by "we" I mean this entire country -- we have taken the vital first step toward making America America again. So much harm has been done to this country, and there is a great deal of work to do. But for the first time in a long long time, I feel optimistic about the future. Which brings me to another issue...

In January the Democrats take control of the House and Senate, and a majority of governorships, and many more political offices across the country. But that is not the only major event happening in January. For my wife and I, something much more important is going to happen. You were going to find out eventually, so I suppose this is as good a time as any to share the good news.

We're having a baby. Our first child -- a boy -- due sometime in mid-January. His room is the one I've been painting. I am glad to know that he is going to be born into a world where we finally have a reason to think things are going to get better rather than worse.


PS: While I have your attention, I should probably remind you that this week is our last fund drive of 2006. You can donate here.

[Lautremont]

1. Congratulations!

And I found I could follow all your rambling thoughts quite easily.

[villager]

2. well said, Skinner. But more importantly: Mazel tov!

n/t

[myrna minx]

3. I've received the phone calls and emails too

because I'm the crazy wonk among my friends. I've had a difficult time celebrating myself. Thank you for defining it for me. I've gone from "Nah, it was all a dream and I'm going to wake up" to the realization that it IS a huge mess and we have so much work to do. We won. We really did, but it doesn't seem real to me.

Congratulations on the coming birth of your son. At least one day he'll know that his father did all that he could to preserve our precious nation. :hug:

[laylah]

4. Congratulations PaPa to be!

New beginnings all around :hug:

I know your feeling i.e. emotionally drained, worn out. Many who know me have expressed surprise not to have gotten "yeeeeeeeeeehaw" e-mails and phone calls on Wednesday morning. Like you, and, I suspect many others, I too am pleased but this is just the beginning. That *rat-bastard and his minions have done so much damage to this great country, we have a lot of fixing to do.

Jenn

[Kadie]

5. Congratulations!

Congratulations to you and your wife. What a great way to start the new year!

:toast:

:hi:

[riverwalker]

6. congrats!

And how appropriate for the baby to come in January, a new baby, a new country, a new birth for all of us.:toast:

[Pithlet]

7. Oh, Skinner,

that's wonderful news! Congratulations to both of you :bounce:

[Norquist Nemesis]

8. Wow! It's like a DU baby boom!

LOL!

Well said, Skinner. I've been feeling the same way thinking I'd be overjoyed. I watched election returns till 3am and some of them floored me (like Chocola and Hostetler). Maybe I was just tired. Maybe it was just a matter of knowing that some real hard work is ahead. Either way, the exhilaration just wasn't there. I agree with you on the impeachment issue as well.

It just seems like all I'm hearing over the airwaves is an expectation that Reid and Pelosi, et al are going to "mess it up". It's discouraging not to be hearing positive things. They're not even sworn in!

You're going to have your hands full over the next several months with the board (not to mention with Baby Skinner), but I'm sure you're ready for it.

Thanks for the level head and tone you set here at DU! :applause:

[DemPower]

9. "Bush is still president, and there isn't going to be a progressive revolution anytime soon"

This is why he must be impeached.

It is not political suicide to follow our constitution.

William Pitt tried to give the same argument- we can impeach or we can do other things.
No, we must impeach SO we can move on to other things. Bush is in the way of progress.
He must be removed and his 'work' undone.

Do if for the children! What kind of country will we be leaving them if we do not hold these criminals accountable?

[Mythsaje]

10. I know what you mean...

I'm elated, but I'm a little scared too. The impeachment train got off ahead of schedule and I don't see that as a good thing. I actually found myself agreeing with Ed Schultz yesterday when he said it should be "off the agenda, but not off the table."

Congrats on the baby coming. That's quite a feeling.

[Lex]

11. Not so stream-of-consciousness, after all.

Very nicely said, and I agree with you about feeling a sense of loss for what the last 6 years could have been.

Wonderful news about the new addition to your family!

[moc]

12. Congratulations! I know you've probably heard this way too many times

but your life is getting ready to change in a way that you cannot imagine. You've probably heard so many variations of this ("you have no idea what you're in for", etc) that it sounds cliche. It's cliche, but it's true. It's a huge change, but a wonderful change.

In case you haven't heard of this book, I highly recommend you get a copy of "Happiest Baby on the Block" by Karp. Dr. Karp does a great job explaining the reasons for newborn fussiness and gives practical and effective ways for dealing with it. I often give this as a baby gift, and you don't know how many parents I hear from later that this book saved their life.

http://www.amazon.com/Happiest-Baby-Block-Crying-Newborn/dp/0553381466/sr=8-2/qid=1163534562/ref=pd_bbs_2/102-8245969-9864908?ie=UTF8&s=books

Congrats!

[Jim Warren]

13. To the future......cheers! nt

[Missy Vixen]

14. Mazel Tof, Skinner and Mrs. Skinner, and bravo

I'm thrilled for you. I hope for an easy labor and delivery and a healthy, happy son for you both!

>I fear that fixing everything that the Republicans have fucked up may not even be possible.<

At the risk of being called a Bitter Betty, I agree with you. The financial state of the country is something I have been worrying about for the past six years. It seems an odd thing -- we're losing our civil rights, we're in a state (still,) that people are afraid to speak out lest they be Dixie Chicked or swiftboated into silence, and I'm worried about the money. We were on track when Clinton left office to pay off the national debt in eight years. We may now not even be able to pay the interest on that debt. Our stock market is beholden to foreign investors that could pull their cash out tomorrow and cause the economy of the United States to irretrievably collapse.

We will need a candidate with a backbone of steel in '08. We will need someone that has a stomach of cast iron, the courage to say what needs to be said on a national level, and the intelligence to make some very unpopular decisions and stick with them. Above all, this person will have to have the following in mind in order to govern: We have ten years left to halt the destruction of our world to global warming.

I am thrilled we won the House and the Senate. At the same time, we need to realize that the work's just started. We have a moral imperative to leave the world a better place for other people's children. We need to make sure that America will someday again be seen as the "shining city on a hill", an example of human rights, liberty, freedom and justice for all.

Julie

[matcom]

15. Congrats Brother!

will EarlG be babysitting? :D

[John Q. Citizen]

16. Congratulations to you and your wife on your soon to be new arrival!

[qanda]

17. Wow!!!! That's so exciting

That kid's going to hold the world record for aunts and uncles. Congratulations to you and your wife. Can we hold a cyber baby shower for you guys?

[Gelliebeans]

18. Congratulations to You and Mrs. Skinner!

I feel very similar to you regarding last week's elections. It will be like peeling an onion layer by layer and investigating and letting things evolve.

[Beetwasher]

Congrats Skinner!! We're Due In February!!

Twins, two boys!! I'm sure you, like me, feel a bit better about their future.

Thanks for everything, man. You do a great service w/ this site.

[Maeve]

19. All the best to you and Mrs Skinner, Boss!

I was thinking about you, too,remembering how disheartening 2004 was around here--and how we had hoped to feel this happiness and optimism then. This weekend, I flew the flag for the first time in at least two years; some of my faith in America was restored, a bit of hope, spring in autumn.

And now this great news! :bounce: The holidays are a sweet time to be expecting (just be careful of that ice and snow as we head into the winter!) :grouphug:

[Hugin]

20. You're not alone...

What you describe fits my feelings... Almost exactly.

Congratulations on the future child, Skinners!

There is a REAL reason for joyous celebration!

:beer:

[burythehatchet]

21. any thoughts on baby's screen name?

[Generator]

22. Six years

Weird synchronicity here, my daughter was born six years ago this upcoming mid January. Exactly mid January 1/15, MLK's actual birthday.

One of those things that I said is it's amazing how fast so much damage can occur to a Democracy in such a short time. Like a swift blow of violence, they always say it happened so fast, and lives ruined and changed forever.

And yes, so fast and so long, so very long to repair this blight.

As far as impeachment, I can see both sides. Of course, really the ultimate dream I have is that he is forced to resign, and there are no impeachment hearings, just massive outrage at what he and others around him have done and tried to do to a once great country. I have this very clear vision of him flying off to Crawford, and the massive relief that the world has as it exhales.

So congratulations,once you have a child, you are forced quite literally to never ever give up on the future.

Cheers!

[Call Me Wesley]

23. Congratulations to your future, your baby, Skinner.

Might he be born into a brighter future.

I do, from an 'European' perspective, absolutely share your views and thoughts. It'll probably take years to bring this particular one 'America' back. The 'America' that was the young and eager offspring of old Europe; the 'America' that showed very bright teenage years but got strangled in the process. An America the world was looking upon at in the 60s, the 70s and even 80's and 90's. It has lost much of the credibility over these last antagonizing years.

With the results of the midterm elections, a new door (or probably old door that was shut for too long) got opened again. However, the room behind it - using an analogy here - is not painted yet. This will take a huge effort, and it will take time and caution. And healing, probably a lot of healing from it, worldwide. As you said, the vital first step was taken, and I'm glad to see it. Further, bigger steps will have to be taken now, but the horizon suddenly has turned brighter; not only for the US.

It'll take some time, but I'm sure, with the first step made, other steps will come, and the path will be common again.

Thank you for sharing this.

[The Magistrate]

24. An Excellent Commentary, Sir

Beautifully done.

And get some sleep while you can: starting soon you can say good-bye to it. On the other hand, in compensation, just about everything connected with them smells surprisingly pleasant....

[EFerrari]

131. Until they start watching teevee

lol

Have fun, Skinner.

:)

[boolean]

25. What took you so long?!

I've been waiting to see what you'd say as the official "ha ha we won, suckas!" response.

[KoKo]

26. Congratulations! And....you are not alone in your feelings.

I suspect many DU'ers who have been on this long journey on this Board didn't feel the euphoria that we were expecting with the election results.

I don't feel a bitterness...just a deep sadness about it all. A sense of how much we've lost and as you said how long it will take for us to gain back what we lost.

But, I do have to say that I feel lifted out of that sense of "fear" that I've had since that idiot was selected. I don't feel that terrible weight of gloom for the future that was overwhelming at so many times. It's liberating to lose that fear and while I'm no more hopeful than you that we will see a huge change immediately, we at least have something to build on for all the work done here making the "internets" grow so that there is now a true voice for change and a will of the people for getting to the bottom of what caused our six years in hell with the Bush Crime Family.

A new baby is a good sign! We have been given gifts in this turn away from fascism. A new time is dawning and although it's hard to see the bright light of it right now after what we've been through, it can be felt in the relief of the passing of those long dark years when we felt very alone and sometimes very afraid in our knowledge of the truth. The lifting of the storm clouds is enough right now.

:toast: to you, your wife and new baby Skinner!

[The Straight Story]

27. Please don't name your baby George!!! :) (nt)

[Hippo_Tron]

44. LOL, I bet skinner is a step ahead of you

[Nye Bevan]

49. ...and perhaps something other than "Walker" for a middle name

[Cessna Invesco Palin]

76. Is it time for a "Name Skinner's Baby" poll?

Why yes, I think it is!

But I ain't gonna be the one to post it. :evilgrin:

[dweller]

106. i'm in ...

Victor sounds nice for the boy.

plus, will give his dad a sweet pause everytime he has to scold him in the future.

dp

[Maeve]

133. I'm partial to Alan

Alan Alonn Allen (Alonn means Oak in Hebrew, Alan means handsome or little rock in Breton)

:P yeah....right! :loveya:

[MADem]

146. AAA? They'd consider him a car towing expert before he was a teen!! NT

[Maeve]

171. Yeah..thought AAA was better than AA for him! lol eom

[MADem]

196. Hmmmm....AMA (American Medical Assn)--a doctor, maybe???

Or ABA (American Bar Association) -- a LAWYER!!! Or ADA--a dentist!!!

Naming kids is quite the challenge, ya gotta think of how the monogram looks. I pity the poor Priscilla Irene Gaskills, Helene Ophelia Grays, and Felix Arthur Treachers of this world...if only their parents had thought about those initials!!!

[mcscajun]

28. Congrats on the new baby. And thanks so much for DU -- and this post.

"If the new Congress can stop the Bush Administration from making things worse, then they will have done a great service to their country. If they can start to turn things around, that's even better."

You are so right -- we must not set our expectations too high for this new Congress. We can stop this pResident, but we cannot put everything we want on the table all at once. We've known for some time that the damage done by BushCo wouldn't be undone in a day, a month, or even a year, and we have no reason to let our elation at our Democratic victories change that wise assessment.

We have a long, hard road ahead of us, but at least now there's light on the path. :)

[trotsky]

29. Congrats, Skinner!

From this January baby to your upcoming one! Enjoy the coming years - you're gonna be more worn out than ever before, but you'll love every minute.

[WilliamPitt]

30. Well said

especially about impeachment.

Congratulations on your son. You made the world a little better for him.

[DemPower]

34. Why do we need investigations when Bush has admitted to illegal wiretapping?

just wondering...

I know you are tight with alot of these people in DC, can you call up and ask Conyers why he has said impeachment is off the table when we have clear evidence of illegal behavior.

The Downing Street Memo and Bush's admitting to illegal wiretapping is all we need.
Do you really think that we don't have the evidence?

[WilliamPitt]

51. We don't have the evidence.

Not a bit of it.

Think of it this way. Let's say Bush shoots someone in cold blood. The cops have the gun, the bullets, witnesses and motive. The evidence is enough for an arrest, a bail hearing, and a grand jury hearing regarding an indictment. But if the grand jury doesn't indict, Bush walks free. The ONLY place the evidence and witnesses really count is in a courtroom.

We have the DSM, we have Plame and Wilson, we have the wiretapping thing, and a whole lot besides that. But until it is entered in as evidence in a court (or hearing), until witnesses are sworn, and until an indictment is returned, it actually counts for nothing...yet. Conyers and Waxman and Levin and Reid are going to do just this, on a myriad number of issues regarding Iraq, Abu Ghraib, Halliburton, etc.

The "off the table" thing is purely tactical, because they also want to pass some serious and important legislation to help you, me and the rest of America. To do that, they can't go barnstorming into Congress in january bellowing about impeachment, specifically because we will need Republican allies to create veto-proof legislation. We will get those allies, because a lot of this legislation is so popular that a pile of GOPers will be too ashamed not to vote for them...unless we are yelling about impeachment.

Impeachment isn't gone. The investigations will bear fruit, under oath. Patience is the key here. We have two years before the next election.

[DemPower]

56. We have plenty of evidence

Bush admitted to warrantless wiretapping on National TV and he previously admitted he knew 'wiretaps require a court order-nothing has changed heh heh'

Wiretapping program ruled unconstitutional
http://www.iht.com/articles/2006/08/18/news/wiretap.php

Constitutional Scholars agree Bush Broke the Law
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/geoffrey-r-stone/why-the-nsa-surveillance-_b_13522.html

[WilliamPitt]

59. But we need the hearings first

and sworn testimony under oath, before anything happens.

[DemPower]

82. He has openly admitted his warrantless wiretapping 'program'

Actually Bush's lawyers defended his case in court, so his illegal wiretapping program is on record

Just trying to push ya
"If I pause, push me;

[DemPower]

89. I think this person says it perfectly-Thanks Tavalon

"I think their point is that the pResident provided the most damning evidence already. Even if there were no further investigation, we can say, without any doubt that GWB has in fact done impeachable acts."

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=364x2716122

[elocs]

175. I don't know why the Impeachment Now crowd does not understand this?

They have no patience for impeachment to be done right and to have the case built solidly and clearly. This is a lynch mob mentality who do not want to wait for it. Besides, impeachment is only indictment, not conviction. I want the case to be made so well that many Republican senators will vote to convict because they will know it is right and they also want to be reelected.

[elocs]

173. I second the well said about impeachment,

although the Impeachment Now 24/7 crowd will find it hard to swallow. Another intelligent and pragmatic voice about impeachment who does not think our Democratic leaders are idiots. Yes, well said Skinner.

[Zhade]

31. CONGRATS!

Here's to making it a better future for all kids!

(I respect your opinion on impeachment. At the same time, I respect even more that you have not called for a ban on advocating for impeachment, like lesser, more authoritarian sites such as kos might have done.)

[Batgirl]

32. Puzzled by my own lack of euphoria too

I think it partly stems from having doubts regarding the notion that "the American people finally woke up." I suspect they may have moved into a lighter stage of the sleep cycle, maybe fluttered their eyelids and mumbled a few words through the drool, but to say they're awake is an overstatement.

If the war in Iraq had gone better, I suspect the public wouldn't be too concerned about things like habeus corpus and torture and illegal wiretapping. And maybe if not for the recent GOP sex scandals some Dem candidates might not have done so well. The public will always awaken long enough to take in a good juicy sex scandal.

It's disturbing to look back and see how easy it was for these authoritarian wackos to get the level of public support they once enjoyed. I know they were helped enormously by the corporate media, but come on, they were transparent as hell all along weren't they? Transparent liars, looters, tyrants. When they started branding anyone who had policy disagreement as Saddam-lovers and terrorist sympathizers, that would have been an excellent time for the public to "wake up," but instead far too many were unfazed, even approving. They bought the bullshit and ate it with a spoon for a looong time before spitting it back out. Wouldn't you love to be a fly on the wall in the meetings that are going on right now, where GOP marketers are sitting around coming up with ways to reposition their brand and repackage their bullshit? Maybe this time it will contain special deodorizing agents and come with a big battery-powered ladle for easier shoveling.

So I can't muster up euphoria, but guarded optimism feels pretty good so I'm not complaining.

And congrats on the addition to your family.

[Pithy Cherub]

33. Happiness & Good Health to the Skinner Family!

A baby Skinner who's nursery is true blue.:)

:toast:

[dpbrown]

35. My daughter was born in 2005 and I was depressed about her world

I hope we will be able to carry forward the first step to ushering in a new world for her and your son.

Thank you for all you do.

[Midlodemocrat]

36. How wonderful! A baby!

You will be so thrilled by that little person you won't believe it. Best wishes to you and your beautiful wife during this amazing time, Skinner.

And, I did donate. I think I'll donate again in honor of lil' Skinner.

:toast:

[SoCalDem]

37. Congrats to you both..(to all three of you, actually )

Are you gonna be nicknaming the baby little DUde:)???

[underpants]

38. Wow congrats!!

Some tips (the best of the ones I got)

1. have 300 diapers ON HAND from day one. This is the single best tip you will ever get.

2. fighting is normal everyone does it but no one mentions it on the run up. You will probably play the role of careless slacker she will boil the pacifier every time it hits the floor.

3. you can't spoil the baby with love

4. freaking out about it breathing or not breathing is normal

5. the first month SUCKS...to high heaven. This thing will not stop crying. Just remember that you aren't the first and you won't be the last to do this and there are lots of other guys and gals standing next to the running dryer (white noise) at 3 AM. They love white noise-dryer, vaccum (be weary if you have cats or close neighbors), sound machines.

Rule #1 Don't drop the baby
Rule #2 DO NOT drop the baby
Rule # 3 no honey (in the first year it can cause botulism in them)
Rule #4 Beware of dingos
Rule #5 Nobady puts baby in the corner

BTW commander bunnypants is expecting around Christmas.

Good luck.

[DoYouEverWonder]

68. I remember #5 all too well

My husband re-wrote a couple of folk songs that he would sing to try to put our son to sleep. One was House of the Writhing Son.

:toast: To the Skinner Family. Enjoy every minute because it doesn't last long. Mine will be 14 tomorrow.

[mmonk]

39. Congratulations.

The first thing that happens when you have children is how honed your priorities become and changes in order of those priorities. Also, you begin a new purpose. Here's wishing you happiness (and I have the same feelings in general you have about the elections). Not euphoric, but optimistic. Realizing the damage done and the tasks ahead. Not celebratory, but relieved and spent. Best wishes to you and your family.:toast:

[City Lights]

40. Congratulations, Skinner! eom

[CatWoman]

41. Romeo is gonna kick your ass

:hi:

Congrats!!!

[Tinksrival]

42. If only elections came with erasers and a clean slate for the winners.

I ended in the same place you are. So much to work on it's hard to know where to start. For now I am going to put my trust in my party and keep an eye out. I trust my Senator, Dick Durbin, and I have been fortunate that I can communicate with his office. I really do have confidence in them and they deserve a chance to show that they can govern for the common good.
My husband and I came into our own during the Clinton years. I fondly refer to them as the salad days. We had met in the Reagan era when starting out was very tough. Neither one of us could get a decent job and ended up doing four years in the military. But as I said, by the time the end of the Clinton era, we built a comfortable life for ourselves and our three children. My children now young adults are facing a challenging time to make their own place in the world. I do feel hopeful that they to will have their "salad days". Change is here again.
The only real fear I have is another substantial attack that would send this country into fear and blindly following the wrong path again. I think the media is key if this were to happen so we must be diligent in holding their feet to the fire. No small task. That's why you are so important, and I am so thankful for you and people like you. The internet is key in keeping the truth and the progressive movement forward and the country out of the darkness. Protecting it from political abuse is #1 priority. We can't let them take it from us. I think they would have tried to some degree if they still had majority.
It warms my heart to hear your going to be a Daddy! It really is a magic time when you have your first. It's also a lot of fun. Things out in the "big world" will change and changed again by the time your little one is grown. What is more important is what happens in the day to day life of your "little world" and your little family. Your focus will narrow as it should. When you reach that next stage when your little ones are grown and stepping out into the the world, your focus will broaden again to look at the "big world" as did mine. For now just enjoy your "salad days" for they go by fast.

Best Wishes to you and your Wife,

Congrats Daddy Skinner!

Tinksrival

[jarab]

43. Congratulations on your soon-to-be parenthood!

...O...

[GeorgeGist]

45. Don't be surprised if the Republicans...

seize the Impeachment issue that the Democratic Leadership abandoned for political expediency.

[tavalon]

88. I think that would be okay

People have been throwing out that boogieman for a few days now but I don't really see a problem with it.

[Jawja]

46. Congratulations, Skinner!

And thank you for all that you do and have done. :hi:

[Coexist]

47. Welcome to parenthood

best of luck!

[WiseButAngrySara]

48. Congratulations! And Long Live the Blogosphere! ....n/t

[MazeRat7]

50. Well said Skinner my thoughts exactly this past week... and BTW Congrats on the baby.

[Bunny]

52. Congrats Skinner and Mrs. Skinner!

:bounce: What wonderful news you have!

I think I know how you feel, too - I've been feeling much the same way. I think things simply can't get any worse than they have been, though, so I'm optimistic.

Incidentally, Bunny is not a bad name for a boy. ;)

[radfringe]

53. WHOO-HOO CONGRATS ON THE LITTLE ONE!

[VelmaD]

54. That sounds stunningly familiar...

just add on a little extra bitterness over Texas missing out on the "blue tsunami" and you've described just how I feel. Only for me it wasn't painting the baby's room...it was making a rubber ducky birthday cake for my nephew. He turned 1. I feel better about his future than I did.

Congrats on the new arrival. Whatever you do...avoid any polls posted in the Lounge on what you should name the kid if you really don't want to name him Grovelbot. :)

[mohinoaklawnillinois]

55. Well said Skinner. I feel the same way as you do re: last week's

election.

There is much work to be done and let the investigations run their course. After all, how many people in 1973 ever thought that the Senate Watergate hearings would eventually lead to Nixon's resignation in August, 1974.

Congratulations to you and your wife on your expected baby. I'll keep all of you in my prayers.

Thanks for the hard work you and all the other admins do for DU.

PS: I donated yesterday.

[Daphne08]

57. Congratulations! We're so happy for you.

Your life is about to change forever in ways you never could have imagined.

[terrya]

58. Congratulations on your baby and to the future.

And one comment about the new Congress that you didn't solicit but, well, I have to offer.

It's no secret that this President and this Congress has, around election time, demonized us gay and lesbian Americans on the subject of same-sex marriage. I'm speaking of the Federal Marriage Amendment to the United States Constitution that would have codified bigotry against millions of Americans solely because of their sexual orientation and their demands for full equality. Now, I remember the "60 Minutes" profile on Nancy Pelosi a couple of weeks before the election where she said that same-sex marriage "wasn't our fight". I disagree with that, but that's neither here nor there. The one thing I'm optimistic about with this new Democratic controlled Congress...the Federal Marriage Amendment is dead. Finally. In dealing with Iraq, raising the minimum wages, imposing new ethics standards in Congress, I know that Harry Reid and the new House Majority Leader will NOT allow this amendment to be introduced in Congress.

Here I am, grasping at the flimsiest of straws about same-sex marriage. Clinging to some sort of hope. I know this fight will take decades...I see it lasting at least 50 years. But...last Tuesday, on the subject of full equality for me and other gay and lesbian Americans, I began to discover some hope. The beginnings of the glimmer of light at the end of the tunnel.

I'm sorry I hijacked this thread about issues that may not be on your radar. But I hope that your child grows up in a country that begins to respect the equality of Americans regardless of sexual orientation.

Congratulations, again, to your and your wife on expecting your first child.

[riderinthestorm]

60. Congratulations!! You will love being a father!

I share your wierd apathy about opening the emails, rejoicing etc. You did a great job explaining it though. I kept thinking it was because the candidate I was working for, Tammy Duckworth lost. But it's more than that. Thanks for a great post(and all of your hard work!)

[RubyDuby in GA]

61. That is fantastic news!

Your whole world will change. I used to be the most rabid, hard core Dem you could find. Every day was another meeting and every weekend was working for the cause.

Then my son was born last June and none of that seems even remotely as important as before. Don't get me wrong - I pushed him in his stroller as we canvassed the weeks leading up to the election and he smiled and flirted with all the women (our circle of Dems thinks he's a good luck charm) and he's already had his picture taken with a former President and First Lady and Lt. Gov. of our state. He's a Democrat through and through.

But you'll notice subtle little changes with regards to things that you once thought you'd never be able to ignore or live without or miss out on. I'd give anything to be able to be with him every second of every day.

I just hope that you won't worry too much about the world he's coming into. My husband and I did right up until last week. We thought for certain that the whole country was on a one way trip to Hell and there was no way it was going to turn around. I, like you, don't think this huge change will immediately stop the destruction that is happening and make everything just hunky dorey within months, but I do believe that policies that were going to hurt this country for years, if not decades, to come will be reversed.

I smiled last Wednesday because I think that there is hope still and people wanted that hope back. They wanted to know that there could be something better for the world and they went out and did something about it. I'm grateful to the people because I don't have to worry so much the next couple of years - I can just concentrate on playing with the most important thing in my life, my son Carter.

And you don't have to worry that much now either. :) I highly recommend the Baby Einstein toys - they are bitchin'! I think Carter likes them, but mommy likes them more! :P

[OzarkDem]

62. Have faith, Skinner

Dems have a lot of experience in cleaning up GOP messes.

First, realize that Clinton's strong economy took a helluva beating during the last 6 years, but it hasn't sunk into chaos yet. It was strong enough to withstand Bush's mess and if we can keep control of inflation, we should be able to get it back on track, begin paying down the debt and balancing the budget, especially once we stop hemorrhaging money in Iraq.

Second, the Constitution can be fixed. With a majority in Congress, we can begin the process of undoing the damage to the Constitution, whether by veto overrides or arm-twisting at the WH. In that case, we have to depend on our Dem leaders to be smart, strong and good strategists. We also have to count on a fair and open news media to keep the public informed, a little more worrisome.

When Bush took office, he and Cheney's first rule of governance was to do everything exactly opposite of the Clinton administration. We only have to undo Bush's mess, not as hard as it seems when public support is behind us.

My only concerns for long-term damage have to do with our foreign policy and the collateral effects of neglect, mismanagement and unilateralism along with weakening of the UN and erosion of respect for the US overseas. Its easier to reverse domestic problems than those overseas, where we have less control.

You're young. We older folks remember when things were worse (Reagan years) and we saw them improve.

Congratulations on your good news! Your little one will have a lot to look forward to.

[baby_mouse]

63. Congratulations!

:D

[graywarrior]

64. OMG, a baby Skinner. How cool is that!

[Longhorn]

65. I am so proud to be associated with you and your board!

Congratulations and thanks for taking the time to share your brilliant thoughts (which happen to coincide with mine. ;) )

[ScreamingMeemie]

66. Congratulations Skinner... But really, in the end, for you all that matters

is really that last paragraph. The rest of the world is nothing compared to raising your babies. Remember that. Nothing, not even politics, the state of the world and who's running things can trump that. I learned that the hard way.

All the Best,

~Laura

[Arugula Latte]

67. Congratulations!

You are in for the adventure of a lifetime! Parenthood makes all other experiences pale in comparison.

(My firstborn, my son, was born in mid-January, too.)

All the best to you and your wife and Baby Skinner! :toast:

[Nimrod2005]

69. Congratulations on the baby, and we do share your feelings on the politics

stuff...Much damage has been done, but we will get back on our feet shortly. I am optimistic.

[Bucky]

70. Congratulations, of course. But I know the real reason you're not euphoric.

I fear that fixing everything that the Republicans have fucked up may not even be possible.--Skinner

It is more than possible. I study and teach history. History suggests that us fixing this mess is inevitable. Not that we will right every wrong, but that we have within our grasp the ability to set things back in balance enough that the American community can move forward without being crushed by the consequences of six years of almost deliberate misrule. We can fashion a course towards peace in Iraq that preserves what little good came from the invasion and still bring our troops home. We can fashion a budget that prioritizes the country's needs and still begins to reduce the deficit. These are daunting tasks, but not unscalable walls. We need not despair at the task or surrender to hatred of those who created these problems.

More to the point, what hangs over all of us now need not be bitterness. It is only the sobering thought of the journey ahead. We already convinced the country to take that first step. We should feel a little euphoric because this is as close to a happy ending as history allows. In real history, there are no endings. So there's no reason not to be giddy as hell. But it's not really an ending. It's chapter one of the sequel to the disaster that was the Bush presidency.

This is where it starts. To shift analogies, this past election was a honeymoon. Drink the champagne, sleep in a little late, enjoy the post coital glow. Starting in January, the real marriage begins--the long challenging work of sorting out feelings and relationships and boundries and figuring out what pets we can adopt, what housing we can afford, and what dreams we should try to make come true.

[G_j]

71. 'Humpty Dumpty'

all the king's horses etc..

you said, "..fear that fixing everything that the Republicans have fucked up may not even be possible"

It is the deepest of tragedies. NOBODY can replace a lost child, mother, brother, husband, wife, friend.

30 years after the Vietnam war, souls still suffer from PTSD. 30 years from today both Iraqi and American families will still be suffering from Bush policies.

yes, I am angry and bitter also

thanks for your thoughts and everything else you have done

[karlrschneider]

72. I'm on the same page, Skinner. And I think Wellstone would be a cool middle name!

:D

[txindy]

73. Congrats, Skinner!

All the best to you and your family.

[bloom]

74. Congratulations!!

What fun- kids. :bounce:

I'm starting to think about being hopeful, too.

I'm pretty much of a wait and see kind of person - so I'll believe it when I see change.


I am afraid that when the Democrats undo things - they won't undo them all the way. So we'll still have this and that nonsense.


But it is a sigh of relief to figure that there is a chance for something positive to be done.

[QMPMom]

75. Congratulations to you and Mrs Skinner.

Your son will bring you more joy than you ever dreamed possible.

[JudyM]

77. With the exception of the baby, those are my thoughts, too. I am

especially sad and bitter about the damage to the environment and the dissembling of our image as generally behaving somewhat morally. The past 6 years have seen a lot of degradation in both areas, hopefully recoverable over time.

Much happiness to you as you prepare to welcome the Skinlet.

:toast:

Jude

[DoveTurnedHawk]

78. CONGRATULATIONS!

My best wishes to you and Mrs. Skinner. :-) And that was also a great commentary, much of which is very similar to my own feelings and experiences, although you certainly wrote it much better than I could.

DTH

[DemExpat]

79. WooHooo, Mr. and Mrs. Skinner!!!!!!

Now that is wonderful news, and news that goes very well with the Dem victory in the election.

I HAVE felt euphoric since the election because the evil momentum has been at least slightly altered, but I can understand also that when as a parent we are faced with babies and children growing up in our care in this world that political realities can seem even more disconcerting than when we are not busy with this most important task.
Just my experience after having raised my family.

All the best for you and your wife, Skinnner!

It IS a New Day.

:hug: :bounce: :hug:

DemEx

[tom_paine]

80. Mazel Tov, Skinner! Congratulations! Some thoughts to you...

Yes, whatever your lingering feelings (and you articulate some of my own feelings very well in this thread), the fact of the matter is your son will be born into a nation where all is not lost.

Because I believe that was precisely what we were facing, what we still may be facing not long down the road.

How can you put a price on that feeling, as opposed to the relatively unpleasant knowledge of having brought a child into Bushworld, Imperial Amerika, or any of the dozens of names we DUers had for it.

A nation which cannot be as bad off as the worst case scenarios some of us laid out here. I regret not a single moment of my "Paul Revere-ing" to hundreds of people over the last six years. But the fact is, if we are on a train to a Totalitarian future, it just slowed down quite a bit and the worst is clearly not yet happening.

For the sake of your kid and billions of others, hopefully it will not be so at any length of time in the future.

Anyway, congrats buddy. Couldn't have happened to a nicer guy, or a bigger Patriot.

tom

[katinmn]

81. Thank you. I have not been ecstatic like I thought I *should* be either

Reading your post helped me realize why.

The work required to clean things up and get the country on proper footing will be gargantuan in nature. Not only that, as the truth seeps out, as it is bound to do, we are going to uncover some really shameful rotten things that our government has done. Abu Ghraib-style shameful and rotten. We better brace ourselves and get philosophical about it. And get ready to pitch in and help locally and globally.

On a happier note, sincere congratulations on the upcoming birth of your child. A safer world it is, now that we've neutered Bush.

:thumbsup:

[democrank]

83. What a wonderful example you`ve set

for your little boy. When it`s a matter of principles, fight for it.

[tavalon]

84. Oh, my

congratulations on becoming parents soon.

[pacalo]

85. Congratulations to you & your wife!

The joys you & your wife will experience with a child is like no other. It's like being reborn. :)

The main things I want from a Democratic-majority congress are oversight of this administration & checks & balances. I took these constitutional provisions for granted before Bush came along, but they're precious to me now.

As for impeachment, I like your argument against it; however, I think it's never been so vital that a president be investigated as this one. I'm not an advocate of demanding impeachment as a first order of business -- only that the hearings should begin promptly. I say let the hearings lay it all out, then everything will fall into place on its own.

[mnhtnbb]

86. Congratulations! Funny you should make the connection

with a baby coming and the new Congress. Just today I was thinking about
a situation where trouble seemed to be past, the future could be anticipated with joy--then whammo--bad times show up.

I am a little bit concerned that too many people have expectations that this new Congress is going to 'fix' everything. So much damage has been done in the last 6 years. It's always easier to destroy than to build.
It will take time to undo what the Bushies have done not only to this country, but the world.

[cabral]

87. Congratulation....

I feel exaactely the same way about this election... I thought I will be really happy but i'm not, I'm still angry at these fuckers.

[tavalon]

90. The lack of euphoria is not surprising

This was the most important election of our lives or so it was billed. We put blood, sweat and tears into this election and still we feared that we wouldn't get it. It was so emotionally charged and filled up with importance and when the day after came and nothing much had changed, it's easy to feel let down. It's like the day after Christmas blues.

I said it elsewhere in the thread, but congrats on your upcoming child. You will understand intimately by the middle of February just why babies are so cute - it's a survival mechanism.

[puebloknot]

91. There's nothing so fine as a baby! Congratulations!

My baby is in her early 30s, and over those years, many things have come and gone, leaving no memory trace -- or none that I can easily call up. But I remember my daughter's fat little infant legs, which turned so skinny by the time she was seven that her ex-nun stepmother said I was "not cooking for her." (If you're not Catholic, you're a child murderer in her universe!) :)

I remember when my daughter was born, thinking "OMG, I'll have to teach her to walk and talk and eat and drink....and think! Of course, mostly I just had to keep her safe and warm (and fed!), and the rest has been a miracle.

Having a baby in this world really is a testament to hope (whether that was what was on your mind or not, when you were creating your little boy :) ) I remember reading that Golda Meier undertook a project to encourage young people in Israel, right after the war and the Holocaust, to get married and have children. Too many young Israeli people were frightened to bring children into such a harsh world. Golda's reward for so doing was a *refrigerator*! (I don't know if that story is true, but it warms the heart.)

Babies are great teachers to tell us that change is possible, and I very much appreciate the sentiments you've expressed in this post. I've been so distraught over the last six years, fighting to keep hope alive, determined not to give in and "let them win," that by the time election night arrived, I was utterly exhausted. I couldn't get to sleep, and I had this cynical thought that kept running through my head: "They're playing with us again. They've let this Dem victory happen (after all, we know they can mess around with election results) so they can throw the responsibility for the war and the rest of the mess on our shoulders, and in 2008 they can say, 'The Dems have had two years to work the miracles they said they would, and look...we're still in a mess.'"

I've recovered from that depressed state, and I am hopeful. I am also wary, however, and I don't discount completely some elements of that midnight madness.

I think the impeachment "for/against" dichotomy that has been taking place here is unnecessarily divisive. We who support impeachment (as a principle and as a constitutional action) are not suggesting we go in, guns blazing, in early January, without investigations. From a legal standpoint, as Will Pitt points out, it would go nowhere. There has to be a raised hand, and an "I do so swear." However, a lot of the investigation has already been done, and protracted hearings that go nowhere will truly be a stain on this country's integrity, if we let that happen.

To go in with guns blazing on the other side of the question -- "Impeachment is off the table" -- is equally undesirable, and I think that's why so many of us have been so disturbed by what we see as Nancy Pelosi's premature pronouncement. I doubt if we here would be so divided if Ms. Pelosi had had the wisdom to simply leave that question hanging tantalizingly in the air.

It may be that we're all more on the same page than we've been feeling, but if this new Congress fails to take concrete action against the crimes that have been committed by this administration, we are truly lost as a country. I hope that January will take away, for me, the feeling that John Conyers has been silenced already, and that all our efforts and all our worry, as Democrats, will be for naught, that we'll just see a new company come in and begin performing the same script over and over.

And I feel (and the Repubs are likely to feel) that it's disingenuous to say "no impeachment," yet go forward with investigations, knowing full well that such investigations can, and perhaps must, lead to impeachment. Will Republicans feel a lot better that their leaders went to jail, or resigned, sans impeachment? Americans on both sides of the aisle are tired of games and clever strategies. We need leaders who will lead, without always having a spit-dampened finger in the wind before taking action.

I do have a reasonable attention span, and I am not hopeless. I have simply been around long enough to have a longer view of history than some here, and I don't want our "throw-away" ethic in this country to keep us from taking the time to see that justice is done, rather than trying to build a new world on a very unstable foundation. I have taken this as my personal mantra with regard to making our country whole again: "Before healing can occur, the wound must be cleansed."

In December, exactly six months after Paul McCartney fulfilled the prophecy from one of his best songs ("When I'm Sixty-Four"), I'll follow suit. I don't live my life in a particular age frame, and since the women on both sides of my family live to be 90 to 100 years old, I expect to be around for a time. I have to be involved in trying to shape the future of this country, for my own sake, and for my daughter and the children she may have. My daughter is unusually cautious and anxious about her future because she is bright and observant, and she is concerned that the thing she wants the most -- that thing that you've just done, Skinner --will not be possible, "that thing" being living a normal life in a safe world, and securing that right for all the other young people in the world. I don't know if giving her a refrigerator will help to overcome her realistic fears!

However we do it, We the People have to seriously begin the process of restoring decency to our government. We owe it to our children. Time is of the essence!

[namvet73]

92. Well said and congratulations! I am just relieved.

I do not expect miracles, but for the past 6 years, I felt that we had pretty much lost our Constitutional Democracy. As a veteran who served in the Vietnam era I was furious to watch our Constitution being trashed by a bunch of hooligans.

My biggest joy about this election is that our system is still working! I actually felt like some depression had been lifted from my subconscious. I even cried.

The other disappointment in these 6 years was to see so much of my family fall for the BS. When Bush first ran, my brother in law had Bush's face showing as wallpaper on all the computers in his house. He has a few for his now grown kids. And my mother had a picture of Bush hanging on the wall like the King. How could my mother pick the worst president in history to display on her wall?

Nuff said!

[mithnanthy]

93. Congradulations!

What wonderful news!

[benny05]

94. Skinner's Song

To borrow from Kenny Loggins', "Danny's Song"

People smile and tell me I'm the lucky one
And we've just begun, think I'm gonna have a son
He will be like she and me, as free as a dove
Conceived in love, sun is gonna shine above

And even though we ain't got money
I'm so in love with ya, honey
And everything will bring a chain of love
And in the mornin' when I rise
You bring a tear of joy to my eyes
And tell me, everything is gonna be alright

Skinner, you have an amazing ability to connect with all of us, and this post resonates because I have not been able to completely articulate my feelings about the outcome of the election and of the past few years. Somehow, you did it for me, and all I can do is boo-hoo, but it is more than just the pain our country gone through and the wilderness we have been in.

We lost Andy, we lost several friends, and several people have lost loved ones due to the reckless decisions of this Administration, or perhaps funding was cut off to help pay for, as Bill Clinton said repeatedly in the campaigns, "his tax cuts." He knows he doesn't need them. Some of us lost pets due to some doofus neighbors who don't give a damn about anyone but themselves.

I might add that while I feel strongly about freedom of speech and of the Net, which is still a hurdle we haven't gotten over yet, I'm disappointed about the many attacks sparred at one another regarding past Presidential candidates and at ones who helped campaign for others. It happened again today, in which Ned Lamont's internet manager lashed out at so many, blaming them for Ned's campaign that not only failed, but by a wide margin. We all had good will for Ned. I still do, but to me, it's not healthy for his internet manager to be trashing other Dems who tried to help as we transition and try to move our country forward. What about the bloggers here at the DU who didn't live in CT gave personal donations, vlogged or blogged, and gave their best to get out the vote for Ned? Do we not count? All of the 08 hopefuls did a pretty good job with schedules permitting or were able to give some bucks. period. But ultimately, the CT voters decided. We couldn't save Ned, and I think it is futile to think we could have.

However, a new candle of some optimism has been lit. A little DU'er growing inside of Mrs. Skinner. A new Congress, a new Senate, and yes, back-breaking work, in which I expect our pols to do, and to work longer hours and days because you are correct: we are in a convoluted mess, and like the war in Iraq, there will much to fix, and some things we won't be able to restore in funding if we are to pay as we go.

Thank you for this great site, and yes, my regular monthly donation keeps giving, now to Skinner2. My other tears are extended in joy to you, and the rest of the DU Admins and mods, who unfailingly try to do their best. I also will continue to laugh in the DUL (in which I feel a lot of kindred spirits...) and at Earl's top 10.

:kick:

[cyberpj]

95. I didn't realize "Skinner" was David Allen until I just noticed your journal page info.

But that's only a neat connection if you're the David Allen I originally exchanged a few emails with regarding the old Black Box Voting site, when there was some sort of breaking apart of personalities and that led to 2 sites with one claiming to be the "original".

That may sound totally off the wall and if so just ignore it.

But for some reason I remembered the name David Allen as someone who explained some of that to me before I ever found D.U.

Meanwhile - I have had similar feeling this week, and a soul-tiredness that appears to come from always having to clean up "their" messes and then getting kicked out of things just so "they" can come back and do it all again. It's a weariness of not being able to truly move forward as a people in the long run.

Hey. We'll get over it. And you did well in reminding all of us to hope. Congratulations. You now have a major investment in that emotion.

Thanks for all you do.

PJ

[Skinner]

101. That's a different David Allen.

People confuse the two of us fairly regularly. We share a pretty common name.

The other David Allen is a member of DU.

[Ignacio Upton]

105. At least you're not related to a George Felix Allen

:)

[flamingyouth]

96. Congrats to both of you!

We're very excited for you. :hug:

[TahitiNut]

97. So, will your son's name be Armon Tanzarian Allen?

:rofl:

[bigtree]

98. nice to have a glimmer of hope with the new Congress

to make your decision to bring a new life into the world less frightening.

wonderful news. I don't blame you a bit for feeling anxious and cynical. I'm encouraged by that. Those are the ingredients for continued activism. Pressure!

[bonito]

99. Good to hear your inner thoughts

Keep your chin up I know it's not over but the future is brighter, people have hope and allot less FEAR today for the whole world, and this I feel will be reflected on our little world through the hearts of good people everywhere.
Take a step back and look at what you have accomplished.
A brighter world for your child indeed.
Peace

[lildreamer316]

100. Congratulations!

Our baby boy will be 3 in December. It's the most wonderful thing. I'm so happy for you!
But watch out--you become an instant sap.
Just warning ya.:-)

[annabanana]

102. Wowie - Zowie!! Congratulations!

Do all the sleeping you can now while you have the chance. Get ready to have your very existence turned completely upside down and to LOVE it. Labor is called "labor" because it is very hard work. Nothing you have done or will ever do will compete with what your dear one will go through (get used to that).
~ A Blessing on your House ~

As exhausted and exhilarated as we may feel about the election. I think we all know that it just means that our team has qualified for the competition.

[ulysses]

103. congrats!

And just think, now you can wade into the circumcision and spanking threads! :D

:toast:

[David Zephyr]

104. Congratulations! Skinner is going to be a dad!

I read your post twice. It made my evening here.

You did have a LOT to do with the election and I thank you for this amazing thing you and EarlG and Elad and the mods over the years have provided, Skinner.

I've never met you and yet, I feel like we are old friends.

Knowing that you and your wife will be bringing a bundle of joy into this world is heartening. What a lucky lad he will be having you as his father.

Give your mate my love and best wishes. Little Skinner is on the way!

:toast:

[nicknameless]

107. Congratulations, Skinner!

:toast:

I agree about our need for investigations. I want to see every despicable piece of dirt on this criminal cabal uncovered and publicized.

Going directly to an impeachment could seem more like payback than an impeachment following investigations which could snare many more of these thugs. Careful, methodical, humiliating investigations.

:evilgrin:

[dailykoff]

108. Congratulations!

:dem:

[cally]

109. Most important, congrats on the new baby

He will change your life and your priorities. My eldest is now in college and I'm still trying to understand what it means to be a parent. She called me to gloat about the election returns. I was somewhat surprised because I wasn't sure she was a Democrat. I was sure she was a libertarian when we fought about Lieberman. She called me to gloat and tell me how mudh she hated Lieberman. Who knew?? What I've learned, slowly, is that my values and opinions influence her.

I'm as mixed up as you. I'm happy because I think we'll be able to debate issues. I don't for a second think we'll hit nirvanna but instead I'm thrilled we'll be back to debate and fighting for a better tomorrow.

I've read the many threads where you are given credit for changing the world. I won't go that far, but you changed my life. I thought I was the only one who hated Bush, and I found this site in 2001. I've been here all this time. I learned debate and the rest from this site. I may soon move on but I thank you for this site.

[AwakeAtLast]

110. I knew that was the reason you were painting even before I finished your post!

Don't know why, something about women's intuition? Moving and babies are the events that usually inspire people to paint. I chose the most logical I guess.

You are definitely not alone in your feelings. While I was ecstatic with election results, I felt the weight of the work we have left to do. We cannot let our guard down, cannot stop searching, cannot stop reporting corruption and lies. The MSM is not going to suddenly become our allies and start printing the truth. These were some of the realizations that have hit me in the past week.


Anyway, enough about politics, congratulations on your wonderful news!!! :bounce:

So exciting! :woohoo: :toast: :woohoo:





edit: missing word

[pamela]

111. Congratulations!

That's wonderful news! (You should name him Burrhus Frederic.) Wasn't DU born in January, too? That would be so cool if your son had the same birthday.

About the election...Celebrate anyway. Sure, this great country of ours is fucked up, but it's a lot less fucked up than it was a week ago. I'm thrilled that the American people finally woke up and voted these bastards out in droves. This was a huge victory for all of us! Now be happy, damn it, and CELEBRATE!:P

[2Design]

112. Thanks for sharing - you are articulate - yes and they won't stop fighting back

I have also not felt like celebrating - and seeing the post about impeachment just did not sit well with me either
We have just barely beat them back in each of the races - it was not landslide votes. We have congress critters still mouthing the same words. And we still have the media who is unwilling to protect the constitution over profits.

We still have a huge amount of people who voted republican. They still do not have the message that the congress voted for torture, war, and gutting the middle class and not helping the poor at all while continuing to give themselves raises and giving corporate welfare.

They are still in power in the wh because they have rewritten the laws and constitution to give huge amounts of power to those in WH. We now have more of the old cronies back in the WH that did the damage before Clinton and during Reagan

I wanted to see 75% of the people or more vote democratic - no matter what - then I would have believed it was turning -

I think Dean has been a major force in helping this move to the light. Yet we had a state elect an independent who is a war monger.

I wanted to cheer but realize the democrats will be blamed for the economy that is in the dumper and the housing market that will take us to hell and back because it is beyond affordability - and this we got from greenspan with W arm around him that first meeting -

What does W have on everyone that they all roll over and did - including a man who survived torture in Vietnam - W broke him when torture could not -

And the world is less safe for americans because of the torture, rape, killings, chemical poisonings of the usa - and it continues

impeachment is not enough and would only hurt us - war crimes is better after we get them out of office -

finding a viable candidate for president for 2008 would be good too - the pickings are very slim and very unsure

We have so much to do and so much to clean up - the job does seem insurmontable - but the 'isms' are still in office and the enablers are still helping them - the sickness is rampant

Gridlock would be a blessing right now if it is focused on making sure they can do no more harm - they have some crazy new players who have harmed us before and the congress critters need to get on top of that right away

Thanks for the job you do here and congrats on the new baby -

[indigo32]

113. Congrats

how very fun.

and thank you for your thoughts.... I agree with them

[bigwillq]

114. Congrats on the baby!

:bounce: :toast:

Thanks for sharing your views on the election.

:hi:

[CherokeeDem]

115. Thank You...

I had a discussion last night with a good Democratic friend and expressed the same feelings to him as you have so well expressed. I have been uneasy since the election, elated, but uneasy. I still am not sure why but I believe that the reality of how much the Democrats have to do to repair the damage to this nation and to the world is overwhelming. I simply cannot look at soldier's picture without crying or for that matter, see Al Gore and not weep for what should have been. Skinner, I agree with you and the wise Will Pitt...patience, patience, patience on everything but please, not on bringing our troops home. They don't deserve this; they need to be out of harm's way.

Skinner, congrats to you and Mrs. Skinner on your new baby. Another little Democratic is very much welcomed.

Thanks for all that you and your wonderful cohorts have done to keep all of us sane these last six years. But there is much more to do.

Debbie

[Lisa0825]

116. I agree on pretty much every point.

Before the election, impeachment was such a sweet dream, I could taste it! But now I think like you, that it could cause much more damage. I think the best we can do is use this time to show people how Democrats make people's lives better, so that we can build on what we have won and actually get some real work done.

Congratulations on your happy news. The world will be a better place with your DNA being replicated :)

[eridani]

117. I'm not euphoric either

We've just been handed a mandate that makes cleaning the Augean Stables look trivial.

[Time for change]

118. Congratulations Skinner

I feel much the same as you do about this in many ways. In fact, I barely even feel vindicated by the elections. And I hate to say it, but who knows what would have happened if Mark Foley didn't have the problem that he did?

In other words, I feel like we've won a big battle, but the war is still going on, and there is a great deal of work to do.

[civildisoBDence]

119. You wonder how long it will take to fix Bush's mess...if that's even possible

How long did it take for the world to forget what the Romans did to Jesus?

Newsprism

[dweller]

120. how far would we be now

if your initial anger in selection2000 had not inspired you and your brothers in mods to form this site? where would this collection of the people be without the gathering place DU has been for the last 6 years channeling this righteous anger and informing each other far beyond any resource available?

Vindicated, hell yes. Angry deservedly so. And may that anger become a vital composition of the electorate in the days to come like a warp, no, woof in the fabric of Democracy. It's our country dammit and as this site has reflected and the voters have spoken out in a wide and diverse voice: WE ARE MAD AS HELL AND WILL NOT TAKE IT ANYMORE! Thank you for providing the outlet for that wide, and ranging voice.
:rant:

kudos to Ms.Skinner and yourself on providing the world with one more Democrat-in-the-making. I hope you enjoyed painting that room blue.

peace
dp


edit: i'm off to http://www.democraticunderground.com/donate.html for the stream of consciousness mishmash posters...

[RiverStone]

121. Well said. Thank You. And do know that with all your keen political ponderings....

....and the wonderful victories we enjoyed last Tuesday.

Nothing.

Nothing compares to bringing your child into the world. Its shifts perspective even more. Tho thats for you to discover.

Yes. I'm thrilled for your son (and my 2 kids) that there IS HOPE things are getting better in this BIG beautiful world.

:think: :hug: :headbang:

[wiley]

122. Shall he be Levon?

[pgw]

123. Thank you

I came across this web site about 5 years ago, and have been a daily lurker ever since. DU has helped us accomplish great things, and I know you will be instrumental and necessary as the country moves forward. I just wanted to say thanks.

[SCRUBDASHRUB]

124. Mazel Tov, Skinner and Mrs. Skinner!!

Can't wait to see pix of little Skinner. :)

[Strawman]

125. Congrats Skinner!

and be sure to convey my congrats to Mrs. Skinner!

[omega minimo]

126. "But it is incredibly sad that it took so long." Incredibly sad it took 26 years

Congratulations Skinner on the impending arrival of your child.

[NC_Nurse]

127. Congrats, Skinner!

:hi:
My youngest just left for college this year! I can't believe it. All three of mine are grown.
I can't wait to see them for Thanksgiving and Christmas! :D

I too have been less than euphoric this week. Mainly because every day I still have to listen to the sniveling TURD we still have as president trying to shift the blame for his latest BAD NEWS.
I am just glad that we are putting the brakes on the ship of fools in the WH finally, and I look forward to more good news in January - from you and from DC! :bounce:

[mistertrickster]

128. I agree: no euphoria, just clear-eyed realization.

Seeing the Republican party and the Worst. President. Ever. get destroyed at the polls is like seeing a murderer hang for his crimes.

It doesn't bring back all the innocent life needlessly destroyed.

As we saw with the Republican scandal-mongering of Clinton, you can't eviscerate the Presidency without also harming the country.

Watching the bodies of the Republican Right pile up is a good thing for our country, but nobody ever said it was going to be pleasant to see, and it's not . . .

[6000eliot]

129. Congratulations on your impending parenthood!

[Patsy Stone]

130. Thanks, Skinner!

Well stated as usual. Thanks for DU, and Mazel Tov to you and your wife.

:toast:

[satya]

132. Okay, now I'm blubbering again. Congrats! Cue up Armstrong's "What a Wonderful World".

:toast:

[Laurab]

134. Congratulations Mr. & Mrs. Skinner!

I don't think there is anything in life that compares to a child being born, and there is something even a little more special about a first one. There will be your euphoria - that was actually the first time I really knew the meaning of the word (and that was 26 years ago).

As far as the rest of your post, I agree with just about everything. I don't feel the bitterness as much, though, because I've spent the last several years being angry and bitter. It eats you up inside. Mostly, I felt...relieved after the elections, and I do hope we can begin to clean up the mess.

I am far more concerned with cleaning up the damage than impeaching a pResident who we can now hopefully stop from doing more damage. I'd LOVE to see him impeached, but even more, I'd love to see a Dem in the White House in 2 years. For that we need to have our priorities in the right place, and for me, that would be cleaning up the mess and hopefully doing some good things for the people who have been being screwed over for so long. Most of all, it means getting our troops out of that mess in Iraq as fast as we can.

[helderheid]

135. Congratulations, Skinner! You'll make a great Dad. Funny what you said about the election...

I too am feeling drained. I quit checking my email. I started a new Sims2 family. I spent time with my OWN family. I vacuumed. I went back to the gym. I still don't have that euphoria. It really hasn't hit me. I'm guessing it may in January but like you said, our party was just hired to clean up a huge mess. There will be a lot of work to do to turn things around for America.

[mconvente]

136. Skinner - you're my hero!!

That was such a very well written piece of prose, my friend. It truly touches my heart that we - America - voted for change. Because as was stated by many of the prominent members here, we were on a path of destruction if things continued the way they were - jeopardizing future generations of our human race. Global warming is exactly that - if we don't take action on this now, then Manhattan won't exist in 2050. Sure we won't have to worry about that too much (maybe me, I'd only be 74!), but our children and grandchildren would have to worry about that. Thank you for being a part in advancing our progressing world, a world where we can bring new members with happiness about their future, rather than depression for the same reason.

Congratulations on your baby and may we keep the fight going!

[lonestarnot]

137. Woooooooodamnwhooo! Dual HOLD EMS!

Hold'n off the repigs and best of all holding hope that only an infant can give! Congratulations!

:applause: :party: :woohoo:

[jeffuppy]

138. Who owns DU?

Copy these links – they won’t be up long:
And find a site spreading truth – they’re out there.

Democratic Underground is incorporated as an LLC and DU's registered agent is Potomac Programs, Inc. http://mblr.dc.gov/corp/lookup/status.asp?id=204979
Potomac Programs' registered agent is United States Corporation Co. http://mblr.dc.gov/corp/lookup/status.asp?id=100538
United States Corporations' registered agent is Prentice Hall Corp. System, Inc., http://mblr.dc.gov/corp/lookup/status.asp?id=130355 (same address as United States Corporation).
Prentice Hall (and DU) are really part of Pearson - Prentice Hall. http://www.pearson.com/index.cfm?pageid=93

Interlocking registered agents and Liechtenstein connections.

Proud to be banned.

Justice is mellow.

[EarlG]

141. Wow, well done

You've discovered our secret. DU is actually the propaganda arm of the Liechtenstein government.

:crazy:

[Swamp Rat]

150. LOLOLOLOLOL!!! Heil mein ausgezeichnetester Führer von Liechtenstein!!!

Dieser Geck ist verrückt!!! :rofl:

[puebloknot]

160. And what is more...

...I visited there when I was 14, and I bought an ice cream sandwich made in the U.S. of A. The guy that sold it to me was wearing sunglasses and had a scruffy beard. CIA, you think? *Now* it begins to make sense!

[libnnc]

181. Hey, I once ate a roasted swiss chicken in a cafe

at the foot of the castle in Liechtenstein in 1980. I was 9 years old.

Curses! He found us out!

The chicken was yummy btw...

[puebloknot]

199. Cover blown!

On to a new career! :)

[H2O Man]

202. Liechtenstein

makes a great Lite Beer, don't they?

[gully]

144. Wow, I just ordered educational materials from Pearson.

Cool.

[Skinner]

170. This just goes to show how worthless Wayne Madsen's "research" is.

I'm not going to delete your post, because this is a perfect example of why Wayne Madsen is a joke: He has no clue what a "registered agent" is. Apparently he thinks that a registered agent either owns or controls the companies that maintain it. This is completely false, and he would know that if he spent ten seconds on Google, or if he talked to any business owner in the country.

Basically, a registered agent is a glorified mailbox.

Someone pass this along to Wayne:

What is a Registered Agent and Do I Need One?

Business owners choose to incorporate or form a Limited Liability Company (LLC) to help protect personal assets from business liabilities and to provide tax-deductible benefits for employees and owners. Both of these useful structures for small businesses and entrepreneurs are formed via an official state filing. As a state-recognized business entity, there are several legal and tax documents that your company will receive each year from the state. As a state-recognized business entity, there are several legal and tax documents that your company will receive each year from the state.

Most jurisdictions require corporations and LLCs to designate and maintain a Registered Agent to receive and forward such documents on behalf of your company. The Registered Agent for your corporation or LLC must be located at a legal address (not a PO Box) within that state, hence they are sometimes referred to as "Resident" Agent. Your company's Registered Agent is required to be available at all times during normal business hours to receive documents and tax notices from the state and service of process from any legal proceedings.

Failure to maintain a Registered Agent can result in loss of corporate or LLC status. Equally important—if a responsible party is not available to receive service of process at all times, then your company could be unaware of a legal claim and a judgment may be entered against you.

It is not a good idea for businesses to serve as their own Registered Agent. Rather, the safest route is to select a reliable third party such as a service company. Using a service company as Registered Agent provides peace-of-mind for busy business owners:

* It gives you the freedom to let business (and vacation!) take you out of the office.
* It provides a layer of privacy, protecting you from being served with a legal proceeding in front of customers, clients, vendors or neighbors.
* It allows you freedom to change locations as your company grows, without filing costly changes of address with the state each time.

More: http://72.14.209.104/search?q=cache:w5ub-QV7hFEJ:www.score.org/leg_registered_agent+registered+agent&hl=en&gl=us&ct=clnk&cd=1

Liechtenstein. LOL. You can't make this stuff up.

[sniffa]

172. i knew it!!!

couLdn't you have started a new thread for this ground breaking research?

[sui generis]

198. ah, good thing he didn't find out about the other stuff

the extortion and murder and double-taxation and interlocking whirling planetary action.

:rofl:

Oh wait. Nevermind, I was having a flashback to Falcon Crest. Or possibly a Kitchen-Aid commercial.

:scared:

Congrats on the new rugrat Skinner. I see the stem cell cloning project is coming along splendidly, but don't let the interlocking registered agents know until we have raised an army of stem cells to do our biddink!

[No DUplicitous DUpe]

139. A blessing on your head, Mazel Tov, Mazel Tov.

(I saw fiddler on the roof, last week)

Congratulations...and thank you for your deep caring, David.

I hope I can speak for everyone here by saying....We Love You!

[Blue_Roses]

140. awesome news!

Congratulations:toast:

[Stardust]

142. Congratulations! After keeping almost 100,000 unruly DUers under control,

parenthood should be almost a breeze. Seriously, your kid has picked a great father and mother and now is definitely a better time to come into this world. Best of luck to you all and thanks for all you do.

[gully]

143. Congratulations. I brought a child into the world shortly before 911.

I too feel that we can finally be optimistic about our future.

I agree with you on impeachment "Investigations first, then we can discuss impeachment." We have to present a case to the American people, and the question I ask is: can we do that and bring the troops home? We'll have a much more "cooperative" President if he's over a barrel so to speak.

Also on the matter of impeachment, Pelosi said something interesting "focusing on impeachment is far to narrow, the entire Republican Party needs to be investigated."

Peace Skinner, great post that I feel sums up how many feel.

[MADem]

145. "...what a huge waste the last six years have been..."

Indeed.

But there is a bright spot. And I'll bet I'm not alone in the following comment.

I've had the best night's sleep these last few days. I never slept so well in the last six years. Not just the regular 'rested/refreshed' type sleep, either, It's that empowering, restorative sleep that leaves you ready to not just face, but ATTACK, the next day, as though you have enough juice to run on full power for two full days.

And, even better, I can stop looking for a bolt hole outside the country.

If we'd not taken at least one chamber, I'd be posting from somewhere over the pond in the next few months. Permanently. Our family talked it over, and we were ready to go. No one wanted to, but how much worse could it get before it's way too late to leave, we asked ourselves.

We figured if the country didn't 'get it,' and unload the bums, when it was shoved in their faces with all the intensity of a hundred thousand filthy and fetid diapers, they'd NEVER get it. We were ready to return to one ancestral homeland, or another, the whole massive lot of us.

It's nice to be able to stay. We have a lot of history here.

As Howard Dean might say, "YeeHAAAAAW!"

[upi402]

147. Right down the line

I feel the same, from flat emotion due to knowledge of damage done, to your assessment about political maneuvers, to hope that the rock will be picked up and these creeps will scatter and run.

BABAYYYY!!!:party: :toast:
Hands down the BEST experience in any examined life.
I talked into the belly so much! LOL And I took headphones apart and asked if she would put them in the waistband. Maxi Priest, Sting, UB40. Happy, silly and positive.

Cried as I said "welcome to the world" at birth. He looked right at me. I shielded his eyes for ALL the time he was under that french fry warming light. Oh yeah, reporting for diaper doody too!

At 8 months they respond more and it gets really cool. You'll be a GREAT daddy; smart and with a kind, caring heart.
This is the sweet spot of life where I finally learned a bit about selflessness.

[LeahD]

148. I expected to feel jubilant too, but it didn't happen.

Like you, I feel that there's a light at the end of the long, dark tunnel and am encouraged that others are awakening, but it's going to be a long, hard struggle to right the wrongs. And, I wonder how Kerry and Kennedy and Feingold and Kucinich and Boxer and Conyers, etc., muster the strength to do the work day in and day out....for years on end. Kudos to them.

Congrats to you and your wife, and may the wee one bring you joy!

[Swamp Rat]

149. I disagree with the theory that impeaching Bushler would cause us to lose

in 2008. Actually, I believe quite the opposite. I think that Americans of all political stripes joined forces with the Democratic party this last election cycle in order to oust Bushler, and I believe we will CRUSH the republicans in 2008 if we continue to show courage. Of course, there was a myriad of good reasons people voted Dem, but We the People want this war to stop, and the ONLY way to do it sooner than later is to impeach. After all, Bushler himself said he would keep us there for the duration of his presidency.

American soldiers in Iraq want to come home NOW, not in two years.

Another point is this: I believe it would be therapeutic for Americans to go through the trauma of an impeachment. We need to excise the demons. I am not concerned about how members of the republican party will react. They'll scream like two year olds and threaten to impeach the next Democratic president. So be it. I will not bother 'my beautiful mind' by worrying how immature people will react.

Lastly, as a New Orleans native I DEMAND JUSTICE! Not counting all the other crimes he's committed, Bushler deserves to be impeached for the Katrina debacle. So, I will continue to shout "IMPEACH BUSH!" from the rooftops.

Fire up the committees! Stoke the investigations! Gather all the evidence and get the ball rolling!

Now is our chance!

CARPE DIEM!!!

[upi402]

209. "I will not bother 'my beautiful mind' " -LOL

Well put and very inspiring.

Not fair. That's like dragging a hotdog through the dogpound Swampy! I want that bastard in prison YESTERDAY!

[silverweb]

151. Congratulations, Skinner!

So many, many people along with me are grateful to you for the existence of DU and for your activism.

You and your family deserve all the best and that is my wish for you.

[flyarm]

152. How WONDERFUL!!! congradulations!! may you be blessed

with a healthy little boy..and may you be blessed with your new best friend...

i sometimes look at my husband and my son hug each other and just put their arms over each others shoulders and i think how blessed we are..

I hope you can experience the best friend a man can have..

and as for momma Skinner..well...your boy will be the joy of your life..

and i have to admit this..yes it is me admitting this..every gal my son brings home..i just can't see any of them good enough!!..ok so i said it..

i am guilty of severe mother syndrome...

but every child is a blessing..and a treasure in one 's life...

enjoy every moment..your memories will be filled with those special times..each and every one of them!!

Now take care of momma..spoil her..and enjoy this time...but the best is yet to come!!

CONGRADULATIONS!!!

fly

[yellowdogmi]

153. I am speechless!

But that never will stop me. Congratulations to you and Mrs. Skinner. Your son will have a fine example to learn from. The service that you provide here has meant more to me than you will ever know. The example of a tolerant hopeful environment that you have provided here gives me great confidence that your son will be raised to be a thoughtful considerate young man. A Chip off the old block.
From one father to another, please take every moment you can to savor the time together. They grow so fast.

I salute you for all you have done to make this world a better place.


:patriot:

I salute your wife for putting up with you and bringing another patriot into this world.

:patriot:

Okay, maybe I should have remained speechless.


I will digress later about your take on the outcome. Tonight we drink!
:toast:

[Horse with no Name]

154. January 11th is my birthday

You have to at LEAST nickname him "Horse" if he is born on that day.;)
Congratulations to you and your wife.

[Lexingtonian]

155. Congratulations, David

That's wonderful news.

If you look back at writings from the Civil War- and this has been a recapitulation of the Civil War, in a good number of ways- this kind of attitude we have now also marked the end of that fight in April and May 1865. It's mental exhaustion, it's each side disillusioned with its professed ideals, it's the end of a long trauma. It's victory without triumph. And maybe that's how it should be- we have wrestled down our lower nature as a society.

I've read the Gettysburg Address a lot during the past four years. As a pragmatic reminder spoken softly it strikes the right tone and direction, though, and it remains the epitome statement of that war. It also speaks to the barely sub-violent argument of our era- one Party adamant to destroy the guarantees of Section One of the Fourteenth Amendment, and our side's efforts to achieve its bare survival.

'The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here. It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced. It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us -- that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion -- that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain -- that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom -- and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.'


A little more practically, in the past twenty years or so there is a national pattern that midterm elections shift control to a new political bloc/wing, and the Presidential election that follows completes the defeat of the losing bloc. 2008 should see the finishing of the job of this year, just as 1996 finished up 1994, 2000 did 1998, and 2004 did for 2002. (The only significant deviations from pattern since 1988 are Clinton's chameleon act victory in 1995-96 and Bush's, err, dubious prevailing in 2000.) And now the Other Side is out of viable blocs entirely, so it should disintegrate.

What now? Our era in American history (Pearl Harbor to ~2020) is defined by conflict and effort to realize the vision of the Fourteenth Amendment. It is a vision of American citizenship more than government; and American citizenship is given its particular dignity and hope and meaning by how the rights defined in Section 1 are realized.

Internationally, the Bush Administration has done the strangely appropriate job of leveling American military power as the many remnants of Stalinism (aka 'Communism', mostly Soviet-allied dictators) and Victorian Age colonialism (aka 'Capitalism', mostly West-allied dictators) slowly break up, are toppled, and die or fade out in various convulsions. Being the global 'hyperpower' of 1998 is not possible, but neither is actually desirable. Organized terrorism declined rapidly worldwide as the Cold War faded out, and only in early 2003 did it grow to Cold War levels again- sadly, clearly in response to the very inappropriate revival of Cold War in form of the U.S. invasion/occupation of Iraq.

One thing our six years of national domination by a death-centered political occultism has done is to stifle creativity and a sense of progress. But when the power of such an occultism is broken, creativity tends to revive fairly rapidly and break out with exceptional strength and new fruits. The dark cloud lifts and the sun returns. In three years we will look back and no longer understand why we were so convinced of such dismal prospects.

The present sense of impending doom and stagnation in the public arena, though, is of a piece with Right wing fears and apocalypticisms that are making their appearances. It bleeds out, and we aren't immune to it- as we haven't been immune to other Right/conservative emotion and 'thinking' over five plus years. The good news is that it does bleed out completely, the source becomes exhausted. I talk to people and explain the present to them as the scene where badly wounded Luke Skywalker throws Emperor Palpatine down the reactor shaft- as the Emperor is destroyed, Evil energies still emanate from him and damage the survivors Skywalker and Vader (Vader fatally). These gloomy and hideous ideas and convictions that block out the sun for us are that kind of Evil energy emanation from a dying and disintegrating hostile entity (for us, the medieval European paganism that inspires the 'Christian Right').

[MrScorpio]

156. Congrats

Name the kid John

[MrScorpio]

158. Got a middle name for little John

Clinton

J. Clinton Allen

It's a lock!

[orleans]

157. bitter--that's it--that's exactly how i've been feeling.

relieved that we won. and pissed off that it took so fucking long. and bitter about all the damage that has been done.

i wasn't jumping up and down, shouting woo-hoo either. i felt exhausted & emotionally drained, i felt freed up, but bitter. (great word--the one that's been on the tip of my tongue)

and awwww, congrats on the new addition! a baby! that's wonderful.

[illinoisprogressive]

159. Seems like you are reflecting

You have been through one birth and expecting to go through another.
The first was the birth of bringing sun back to the country. You have worked so hard and have been in the busiest of situations with alot of emotions tied in it. Now that the miracle has happened you have the worries of a parent. How will I take care of it. will it grow up to disappoint and make us proud. You must trust the genius of the founding fathers. They made this country so the people will give it some rope to tighten itself sometimes but, they always pull it back in when it gets tangled up too much.
We have serious problems but, nothing that people cannot fix. We may have a long recovery but, it will keep working. We have faced so much. The invasion of the british and the burning of the whitehouse, a civil war, a depression, The blackness of the McCarthy era. When it looked like we couldn't survive, we righted it up again. and we always chose the right leaders to help guide us out of the mess. Lincoln during the civil war. FDR during the depression. Eisenhower with McCarthy. And this next election I think the people will elect the leader they feel will put this era behind us, bring us into a new one and set us on the right path. Help us feel strong and one again.
You will feel these same feelings the night after your child is born. Too drained to feel much but, a glow. And then you will question and worry and realize you will have to be that leader to one important person in this world.

[Usrename]

161. Congratulations are in order.

:applause:

Whenever a person suddenly becomes pilot-in-command during an in-flight emergency, the first order of business is aways to fly the plane. Your attitude seems-spot on, according to my view of the landscape. Maintain altitude, airspeed, and correct the heading. There will be plenty of time for justice if we can get this flight back to civilization without getting everyone killed. Seriously.

[TheBaldyMan]

162. congrats on the sprog Skinner

sprog, (n) British slang for a rug rat.

[OneBlueSky]

163. Skinner, your thoughts about impeachment are spot on . . .

and I agree with you 100% . . . if the Democrats took this victory and started impeachment proceedings immediately, our new majority would quite likely be reversed come 2008 . . .

what people want is a) checks and balances on BushCo, and b) real solutions to real problems . . . tying the government and the nation up in impeachment proceedings is probably the worst thing we could do at this time . . .

[Raine]

164. CONGRATULATIONS

that's WONDERFUL a brand new little Democrat soon entering the World! :bounce:

[William769]

165. Congrats on the new addition to your family.

I have been kicked to the curb several times here on DU for my thoughts on Impeachment (which pretty much is the same view as yours), but hey it's a debate and it's not the first time (nor will it be the last) that I have been kicked to the curb.

P.S. what color did you paint the baby's room?

[ShotInTheDark]

166. Not knowing 'where to begin or what to say'...

Quote:

"...a world where we finally have a reason to think things are going to get better rather than worse."

^ Very apt observation. Seems to me it is also the jumping off point for erasing the bitterness you've been feeling, one piece at a time.

As you intimate, the restoration of one's hope may ultimately start with gridlock, or it may not. In this regard what happens next is, for the most part, up to Bush himself.

Either way he's fucked.

In other words, don't feel isolated because you're not 'jumping for joy.' You have a right to feel however you damn well please. Rest confident that some share your sentiment, and find it hard to understand the euphoric glee which so many take for granted. Such emotion, a morosely sanguine concoction of finely measured hope and hopelessness, is part-and-parcel the more one gets drawn into politics.

The key is to recognize when one's soul is dying, and to take a break, make some flex time...go paint a room, do something, anything.

Otherwise, if you let the disease called politics run its course, then you just might get someone (maybe even yourself) elected into office or something.

And for this predicament my friend, exists no cure.

There's a variation on an old axiom which states that while the strength of its effects may vary from person to person, power corrupts absolutely.

So with that in mind, be happy that you are just a little bitter. Or a lot! Be happy that you are not a shell of that intelligent, energetic person you enjoy being more days than not. Consider the alternative: a wreck of a human being, waking up each day, full of empty campaign promises and bulging pockets. Be very happy, if only for this.

Because if the actions of a few Republicans are any indication, then only fleeting episodes of homosexual sex, drug abuse, and profiteerism can kill the pain.

Taking a look at the larger implications, the unfortunate aspect of this state of affairs is that We 'the People' are the victims of such functional depravity. Clearly, these actions are not performed in the service of the United States of America. And despite numerous reassurances to the contrary, our nation has seen no benefit forthcoming.

Since election day, it has been my choice to accept the plethora of emotions seen around me, not because I understand them, but because the events over the past week demand such expressivity from our citizens. From left to right, the wounds caused by leadership, or lack thereof, run deep. Just so happens with Dubya and his appeasers, America had a healthy dose of how badly a nation can go astray when checks and balances fail completely.

Eventually, a large segment of responsible Americans became upset with the politics of corruption, anxious to replace those individuals who were supposed to be representing American values.

So the garbage was voted out of office. Housecleaning at its finest.

For those in power, the election was a profound moment of truth. Seemingly from all directions, Americans resoundingly deciding that the self-proclaimed "decider" was nothing but a 400-pound gorilla who left a gaggle of shit stains all over the carpet, and who mutilated both children and family pets alike in blind fits of pure, un-adulterated rage.

So we have agreement: The new direction in America is something worthy to place one's hopes upon.

Furthermore, such an endeavor needs every bit of activism that one can muster. Now more than before, we have a chance to be heard, rather than told.

So if anyone needs a brief respite, a moment to gather themselves at precisely the same time a well-established hegemony with questionable mores hath been dealt a serious blow, then with that person I have no quibble. To you I bid the fresh perspective that is sought.

Come this January, there will be some measure of accountability, and this is a damned sight better than where America has been for the last decade.

The time for bedlam is over.

Let the healing begin.

[LeahD]

191. I'm encouraged by your optimistic statement..........

"Now more than before, we have a chance to be heard, rather than told."

And, welcome to DU!

[Stardust]

200. Beautifully stated. Welcome to DU!

:hi:

[symbolman]

167. Many CONGRATS on the New addition

I've got a 23 month old and he consistantly brings me more joy than I ever thought possible, and the incredible part is the CONNECTION you will RE-Establish with all of Humanity, sounds strange to say it now, but suddenly the entire chain of all people, starting with the families, back to the dim mists of time will hove into view..

I've got the perfect gift for you and your new child, when I hear of the birth I'll be sending it along, a revolutionary concept for child communication that's just come into being in the last year or so, and with it you will enjoy a closer relationship with the little one than many have thought possible up to now.

You, your wife and the little one will enjoy this immensely, I guarantee it.

Wait for it, it will be our family's gift to yours :)

Hope Your lady isn't going through too much discomfort, it can be bad for some, others feel nothing but complete fullfillment.

So happy for you, all the best, and get plenty of sleep now, you'll need it :)

[Pacifist Patriot]

168. Congratulations!!

My January "baby" is going to be 10 on New Year's Day. I'm so glad he is going to start his next decade with a better outlook on the future.

Best wishes to you both!

[SouthernBelle82]

169. Congrats!

I'm glad all the kids are now living in a world where we have a reason to think things through. :) :toast:

[MoJoWorkin]

174. I know how you feel about the "little one"......

One of my daughters gave me my first grand baby in July. The happiness I felt was tempered with worry about the future world in which our new "little one" would have to live. Like you, I feel a bit better now that all may not be gloom and doom for our precious baby girl.

Congrats to you! Your world will never be the same---but what a great ride!

[Totally Committed]

176. My goodness, what a great post!

First of all, many congratulations to you and your wife on the imminent arrival of your son.

Second of all, I am stunned that someone whose political leaning is a bit different than mine (I think I may be a tad to your left on certain subjects...) had the exact same reaction to this election, and for almost the same reasons. Something for me to think about.

And, I agree that while the mess the last wasted nine years have been (Bill's years-long impeachment saga was a waste as well), I do think this is the first crucial step in tking back our country.

May your wife stay healthy and happy, and may that baby boy of yours be perfect in every way!

TC

[mntleo2]

177. That Bitterness You Spoke Of ...

...as an old woman who has been observing the political scene for almost 30 years, I was also puzzled about that ambivalence and hesitation I had after so long. Even though the hubris I have never seen until recently, taking entire chapters out of 1984, and the disintegration of all I hold dear about American ideals, I could not feel the joy as much as I thought I would.

We have a heueueueueueuge mess to clean up and I can already hear the criticism happening before we have even taken over the House and Senate: We have no plan, we are supporting the "wrong" candidates for Majority leader, we need to look into stolen elections, and, 'What? We are not going to immediately move for impeachment???,' the list goes on and on ... All too soon it will be we have not done enough quickly enough and then the last one: the economic disaster, the war, our standing around the world, why is all our fault.

Yes hearings should happen first. I would like nothing better than to see this giggling king out of office and I do think it could be a catharsis to see it happen. But it has to happen the right way, making a legal case that stands up in court, not the torches and pitch fork approach. This is America after all and unlike the people we would like to try, we have an important precedence they would like to ignore; you are innocent until proven guilty. I would like to think our side is better than they and should abide by our Constitution, not behave like a lynch mob.

Congrats on your coming son. I am raising my 1 year old grand-niece who came into this world without so much as a home of her own. She is born a minority who, in spite of being half white will never be seen as such and will have to fight for every morsel she earns. I love her dearly, she is a sweet, smart, funny girl but I was terrified for her. I am still afraid for her future, but now I am thinking perhaps she has a chance. I see people like Barak Obama who can be her role model, hear the words of reconciliation from some of my own Democrats, and see in my society that she may have a better chance because she is precious to more then me. She is the 5th child I have raised, one white, three Hispanic/white and now her, whom I call my "Beautiful Nubian Princess" because to me, she is a princess. I pray her future is brighter because of what is happening now, she deserves it.

I hope.

Cat In Seattle

[sinkingfeeling]

178. You nicely summed up the way I feel too. Congrats on the new member of

your family!

[kentuck]

179. Congratulations Skinner !

Did you have any idea what you might have created? :)

[Delphinus]

180. I feel mixed, actually.

How would you like to live in an area of the country that hasn't woken up yet?! I'm pleased, yes, that the Democrats won so much, but, damn, I live in one of the most ignorant areas of Indiana, NE. I'm so disgusted with the people who live in this area - the Washington columnist for the supposedly "liberal" paper here basically said, "If you don't like Republican rule, MOVE".

Congratulations to you and Mrs. Skinner on your upcoming baby - I truly hope the country he's born into is a better one.

[DeeDeeNY]

182. Pelosi referred to it as draining the swamp

It's understandable what many of us are now feeling because the thought of repairing the damage incurred over the last six years seems almost insurmountable. But at least now we have a chance, and maybe good things will start snowballing. (One other no-brainer that everyone should favor -- transparent and accurate voting.)
Congratulations to you and your wife on your wonderful news!
I also want to take this opportunity to express my gratitude to you for DU. I've only been around here a short time, and yet at this point I honestly don't know how I could manage without this site. For the huge part DU has played in maintaining people's sanity, for keeping them truly informed, and for giving them a collective voice to express dissatisfaction with what has been going on and, in so doing, to work for change, you deserve a huge debt of thanks.

[libnnc]

183. A wee Skinner!

Beautiful! :bounce:

Mon congrats darlings, mon congrats!

Oh and I concur with everything else you said...patience, grasshoppers. The evidence waits to be uncovered.

[raccoon]

184. Congratulations, my good Skinner.

And thanks to you and the other mods for all you do.

[Irishonly]

185. A few thoughts about the election and the future of this country.

Thank you. You were able to put into words what I have been feeling since the election.

Congratulation! Babies are the best gift you can ever receive.:)

[TygrBright]

186. Wow. Congratulations, and thanks...

...and take this one to the bank, Dude: If little Skinnerling is coming into a world that has more hope for a decent future than it did six years ago, it's because her/his Dad helped make it so.

Not many parents have been able to do so much for their kids plus all our kids.

You'd get a HUGE hug from me if I wasn't clear across the country. Consider the cyber-hug given!

delightedly,
Bright

[Ramsey]

187. Oddly anticlimactic

Thanks Skinner for your insightful thoughts. I too have felt oddly dull about our recent victory, when I would have expected to feel euphoric. My mom is euphoric, so I'm happy for her. For me, the Democratic win has been oddly anticlimactic. I too have other things going on in my life that have distracted from politics recently, and that can put things into perspective.

I haven't bothered to figure out exactly why yet, but probably for many of the reasons you articulated. Things are still FUBAR and it's going to be a lot of work to fix them. Our victory is only the beginning. I too bemoan all the time, energy and money that I personally invested in this six year battle to countermand the Bush Blitzkrieg. I hope to be able to back off from that intense involvement in politics for a while, and invest more energy in other things.

The other contributing factor is that I've really felt Bush has been a lame duck since 2004, or more specifically, since he lost the Social Security battle. He hasn't been particularly effective this term anyway, with the Republicans running away screaming. But at least with the Senate we can quash his worst judicial nominees, which is a really good thing. At least he won't have two more years ot stack the courts with whackos.

I'm also a bit sad about some of our candidates who were grealy promising, like Lois Murphy, Christine Jennings, (oh, how I would have loved to pick up Katherine Harris' seat!), Patricia Madrid, Ned Lamont. I am pissed off about Lieberman. And I personally still have a Republican congressman :-(.

Hopefully we can get some of our priority legislation through. I wonder how much of it Bush will veto. Our lead is still pretty slim. Our next job is to soldify our majority in 2008, and the Seante chances look excellent.

[LibDemAlways]

188. Congratulations, Skinner and Mrs. Skinner.....

That little boy will change your life in more ways than you can imagine right now. Parenthood is quite an adventure....enjoy every moment.

My nephew is a 19-year-old sophomore at NYU. It seems like he was born just yesterday. Since he's become politically aware and active (registered Dems near his Orange County, CA home last summer), he's known nothing but Republican victory with the attendant Republican screw-ups - until now. He's elated that the Dems have regained control of Congress - never thought he'd see it happen.

Like you I'm spent from all this. I'm just relieved that enough people have finally seen the light to put the breaks on the Bush Crime Family's ruinous agenda. Perhaps the Dems will be emboldened to take baby steps toward fixing some of the horrific mess the R's have created. One can hope.

Thanks to you, Elad, and EarlG for this cyber home for progressives. I donated, and hope every DUer will give what they can. 08 is just down the road.....

[xxqqqzme]

189. '...I think it may be a long, long

time before the current mess gets cleaned up. I fear that fixing everything that the Republicans have fucked up may not even be possible...'


This occurred to me a couple of years ago, when environmental action was reversed through executive orders, appointments of dirty energy lobbyists to environmental positions; signing statements and finally orwellian named legislation. When the justice department stopped prosecuting polluters; when the EPA head looked the other way; when commissioned studies found the opposite of what the administration wanted to hear and when polluters no longer had to pay for their messes. I realized raisin brain really needed no legislation - all they had to do was turn that huge bureaucratic monster around. Once it was going in the direction they wanted, it would take a monumental effort to get it going in the right direction again. It might take 2 years to turn it and concentrate on purging the people who cared about our parks, wilderness, water, air and natural resources. But once it was turned and purged, those policies would carry on long after they left office.

That is one trait the rethugs possess - perseverance, dogged pursuit of the vision once it is identified - that the Democrats seem to ignore. We seem to act as if starting in the right direction is all it takes; that beginning is enough; as if good intentions are sufficient . The one president who saw into the future and tried to steer an energy/conservation/environmental awareness course was ridiculed and tossed out of office.

[geiger]

190. The real work will begin, mid-January. May God help us all.

[wake.up.america]

192. I take it the baby's room is blue.

[MethuenProgressive]

193. thanks and congrats!

[Cleita]

194. I too felt more relief than euphoria. I thought it was just me.

Except when I signed on to DU, I didn't find the victory, high fiving, dancing in the cyberstreet threads that I had expected the board to be overflowing with.

I think in my case it's because all the reasons the Bush cabal were able to come into power with are still there, the religion, the racism, the ability to rig elections, the corruption in Congress, the gerrymandering and a Supreme Court that doesn't know it's place. We have a lot of work to do to make it a better place for your baby and all the other babies being born into this century.

btw. Congratulations on the baby. You will be a super dad. I know, because you are a terrific net nanny.

[gademocrat7]

195. Thank you for sharing your wonderful news with us.

Also thank you for the insightful post.

[babylonsister]

197. I'm late to this party, but wanted to add

my hearty congratulations for your wonderful news, Mr. and Mrs. Skinner! How did you ever keep this a secret? :party: :toast:
And thanks for your insights on the midterms. It's going to be a difficult slog, but my cup runneth over with optimism; I hope the Dems do us proud. :patriot:

[LSK]

201. Congrates on the baby!!!

And get plenty of rest and sleep now because it will be a thing of the past soon.

:toast:

[Mr_Spock]

203. Funny, I've been feeling the same way myself

Almost as if I'm just relieved at being able to take a breath again. I know that the work of restoring our nation to something resembling a decent nation will take many many years. I am also in agreement concerning impeachment - let's investigate and we'll see where that takes us. I think I'm generally on the same page as you. Good luck with your new son!

[bdamomma]

204. great post Skinner

and congratulations, and I agree we have much work to do, to get our country back again, it is not over yet, this a just a very small step.

[filer]

205. Adding my sentiments to all those before me...

Congratulations and thank you for all you do!

[Cameron27]

206. Congratulations to you and your wife!

You're going to love having a son and until he's born you'll have no idea how much! (But sleep overtime now while you have the chance)

[Geek_Girl]

207. Congratulations Parenthood is wonderful!

:toast:

[aaronbees]

208. Awww, a Lil Skinner!

Congrats!

And thanks for articulating much of what I'm feeling about the election as well. (Although I spent about two days feeling euphoric.) It's going to be a long haul to restore so many great things about this country; it's not overnight work ... good to remember. :) But we will do it.