Congresspedia's "Congress in the News" updates, Sept. 20-Oct. 17, 2006
- Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) improperly paid Christmas bonuses to staff from his Ritz-Carlton condo from his campaign fund. (AP story)
News Articles By
At Long Last, Can We Please Start Counting the Dead?
Under the strange Bizarro rules that right-wing pundits use to interpret politics in the United States, election season is the time when no one is supposed to discuss any of the things that might actually have a serious impact on their voting decision.
Webb Takes Virginia and the Democrats Take the Senate; 10 House Races Still Uncalled
This afternoon Republican incumbent George Allen conceded the Virginia senate race to Democratic challenger Jim Webb, giving the Democrats the 51 seats they needed to control the Senate. Democrats are also currently running at 239 House seats to the Republicans' 196, with ten seats still too close to call.
We've had great involvement from citizen journalists in covering the election—about 20 newcomers logged in to help us call the winners, add links to local blogs and work on the profiles of the challengers and incumbents. But the effort isn't over yet—dive in and help us beef up the profiles of the newly-elected members of Congress and other articles as we head into what is likely to be a momentous lame duck session and an even more momentous two years until 2008. Click here to get started.
Check back with Congresspedia at our Election 2006 home for details, analysis and updates.
Congresspedia Covers the Unresolved 2006 Congressional Elections
As Congresspedia continues its coverage of the 2006 congressional elections, here's where we stand: Democrats will control the House of Representatives with Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) as the presumptive (and first woman) Speaker of the House. The control of the Senate all depends on the race in Virginia between Republican incumbent George Allen and Democratic challenger Jim Webb, which could take weeks to decide as a possible recount looms and the lawyers marshall in the wake of Webb's slim 7,000 vote lead. If Allen pulls out a victory, the Senate will be split 50-50 and Vice President Dick Cheney will likely cast the deciding vote for a Republican Senate Majority Leader. Nine House races also remain too close to call.
Check back with Congresspedia at our Election 2006 home for details, analysis and updates.
Election Results: Dems take the House, Senate up in the Air.
As of 4AM Eastern Time, the Democrats have taken the House by a margin of 226-191 (18 races are still undecided). The Senate is up in the air, with two remaining races to be called in Virginia and Montana. Unless both go to the Democrats, Vice President Dick Cheney will cast the deciding vote to give control of the Senate to the Republicans.
We will have more analysis and information posted on Congresspedia throughout the week and much can be found now at the Election 2006 homepage. Many thanks to all the citizen journalists who helped us out tonight—we couldn't have done it without you.
And with that, your editor is going to bed.
It's Official: Katherine Harris Makes Sixteen Members of Congress Under Investigation
After further review, Congresspedia has determined that Rep. Katherine Harris (R-Fla.) meets our criteria for the Members of Congress under investigation page. Harris, who is currently running for the U.S.
NBC Rejects Chicks: What's Up With That?
The Dixie Chicks, that is.
This isn't the first time that big media companies have barred them from the
airwaves, but it is the first time that NBC and the new CW network have. It
appears that once again the Dixie Chicks have exhibited public disapproval of
the Bush administration and once again the media have answered by censoring
them. This bodes ill for the future of free speech, at least what's left of it
in America.
Congresspedia Wikis the Vote
Congresspedia will be providing live coverage of Tuesday's congressional elections as only it can: local citizen journalists are helping the wiki's editors build profiles on the 2006 challengers and announce winners when races are called.
Rep. Bob Ney (R-Ohio) Resigns from Congress
Rep. Bob Ney (R-Ohio) resigned from Congress on Friday, effective immediately. Ney had pleaded guilty to corruption charges on October 13 but had remained in office, much to the chagrin of House Republicans and his anointed successor, Republican nominee Joy Padgett. One remaining question: will Ney actually pick up his last $13,000 paycheck, which hanging on past the first of this month enabled him to do?
"Victory in Iraq": The PR Behind Bush's Favorite Slogan
The most recent USA Today/Gallup poll indicates that 55% of Americans think things in Iraq are "out of control," and a similar majority favors withdrawing all U.S. troops from the country either immediately or within a year. This explains why George Bush's favorite slogan - 'stay the course' - has been tossed into the trash bin of political rhetoric.
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