The tide has turned and none too soon ~ for the importance of this Democratic victory in the House and perhaps the Senate can truly be called historic ~ for our Republic, our damaged Constitution and our historic balance of powers have been saved from certain death: Allen L Roland

There are many to be thanked for this massive Democratic tide change but one has to be Howard Dean ~ who rescued the Democratic party from the DLC and whose 50 state registration and empowerment strategy worked brilliantly.

The other is the progressive blogosphere, of which I am a proud member, who never let up on the corrupt Cheney/Bush agenda ~ even when the major media was silent ~ and eventually the public not only listened but took dramatic action.

There are also many firsts in this dramatic Democratic victory and the Center for American Progress lists a few of them ~

Allen L Roland
http://blogs.salon.com/0002255/2006/11/08.html



PROGRESSIVES SURGE

Center for American Progress Report 11/08/06
by Judd Legum, Faiz Shakir, Nico Pitney
Amanda Terkel and Payson Schwin

PROGRESSIVE VICTORIES LEAD TO A NIGHT OF FIRSTS: Progressive candidates won decisively across the country yesterday, and with their victories came some historic firsts for the U.S. government.

Among the highlights, Nancy Pelosi will be the first woman to serve as Speaker of the House of Representatives and the third highest official after president and vice-president. Pelosi will also be the first Italian-American elected as House Speaker. For the first time, three African-Americans - Charlie Rangel (D-NY), John Conyers (D-MI), and Bennie Thompson (D-MS) - will serve simultaneously as House committee chairmen. Keith Ellison (D-MN), elected to the House yesterday, will become the first Muslim to serve in Congress. With Claire McCaskill's (D) Senate victory in Missouri, a record number of women (15) will now serve in the U.S. Senate. Governor-elect Deval Patrick (D-MA) became the first black governor elected in Massachussetts and the second African-American to ever be elected governor in the nation.

PROGRESSIVE BALLOT INITIATIVES SOAR: Voters in six states -- Arizona, Colorado, Missouri, Montana, Nevada, and Ohio -- approved proposals to raise their state's minimum wage and tie it to changes in inflation.

Also, in Missouri, the efforts of actor Michael J. Fox and others on behalf of expanding stem cell research appear to have paid off. Voters in that state approved a constitutional amendment, known as the Missouri Stem Cell Research and Cures Initiative, which guarantees that any federally allowed stem cell research and treatments can occur.