Guys, guys, guys!!! The election is over, for crissakes!

Yessiree. The midterm election is now behind us and I couldn’t be more pleased. I’m really looking forward to the upcoming May primaries which promises a lot of bloodletting whereas the council race is concerned. I’m not looking to influence those races, per se. Rather, I’m simply thinking they’ll be a helluva ride as a spectator sport alone. Sounds like fun to me.

As far as the Democratic takeover of Congress is concerned, the Republicans sure as hell were sent a deservedly clear message, but I figure the Democrat’s gains will be very short-lived. Two years long in fact. There’s a laundry list of voter frustrations that surfaced in exit polls taken yesterday, and not a one of them will be seriously addressed as part of the Democratic takeover. Terrorism? Iraq? Illegal immigration? Healthcare? Ain’t gonna happen in the next two years. That is to say, the illegal immigrants will be offered amnesty now that the Dems have the gavels. They’ve already stated as much, the Senate has voted for it and the president is on the record as being in favor of it. So, an issue that really, really annoyed registered Republicans will once again anger registered Republicans all over again.

Terrorism and Iraq? Well, the Democrats are for “redeployment” whatever that means. Actually, they don’t even know what that’s supposed to mean, but it sounded good for the purposes of electioneering. The Israeli’s are nervous as a result of last night’s results. And you know the terrorists worldwide will be thrilled to see Bush’s terror fighting initiatives curtailed. Maybe Wesley Clark will sue Osama bin Laden for damages…you know, mental suffering or something equally effeminate.

But, the Democrats are promising to come out of the blocks fast by raising the minimum wage which shores up the votes of the poor, and the unions, which use the minimum wage as a base multiplier during wage negotiations. So, they buy some votes from the get-go, and then get on to even bigger and better government entitlements. And punishing the Republicans for growing government by replacing them with those that know no other way than to grow the government is a fix in what way exactly? Like I said, these gains are extremely short-lived.

I mean, what are people like Chris Carney and Bob Casey going to do when the Democratic leadership is so radically driven to the left? They’ll do as they are told and vote the party line, that’s what. Pro-life one day and pro-death the next. You know it.

I heard the stupidest fu>king analysis this morning and coming from none other than that prince of nothing worth knowing--Kevin Lynn. A caller to WILK mentioned that the Democratic leadership was cracked and Kevin supplied the following bit of absurdity. He said of Nancy Pelosi: “She’s not bringing San Francisco to Washington. She’s bringing Washington to San Francisco.” Yeah, and pebbles grow to be big rocks one day, Kevin. All of those newly-elected Dems may be conservative-leaning Dems, but the far-left party leadership is in bed with the likes of Cindy Sheehan and Michael Moore. And those folks are about as bipartisan as a transgender is sure of their sexuality. Leopards don’t change their spots, and neither do San Fran Freakshow commie babes.

Much like the childlike creatures they are, Nancy and Kevin started their inept show this morning with the tune “Happy days are here again.” Au contraire, children. What angered the Republican hordes this year will not get fixed during the next two tumultuous years, and during the hard-fought ‘08 election, they’ll be sure to reap their fair share of that coming whirlwind. You see kiddies, national politics is but a pendulum, and it swings both ways. Sorry, but it’s coming your way next. You see, nothing of note will get tackled and fixed.

Slipping? Nah, just lazy of late. Although, what was there to predict?

Rendell: I think we all knew that was going to be a romp, didn’t we? Didn’t exactly require some expert punditry on that one.

Santorum: I went on the record on that one a couple of weeks ago when I said he was “toast.” That he was. Or is. How did Casey win anyway when he was deliberately inarticulate? (Scratching head)

Sherwood: Not that I really care as he’s from some agrarian district, but not mine. Actually, I said Carney was going to go down in flames. I really thought Sherwood would pull that one out due to Carney’s mostly lame “He cheated on his wife” campaign. Now Carney is off to Intern Alley. Stay tuned.

Kanjorski: Didn’t need that one predicted for you, did you? As valiant as his challenge was, an under-funded Joe Leonardi was swimming upstream with no fish ladder in sight. Although, I truly thank him for the fact that this one was not yet another uncontested race.

Pashinski/Katsock: This one was fun. I was hearing two things on this one. First, it was going to be really, really close. And, two, Katsock was going to pull it out. I heard in all, in fact. The people in Nanticoke hated Pashinski. The Heights people wondered where he was when the firehouse battle was being waged. Christine has money to spend this go-round. Plus, the upstart internet pundits were solidly in her corner. You remember them, the ones that said Ed Pashinski had absolutely no chance of winning in the May Primaries.

I countered with the folks who’s kids he taught don’t hate him. He sure has the teacher vote. He sure has to have the union vote. He has a huge following whereas his on stage exploits are concerned. Whatever. A couple of days before the big election a neighbor of mine told me this race was going to be a lot closer than I thought. I said, “I don’t think so.” And what was the final tally? Not even close. At 9:11 PM, WILK reported it all but over after a call from the Pashinski camp and I was just about ready for bed.

I don’t think Christine Katsock is qualified, despite her years of trying and studying the issues. With that said, the following culled from today’s Leader had me feeling a bit sorry for her constant plight.

The loss makes Katsock 0-5 in her quest for a political office. She was defeated in past bids for the Wilkes-Barre Area School Board, city council and mayor. She also lost by about 5,000 votes in the 2004 race for state representative against Blaum. Surrounded by supporters wearing grim expressions, Katsock said this is probably her last attempt at public office. “We really thought we had it this time,” said a crestfallen Katsock, as a woman at her table kept shaking her head. “Apparently it wasn’t enough. “I think you can only run up against the brick wall so many times,” said Katsock, a church musician who owns an online jewelry business. “We’ve pretty much run the gamut.”

For a loner, she sure is a gamer.

This candidate is the best and brightest the county’s Republican party has, but where’s the support? She’s been going it completely alone for the entire haul, so it shouldn’t come as a surprise that she keeps getting turned away at the polls. Instead of running candidates out for the fully expected slaughter, maybe the county Republicans should start building a legitimate support network and raising some money. Maybe that should be Christine’s calling. I dunno, I used to be a registered Republican, but in this county it’s akin to being a registered communist dingbat.

And what does this loss portend for Walter Griffith’s promised sweep of the city’s council seats by Republicans? Aerosmith, anyone? Dream on? Boy, that Republican revolution is off to a rocky start there, Walt. Suggests that the membership in the “Save our Firehouse” club was minuscule at best. And if the firehouse movement did not attract widespread support throughout the city, then why in hell did Katsock and Co. attempt to alter the city’s government by way of the referendum process? Sounds like y’all were out of line one that one. And one unfortunate Heights resident was left footing the hefty bill on that misguided attempt at ruling by petition: the one who was probably the most well-meaning.

And after watching Christine try but fail once more, I’m wondering just how much that name recognition the usual activist suspects continually clamor for is worth. Vote for me, the newspapers mention my name the morning after each council meeting? Is that going to get it done? Does that really count for anything at all? Doesn’t seem like it. In this city, it seems like the squeakiest wheels get greased at election time.

Now all that we have to do is sit back and wait for the coming council brouhaha. There’s all sorts of names and rumors floating about, all of which don’t add up to dried spit just yet.

Kane for mayor? Kane for commissioner? O’Donnell for mayor? O’Donnell for council? Vonderheid back to the Chamber? Vonderheid to Wilkes-Barre Online? Carey for council? I think I’ve heard ‘em all, but I surely don’t care until they officially announce something or other.

I’ve had lots of names e-mailed my way taunting that this is the one that will challenge and defeat Tom Leighton. Know what, if somebody knocks Leighton off, they’d probably be doing him a huge favor. They say the mayor’s job is a thankless job, and as evidenced by the amount of guff he receives despite the stellar performance he’s delivered so far; his job does seem to be disproportionately thankless. But don’t be deceived by the noise from the negative ninnies. Many in this city appreciate what he’s been able to achieve in such a short length of time, and they will remember when he seeks a second term. The negative ninnies will be repudiated with the passage of time. And Tom Leighton’s second term will vault him to the top of the mayoral legacy list.

Anyway, this brewing council race ought to be one helluva dust-up, if not an outright free-for-all. Sounds like a hoot to me. Oh, and the inept Republicans will get their fat heads handed to them, just like they always do.

So, if you voted yesterday, good job.

And if you didn’t, you surely suck.

Sez me.

Yup. There’s an ongoing battle yet to be won.

The damn dam battle.

How‘s that for a paper trail?

Buh-bye