Here’s Your November Surprise, Mr. President

Democrats win the House. The Senate is too close to call. Update: The Senate is now split 50-50 with a Democratic victory in Montana. (see below)

That headline was screamed across newspapers from coast to coast this morning, as the American people sent a clear and unambiguous message to President Bush, about his handling of the war in Iraq, the atmosphere of corruption rampant in his administration, and the general direction of the country under a president with the lowest favorable rate in the history of the office.

Here in New York, a solidly blue state in a solidly blue region of the country, the election was a bit anti-climactic. We have a new Democratic Governor, Eliot Spitzer, the outgoing State Attorney General. The new Attorney General, Andrew Cuomo, is the son of the last Democratic Governor, Mario Cuomo.

I am proud to say that the congressman from my district here in NYC, Charles Rangel, now stands to gain the chairmanship of the House Ways and Means Committee, the committee that determines how the federal government spends its money. A Black man and now a Democrat in such an important seat at this point in history is a significant achievement.

Back in my hometown area in upstate New York, a congressional district that has always sent moderate Republicans to Washington, a Democrat has unseated an incumbent Republican. LINK

Ah, there’s change in the air and it smells good.

Election Map LINK

A Loud Message for Bush LINK

Voters Rebuke Bush, War in Iraq, the Right LINK

NY

Democratic Representatives Poised to Snag Top House Jobs LINK

Democrats take statewide races LINK

PA

Casey Ousts Santorum LINK

MA

Deval Patrick Wins Governor’s Race in a Walk LINK

VA

Webb Has Slim Lead over Allen, Recount Likely LINK

NJ

Menedez Rides Democrats’ Wave LINK

OH

Strickland’s landslide ends GOP statewide dominance LINK

MO

McCaskill ousts Talent in tight Senate Race LINK

TN

Corker captures Frist Senate seat LINK

MT

Democrat Wins Montana Seat LINK

National

Gay marriage loses at polls LINK

Governors’ mansions go blue LINK

Record Number of Gays Elected to Office LINK

International

Ortega wins Nicaraguan election BBC LINK

Comment: paradigm shift result that changes Capitol Hill Times of London LINK

It’s a big leap from the statehouse to the White House Toronto Globe and Mail LINK