First off, I'm not one of those "not my president" people. He won. Game over. Time to get on with it. Put in the second coin, hit continue, let the man go through.

The Republicans now have the Senate, the House, and the White House with mandate. The Bush White House no longer has to worry about election year politics. The gloves can come off. There are a number of questions about what they will do now that they do not have to worry about the electorate.

Will he pander to the fundamentalist right, now that they have nothing more to offer him? I can see that one go either way. I hold hopes that Bush/Rove drop their interest in issues such as prayer in schools and amendments on the court house walls. They no longer need it to inspire the christian right to transform their group fanaticism into a demographic with a strong supporting vote. Join me in my blind optimism for a minute, it will help slow your heart rate and bring on some of that hope for the future many are lacking this November 3rd.

The Republicans do have full control of the government by a wide margin. This is either their time to shine, or their last time to hold this much power. There are a number of issues that they must make ground on, or their power will sunset in less time it took to rise. Now is the time to start making some of these issues clear, so there is a full four years to make it sink in the big collective head of the 2008 electorate. All I can think of are double edged swords.. Energy policy, and its other edge, making the various energy and vehicle companies bind to it. Health care policy, and its other edge, making the various health care and insurance companies bind to it. Isn't this the type of stuff that the Republicans should be able to triumph at? I mean its all policy wonk bullshit and dealing with big corporations, and who does that better?

The Wars. I'm not entirely sold that Iraq is going to become a complete disaster. I still see much hope there. Its necessary to look at Iraq with the decade eyes, not the election cycle eyes. It will start off looking like a fundamentalist state. This is a culture war, and it will be a properly fought culture war. If as our first strike, we replace the authoritarian structures in place with courts, laws, and an electorate, we have already won most of the battle. Let there be no mistake, our goal is to bring the working parts of Western culture to the Middle East, and I'm not talking about pop culture, McDonalds, and Mickey Mouse. The authoritative structure of Iraq started with a vicious dictator and wound its way down to the goon squads that took people who disagreed with actions of the state to places where they "disappeared". In Afghanistan the authoritarian structures in place consisted mainly of Mullas dressed in black who immediately punished people for any action they did not like, trivial or otherwise. The trivial often wound up resolved in public executions, as a substitute for real government and sport. Neither of these places will be like that in the future. We are winning, look with the decade eyes. Our goal is to bring these societies (by force) just courts, law, and order, all driven by publicly elected officials. Iraq and its government needs to impress Iran, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, and others, not America. Their system will not look like ours, if for no other reason then spite. As long as they look better two decades from now then they did a decade ago, our strategic thinkers and planners will be able to sleep at night when they enjoy their old age. These will not be Vietnam nightmares.

Just courts.. This is where I'm most worried. Judge picks are the only way this administration can do truly long lasting damage to this country. No point ranting on it, its been well discussed here and many other places. If you write a letter to your reps in Congress about anything, it should be about this. Tell them about how much good judges matter to you. Its a vehicle to express many issues that matter to you. Tell them what questions you would ask appointees.

So the gloves come off.. Bush's hands better be clean underneath. Everyone else's gloves come off as well. If he pulls something that creates grounds for an impeachment, you can bet the process will kick off. Don't forget, this big fat happy Republican party is going to start splitting into factions, and its only going to grow more significant as the next election nears.

Anything can still happen. Hillary can win in 2008. I can grow wings. Bush could get caught in a sexual situation with Karl Rove. Al Qaeda could have an attack waiting for the winner. Sleep with one eye open, I always do.