THIS MODERN WORLD

AP calls it for Webb, giving Dems the Senate as well as the House.

I don’t think even a month ago anyone expected that.

Shamelessly taking advantage of the usual post-election traffic spike: if, hypothetically speaking, you happened to live in a city (cough cough New York City cough cough) in which a well-known weekly paper had recently undergone numerous changes as a result of new ownership, including the apparent (though still unofficial) dropping of my own strip — well, it probably wouldn’t hurt, in such a hypothetical instance, to drop the newcomers a polite note explaining to them how much you enjoy said strip, and how much more likely you are to remember to pick up their fine newspaper each week if said strip is included within its pages.

Hypothetically speaking.

In such a scenario, of course, politeness would be key. More flies with honey than vinegar, and all of that.

And while I’m on the topic, it’s not the worst idea in the world to send a note of thanks to the editor of any paper in which the strip currently appears. Much of what I do is made possible by the semblance of a steady income these papers provide. A little pre-emptive positive reinforcement never hurt anybody.

As I write this, Lieberman is on Hannity’s show, expressing his gratitude for the latter’s support.

…and the need to reach across the aisle and “get things done.” Related cartoon here.

…he and Sean are chuckling about the need for civility — on the left. Has Lieberman ever listened to Hannity’s show?

…more Republicans than Democrats voted for Lieberman, by almost ten points.

…he feels like he got a mandate yesterday “to work with anybody with whom I can find common ground to,” yes, “get things done.”

…”Looking for new ways to show how independent I am.” I fucking bet.

…”You cannot in life, and certainly not in politics, forget who your friends are.”

…”You know I’m a big admirer of yours!” (To Hannity.)

Here’s where establishment Dems fucked up: Lieberman is going to be just as big a pain in their ass as if they had stripped him of his seniority the day after the primary and thrown the party’s full support and weight behind Lamont — and at least if they’d done that, there would have been a better chance that they’d have an actual Democrat as their (being optimistic) 51st vote in the Senate, and not somebody who goes on the fucking Sean Hannity show to express his gratitude to Republicans for his victory.

A rundown.

… you haven’t seen a news update in the last half hour, allow me to oblige:

WASHINGTON (CNN) — President Bush announced Wednesday that Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld is stepping down from his post.

“The timing is right for new leadership at the Pentagon,” Bush said in a White House statement Wednesday afternoon.

Rumsfeld has been heavily criticized for his policies in Iraq, and exit polls taken during Tuesday’s midterm election showed strong voter dissatisfaction — 57 percent — with the Iraq war.