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Thursday, Nov. 9, 2006

It's been a long day. It's been a longer six years. For most people, the political situation in the United States has been something they could turn the page or flip the channel on. For others, it's meant living (or dying) under nonstop bombs, in gunfire and in a haze of depleted uranium. For others more fortunate, it has meant living with constant angst and in a state of struggle about the fate of our world. This at least has now become an idea with some currency.

In politics and all forms of activism, it's important to claim your victories. I'm claiming this one.

It wasn't so much that I was willing to risk my livelihood over the issues; my opposition of Bush and the war was, for a while, a serious point of consternation with some readers (hence, Political Waves was born). I've never felt I had a choice in the matter. Therefore I must thank the clients, subscribers and friends, and the many voices at Planet Waves, truthout.org and elsewhere, who have not wavered one bit all this time. Trust me on this, we have no plans of doing so in the future.

Today's election news is substantial; it covers more than the House of Representatives. I am told by my best source in Washington, DC that Virginia's Senate seat will go to Democrat Jim Webb [confirmed by the Associated Press overnight]. The Reptilians may fight -- they may cheat, terrify people and lie -- but the tide has turned, at least on the political level, and hey, Karl Rove is finally all washed up. He actually lost an election. This is a moral victory more than anything else, but as I will get into in Friday's edition of Planet Waves Weekly, the real work of healing and repairing the nation, and the world, has yet to begin.

American voters have said they are tired of all the beatings: of Muslims, of gays and lesbians, of working people, of kids; but the beatings will not stop for a while, mostly because, in most places, they have been installed permanently. That is going to take work, and staying awake for longer than an election.

The polar caps are still melting. Congress controlled by Democrats is not having Al Gore for president. Things have slowed down on K Street a bit, Jack Abramoff and my old buddy Adam Kidan are safely in federal prison, but representatives and senators are still for rent.

And the political struggle is not over. Indeed, it has just begun. It remains to be seen what good will come of this victory, and what mischief will be wrought by ambitious, desperate men who still control the military, law enforcement, the budget and the National Security Agency. If there was ever a time to have no illusions, it's now. I will resist the temptation to throw a rousing "go take a shit in your hat" to Donald Rumsfeld, in anticipation of his being awarded an extraordinary rendition to the International Criminal Court in the Hague. While I won't miss the guy's face showing up on my computer screen (at all), we still have a war to end; his war, in fact.

For the moment, pending Friday's edition, I will refer you to the articles on our Front Page by Steve Bergstein and Judith Gayle, which cover the politics excellently. Please have a look. -eric francis

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