BREAKING NEWS: Democrats win again in a Republican stronghold

Forget West Virginia. The election that pros in both parties were watching tonight was a special House faceoff in Mississippi -- and the results could not be worse for the GOP.

For the third time during the last few months, a Democrat triumphed in a House district that long had been solidly Republican.

In this case -- Mississippi's 1st congressional district -- Travis Childers bucked last-minute intervention by Vice President Dick Cheney to win a seat the GOP had held, easily, since 1994.

Cheney personally stumped on behalf of the Republican candidate, Greg Davis, on Monday. Davis and his allies also sought, in television ads, to undercut Childers by tying him to Barack Obama. But with most of the vote counted, Childers led, 52% to 48%, and was declared the victor.

Earlier this month, a Democrat won a Louisiana House seat that had been occupied by Republicans for more than 30 years. And in early March, in an especially sweet win for the Democrats, they took over the district that retired former House Speaker Dennis Hastert had represented since the mid-1980s.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi quickly trumpeted ...

the outcome in Mississippi (where 3 out of 4 House districts are now in Democratic hands). In a release, she said: "For the third time this year, Democrats have turned a red seat to blue, proving that Americans across our country want real solutions and reject Republicans' misleading and negative attacks. For the first time in more than 30 years, Democrats have won three special elections in Republican seats in one cycle."

She added: "I look forward to welcoming Congressman-elect Childers and his family to the Capitol and to swearing" him in.

You bet she does. And normally -- given the trend Pelosi cited and President Bush's abysmal approval ratings -- a Democratic presidential victory in November, along with sweeping congressional gains, would loom as a foregone conclusion.

But as the massive rejection by West Virginia Democrats of the party's front-runner for the White House nomination underscored today, the normal rules may not apply this year.

-- Don Frederick

Comments

[Core Democrat]

And we can WIN in November, too. IF Hillary Clinton is the nominee.

[Peter]

John McCain had "massive rejection" in KS and LA after he was the presumptive nominee. It didn't hurt McCain and West Virginia won't hurt Obama.

[We Love Ha Ha]

Puts a bullet in the head of Hillary's argument.

Travis Childers is an Obama supporter and he pulled off this amazing swing in a heavily defended REPUBLICAN set held since 1994.

What's Hillary got to say about that?.

Will she weep for her Republicans friends loss?, Probably.

Clinton - Bush Same Horse different color

Are you still fooled?...

Ha Ha.........................

[Scott]

Just another reminder that people are sick of the lying, cheating, law breaking, price gouging, hateful, republicans. We have had enough. No mater who the democratic nominee is, we will finally have change and our voices and civil liberties will once again be heard and restored respectively.

[Bruce]

Tell what are you guys going to do when Obama cuts military spending in half the way Clinton did in the 1990s? LOL El Segundo!

[A. Speller]

"You beat she does."

I beat she proofreads her publications before releasing them.

[lee]

So Democrats don't sleep with prostitutes, break laws, ordo drugs? Spitzer out of power in New York for a while now and the Detroit mayor is a disgrace.

Not that I'm particularly fond of our governor or Bush, but if you hate GOP so much that you vote for dems who want government to take over healthcare or pull out of Iraq prematurely, you're not thinking critically. "Gas tax holiday" is the best candidates like Mccain or Clinton come up with.

[David]

Could the Republican nightmare really be ending?

[dave]

the nightmare continues as long as you don't wake up from it. though you might be able to talk yourself into believing you can change it to a sweet dream by some camouflage. the abyss still is waiting. and cold sweat too is wet. what are they up to, what are you?

[tlsmith1963]

I want the Republicans to suffer in the election. It has been absolutely horrible the last 8 years. Actually, I would say that the Republicans have been going down this road for at least 20 years, ever since Rush Limbaugh told them that they didn't need to be nice or care about anyone. Their mean-spiritedness has destroyed a lot of people. It is time for it to end. And I would ask Clinton supporters: do you really plan not to vote for Obama if he is the nominee? Think about it. Obama didn't cause the hell of the last 8 years. You hate the Republicans more than Obama, I know you do! If you vote against Obama or don't vote at all, you could give the presidency back to the Republicans. Think seriously about that.

[Tom J]

What did the polls reflect before and after Cheney "helped"? Just curious....