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The Reporters: US mid-terms

Richard Greene

Whistling in the dark?


Many Republicans have begun to admit - more or less in public - that they expect to lose a lot of House seats on Election Day, but congressman is not one of them. He is the man leading the party鈥檚 fight to win as many House races as possible, and he was in a bullish mood when he appeared at the this week.

reynolds_203bbc.jpgMr Reynolds didn鈥檛 just whistle in the dark - he struck up an entire brass band there. He cited races where Republicans were raising more money than Democrats and insisted that the number of races 鈥渋n play鈥 was far lower than the Democrats suggest.

He also got off the best zinger of the event, lavishing mock praise on his Democratic opposite number for a four-minute run-through of what the party would do if they won power. 鈥淐ongratulations for the longest presentation I have yet heard on the Democratic plan!鈥 he crowed.

But Mr Reynolds - who is linked via a staff member to the Mark Foley scandal and may lose his own seat next month - did show a few cracks in the cheery facade.

Perhaps most tellingly, after tossing around dollar figures and the numbers of critical districts, he got the date of the election wrong. It鈥檚 7 November - but he said 8 November. Despite his upbeat rhetoric, he may actually be thinking a great deal about what happens the day after the vote.

Richard Greene is the 主播大秀 News website's Washington reporter

颁辞尘尘别苍迟蝉听听Post your comment

  • 1.
  • At 12:11 AM on 21 Oct 2006,
  • Terry Hare wrote:

Richard Greene in his 20th Oct message has his bias hanging out in his comments on the US political scene. As a Brit it is sad to see the levels the 主播大秀 and the British media in general have fallen. They used to command a lot of respect years ago, not anymore.

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  • 2.
  • At 12:59 AM on 21 Oct 2006,
  • Ligia wrote:

Perhaps the Republicans have been cheery because they might get away with rigging the election. As The Washington Post reports in the article by Cameron W. Barr, "Officials Probing Possible Theft of Voting Software in Maryland":

"The FBI is investigating the possible theft of software developed by the nation's leading maker of electronic voting equipment, said a former Maryland legislator who this week received three computer disks that apparently contain key portions of programs created by Diebold Election Systems."

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  • 3.
  • At 04:57 AM on 21 Oct 2006,
  • Albie wrote:

what a joke? Republicans are projected to lose more than 20 seats at minimum. That's the house. GOP may still have a slight chance in the senate, but foreget holding onto the rep.

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  • 4.
  • At 05:49 AM on 21 Oct 2006,
  • Ken Burch wrote:

Perhaps Mr. Reynolds said November 8th in the hope that he might trick Democratic voters into going to the polls on the wrong day.

They've tried things like that before.

It will be an interesting two years if the GOP is listed as winning this year, since it is now clear that they cannot do so by legitimate means.

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  • 5.
  • At 06:26 AM on 21 Oct 2006,
  • jeff wrote:

Not that I like the Democrats terribly much, but this coverage, at least for the last week, has been almost entirely about the Republicans. Is there really nothing happening in the other party?

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  • 6.
  • At 09:59 AM on 21 Oct 2006,
  • Paul wrote:

I just have to say, as an avid US reader of bbc.co.uk, as well as many blogs, thanks for this feature; its very enlightening to see what our pals from across the pond have to say about this very critical election, in a casual yet well written forum. To all International readers, I'd say keep your fingers crossed, this election may alter everything.

As these posts have shown, most Americans have finally seen things as they are, and are eager for a change. I truly believe that a Democratic congress will be a check on Bush, and US politics will finally gain some balance.

For more proof of the tide change, search YouTube for "Olbermann" and see the (startling!) Anti-Bush rhetoric in even the mainstream media. I've read this show has reached 85% of the audience of his time-slot's rival: Bill O'Reilly. I never thought I'd see such lucid analysis in the mainstream media, much less seeing it gain such an audience.

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  • 7.
  • At 11:22 AM on 21 Oct 2006,
  • Anon wrote:

Well I guess the republican voters after all do not want the GOP to stand for Gay Old Party!

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I would think with the poor showing of leadership from the GOP(in an attempt to hi-jack power), it's time for a change in America. Our country has been under bad management before. Thank fully, the system is set up so a balance of power is set to swing the other way. But what will the Democrats do, except follow the selfish example that has been set before them? This country is in a world of hurt.

Ervin Raab

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  • 9.
  • At 12:40 PM on 22 Oct 2006,
  • Hans de Koning wrote:

The thing that scares me in American elections is the way in which they brag about the monies raised. As if elections were a thing to be bought. Ah well, perhaps in the US of A they do buy them.

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  • 10.
  • At 10:12 PM on 23 Oct 2006,
  • Susan Starke wrote:

Mr. de Koning,
People brag about the money raised because it's a sign of grass roots support. Candidates here don't get government money to run campaigns.

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That is a false statement that the monies raised are from grass-roots support.
The REAL money is coming from corporate america in terms of lobbying, and who they will shoe-horn into office to serve their purposes. Want to know who turns the blind-eye here in America to illegal immigration...Big Business, because when the pay is low, no vacation, no benifits, etc, it all trickles-up to a few major stockholders, who then hire lobbist's to protect their "interests".

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