From Harkin to Ernst is a tragedy.

[ForgoTheConsequence]

so disappointed in this state.

[Peregrine Took]

1. Horrible. n/t

[BeyondGeography]

2. Yeah, well, we had Al D'Amato in NY for longer than I care to remember

I knew the types who voted for him, too. Many family members. It is hard to take.

[CoffeeCat]

3. I live in Iowa…I am devastated beyond belief...

Iowa is a state that made gay marriage legal quite a few years ago. We picked Obama, in the Iowa caucuses. As many know, Iowa votes first in the primaries. We went against the grain and voted for Obama.

I've always been so proud of my state. So proud of the Progressives in our state who take seriously the subject of politics.

But tonight, I am ashamed. Joni Ernst has won and Steve King retained his seat. I can't believe these two tea-party radicals represent my state.

To top it off, Ernst was funded by the Koch Brothers.

It disgusts me that this malignancy has metastasized in my own state.

I'm sorry I can't be happy or hopeful. I am just disgusted.

[ForgoTheConsequence]

7. My sentiments exactly.

I live in a more conservative area in the state but I've never seen it so bad.


And to top it off reelecting this crook of a governor, again. It's unbelievable. There isn't much to distinguish the midwest from the south anymore, Iowa and Wisconsin have gone to the Koch brothers.

[Cha]

12. I am so sorry, CoffeeCat..

[bhcodem]

13. Waterloo here...

I'm with you, CoffeeCat! Doubly disappointing from someone who knows Bruce quite well!

[GoldenThunder]

16. I don't live in Iowa.

But I do work in Iowa, so I'm pretty close. My job is in Steve King's district. People there really love him. And they really hate Obama. We all know why. The chaos that this election result is about to unleash upon America will truly be tragic. This tragedy will happen, in ways that will shatter the mind and rend the soul.

And yet endless millions of people will still place the blame squarely upon the brown shoulders of Barrack Hussein Obama.

See, that’s the thing about Americans. We’re a nation obsessed with thoughts and feelings about race. Whether those sentiments are good or ill. They dominate the way we view this country. We praise our diversity, they curse the colored ones. Either way it holds our focus, more than reason, more than ethics, certainly more than politics. Besides, most Americans don’t know at any given moment what party controls congress, nor are they able to pick their own representative out of a lineup. But everybody knows just who is in the White House. And everybody knows he ain’t white. Even a blind man can see that.

Using the word malignancy was perfect. We've reached the cancer stages of capitalism. This is the point where unregulated capitalism finally matures into full-blown fascism.

Better grab on to something sturdy, shit is about to get real.

[hfojvt]

22. "we all know why"

Oh good grief, it just never ends.

I used to live in King's district, before it was King's district. From 1998-2001 I lived in Woodstock, Iowa. I like to think that I helped carry the state for Gore in 2000. One thing I notice after that election, was that my Congressional district had voted for Gore by about 55 to 45. But it had also voted for the Republican incumbent to Congress by 55 to 45.

That was a different district though, before the re-districting of both 2002 and 2012.

I notice that in 2008 the 4th district voted for McCain by 50.5 to 48.5, but then voted for Romney in 2012 by 53.4 to 45.3. Not sure if that change is because of redistricting or cynicism. Some people were just not as excited and hopeful in 2012 as they were in 2008.

But dang, there was Iowa even when the President was white, sending a Republican to Congress.

[Skidmore]

17. I feel the same way.

[Zambero]

4. Yes

Iowa, and many others at the moment.

[GoCubsGo]

5. That ranks up there with Snott Brown taking Teddy Kennedy's Senate seat.

Appalling.

[bullwinkle428]

6. Oh god...her speech is making Palin sound sane, rational, and intelligent.

[CoffeeCat]

9. This is the most I've heard her speak during the entire campaign!

I've been closely watching the Braley/Ernst race and I live in Iowa. I've NEVER heard her
give an interview, and this acceptance speech is the first speech I've ever seen her give.

Her handlers hid her very, very well.

She even refused to sit down with the Des Moines Register editorial board. All they wanted was to hear her talk about her views and beliefs. She refused to meet with the largest newspaper in the state.

Now, we're about to see the stupid that was being hidden.

It doesn't bode well that in this speech, the first thing that she said needed fixing--was ISIS.

Oh great, another religious nut job warmonger tea party corporatist funded by Koch. It's just sick.

[LuvLoogie]

8. I think if you are going to retire from the senate

don't do it prior to a mid term election where your chances to hold the seat for your party are statistically lower.

Rockefellar and Harkin retiring in this political climate was bad strategy. The Democrats as a party were really sleeping. Now you have to wait six years to get it back instead of retire and an easy pass off before 2016.


Harkin and Rockefellar would not have lost.

[okieinpain]

15. exactly. he could have ran for the 6 then retire in 2016. Geez man where is

the dedication.

[geek tragedy]

10. Braley was toast when he sneered at farmers.

What kind of moron does that in Iowa?

[CoffeeCat]

19. The problem was...

…that Braley was specifically talking about how Grassley could end up being the head of the Senate Judiciary Committee with no legal expertise and no time being an attorney or a judge. He wasn't dissing farmers. He was pointing out that Grassley lacked a legal background.

The comments were taken out of context.

And of course, Joni Ernst and her Koch-funded ads capitalized on an unfortunate choice of words--and used it to define Braley. Ernst smeared Braley with lies.

Her entire campaign was a mockery of fluffy, hollow ads--and a very regimented script that his her extremism and tea-party agenda. She is a consummate liar--about herself and Braley.

Her sick, vile, extreme agenda is about to become reality for all of us now--and it is only at this very low point--will people realize that Braley's comments about Grassley being a farmer were nothing more than silly, sparkly lies that hid Ernst's horrible corporate-backed agenda.

[HereSince1628]

21. you do know Mockery, Bravado...is adored by the Right?

It's why Cristi can be a bully and get applause.

It's why tough talking Sarah Palin gets applause for her ridiculousness.

If a dem wants to pilfer votes from the right...THAT is what they must do. WHAT dem WOULD do that?

It's why Truman says being a phony republican doesn't work.

[CityDem]

11. WTF

Six more years of this crap.

[okieinpain]

14. why couldn't harkin run for another 6 years. n/t.

[CoffeeCat]

18. Tom Harkin's best friend was Paul Wellstone...

Harkin was never the same after Wellstone died.

I imagine Harkin was devastated by the loss, and if there was unscrupulous behavior
surrounding Wellstone's death, then you can be sure that Harkin knew what it was
and who did it.

I don't think a person ever recovers from that. I think he hung on in the viper pit as long
as he could stand.

Just my opinion, of course.

[okieinpain]

20. i hear you, just wish he could have run and retire in 2016. n/t.