The 2018 midterm elections

My immediate thought upon reading this headline was: "So what else is new?

Combative Trump brawls with media and slams his own party
CBS News, Nov 7 2018 2:14 PM EST

President Trump opened his first press conference after the midterm elections — the longest press conference of his presidency — with talk about bipartisanship but he quickly turned combative, sparring with reporters.

Trump had laudatory words for Nancy Pelosi, who could once again be speaker of the House, saying they can work together. But he also blasted members of his own party and reporters. Trump told an African-American reporter that she asked a "racist question" when she asked about why he described himself as a "nationalist." He told CNN's Jim Acosta that he should be "ashamed" of himself and said CNN is an "enemy of the people" when it reports "fake news."

The President talked about Republican candidates such as Reps. Barbara Comstock of Virginia and Pete Roskam of Illinois, who eschewed the Trump "embrace," and he suggested this may have been a contributing factor to their losses.

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/trump-n...-live-updates/

A return to "honesty" and "decency." Oh, wouldn't that be nice! Contrast Obama's attitude with that of Donald Trump (above).

Obama urges reconciliation, praises Democrats for midterm victories
CNN, Nov 7 2018 1:17 PM ET

Former President Barack Obama today expressed his desire for the nation to reconcile following the midterm elections while praising Democrats for "competing in places we haven't been competitive in a long time." In a statement, Obama wrote, "I'm hopeful that going forward we'll begin a return to the values we expect in our public life: honesty, decency, compromise and standing up for one another as Americans, not separated by our differences but bound together by one common creed." The former President signaled this is only the beginning for this new generation of voters as "the change we need won't come from one election alone."

https://www.cnn.com/2018/11/07/polit...ion/index.html

Only one-fourth of California voters are Republicans -- and, not surprisingly, the state's Republican candidates did not fare well in the midterms.

Republican Rep. Steve Knight concedes to Democratic challenger Katie Hill

http://www.latimes.com/politics/la-n...htmlstory.html

Mike Levin wins the race for the 49th Congressional District, flipping Rep. Darrell Issa’s seat to Democrats

http://www.latimes.com/politics/la-n...htmlstory.html

California’s 48th House district election: Democrat Harley Rouda defeats Republican incumbent Dana Rohrabacher

https://www.nytimes.com/elections/re...se-district-48

As of 9 PM Pacific time, Democrats have won 223 House seats, Republicans have won 197 and 15 remain undecided. In the Senate, Republicans have won 51 seats, Democrats have won 46 and three remain undecided. Waiting for the results of these too-close-to-call races is like watching the final five minutes of an NBA game: It seems to take an interminably long time.

In 2012, after a white man shot and killed her son for playing his car radio at high volume, Lucy McBath became a staunch gun control advocate, what she calls "a mother on a mission."

Democrat beats Republican Karen Handel in Georgia House race
Reuters, Nov 8 2018

Democrat and gun control advocate Lucy McBath has defeated Republican Representative Karen Handel in a congressional race in Georgia, racking up another seat for Democrats who won control of the House of Representative in Tuesday's elections. The closely fought race in Georgia's Sixth Congressional District was one of 10 House races remaining to be decided.

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-u...-idUSKBN1ND256

Letter from Roy Fassel of Los Angeles in today's Los Angeles Times:

"Many Democrats are talking about the possibility of impeaching President Trump. That should immediately be rejected because it would be a waste of time. The Republican base just elected a brothel-owning evangelical Christian who died last month to the Nevada Assembly, a congressman in New York who is under indictment for criminal insider trading, a congressman in California who is under indictment for misuse of campaign funds, and a congressman in Iowa who recently stated that the far-right political party in Austria with historical ties to the Nazis 'would be Republicans' if based in America. It is delusional to believe the Republican party would provide the votes in the Senate to remove Trump. That has been made clear by this election."

Trump called the midterm elections "a great victory" for Republicans. Yeah, if losing control of the House is a "great victory." A record 113 women will serve in Congress; the majority are Democrats. A record 42 Latinos will serve in Congress; the majority are Democrats. The party of inclusion and diversity fared much better in the midterms than the party of self-serving wealthy white men.

A record 42 Latinos will serve in Congress; one House race remains undecided

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/polit...ui64?ocid=AMZN

In the 2018 midterms, voters elected more Obama-supported candidates than Trump-supported candidates. Races in Florida and Arizona are still undecided, though, and our President is making his usual baseless claims of "voter fraud." Don't forget, the only reason he lost the popular vote in 2016 is because as many as five million illegal votes were cast for Hillary. He said so.

Flake slams Trump for doubting vote count: There is no evidence of 'electoral corruption'
The Hill, Nov 10 2018

Outgoing Senator Jeff Flake (R-Arizona) dismissed President Trump's accusation that "electoral corruption" is taking place in Arizona. "There is no evidence of 'electoral corruption' in Arizona, Mr. President," Flake tweeted late Friday night. "Thousands of dedicated Arizonans work in a non-partisan fashion every election cycle to ensure that every vote is counted. We appreciate their service."

His comments came only hours after Trump criticized the vote count effort in Arizona, as officials continue to tally votes in the Senate race between Rep. Kyrsten Sinema (D) and Rep. Martha McSally (R). As of Friday night, Sinema led McSally by a total of 20,203 votes in the closely-watched race for Flake's seat.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/polit...xpkm?ocid=AMZN

Republicans in Georgia worked hard to keep black people from voting and Trump was fine with that -- but when vote recounts are ordered in three close races in Florida, Trump declares there is "voter fraud" and accuses Democrats of hiring an "election-stealing lawyer." For the record, the Florida Department of Elections has found no evidence of voter fraud in Broward County. None.

Trump warns of effort to 'steal' Florida races after recounts are declared

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/polit...ysnW?ocid=AMZN

Rohrabacher, a pro-Trump, pro-Russia, anti-immigrant Republican, has served 30 years in California's 48th Congressional district in conservative Orange County -- until now. Republicans are in danger of losing all six of the state's races yet to be decided.

GOP Rep. Dana Rohrabacher loses and the Republicans' 'bad year' may get worse yet

http://www.latimes.com/politics/la-m...110-story.html