Yesterday in my home state of Iowa, three Supreme Court judges were removed from the court after losing their retention votes statewide. It wasn’t particularly close.

Supreme Court Justice – David L. Baker
Yes 45.8%
No 54.2%

Supreme Court Justice – Michael J. Streit
Yes 45.56%
No 54.44%

Supreme Court Justice – Marsha Ternus
Yes 44.96%
No 55.04%

This was a result of about three-quarter of a million bucks being dumped into Iowa by the National Organization for Marriage, the American Family Association and the Family Research Council.

The sort of thing that could be pulled off only in a strong Republican year, during a mid-term election. But they did it.

You may not know that the original district court Judge who first issued the ruling finding same-sex marriage a protected right, Robert Hanson was also up for retention. How did he do?

District Court 5C Judge – Robert B. Hanson
Yes 78973 66.34%
No 40071 33.66%

That’s Polk County, the largest county in the State containing Des Moines and with a sizable gay and lesbian community.

So where did retention do particularly badly?

As noted by a commenter in this post yesterday northwest Iowa sends Steve King and his drool cup and straight jacket to Washington every two years right?

Sup Crt Judge Ternus
Yes 14.92%
No 85.08%

Sup Crt Judge Baker
Yes 15.42%
No 84.58%

Sup Crt Judge Streit

Yes 15.29%
No 84.71%

Says a lot about the role of knowing gays or lesbians as people…or maybe just knowing things in general.

The Blues Magoos — Tobacco Road, hosted by Jack Benny.

What’s on your mind?

The Frenchified title is intended for the usual reasons, namely, to rub teabagger wingnut noses in their swinish lack of sophistication. I’d say I was just making a joke, but I’m afraid our right-blog friends have cracked that code, so why pretend?

Though apart from the obvious allusion to the fact that all Republican voters are dreadful unlettered hillbillies who poo in their trucker caps and only have sex with chickens because the goats move too fast and are probably gay Muslims anyway, I also wanted to reference a column written in September by one of America’s Finest Political Minds, Lanny Davis. The title of this column alludes to the phrase I likewise reference, though I don’t, as it happens, botch it.

But pedantry aside! It is the Predictive Power of Lanny Davis that I wish to invoke, because you may find it a Comfort in these Dark Days for the Progressive Cause.

If the Democrats lose the House and lose seats in the Senate, there may be a ray of sunshine out of the bad news for President Obama. This is not just making chicken salad out of chicken-you-know-what –

Chickenshit, Lanny. Chickenshit.

– history shows that a president forced to deal with the opposition party in Congress can actually end up more successful and more popular.

Well, that’s a relief! More popular! But… more successful…?

So don’t be surprised that, if the Democrats lose the House or — God forbid — the Senate, too, this November 2010, the end result could be a boon and gift of independence for President Barack Obama from following, or at least being heavily influenced by, Democratic congressional majorities — and the liberal blogosphere and organizations such as MoveOn, which hammered him over the last two years for not being liberal enough.

Great news for America! The Liberal Blogosphere will no longer Ruthlessly Control the National Agenda! Obama is FREE! FREE!

President Obama should immediately invite to the White House Senate and House Republican leaders, and legislators with a history of working across the aisle, such as Republican Sens. John McCain (Ariz.), Lindsey Graham (S.C.) and Orrin Hatch (Utah) and Democratic Sens. Ron Wyden (Ore.), Mary Landrieu (La.), Mark Pryor (Ark.) and Tom Carper (Del.), as well as Independent Democrat Joe Lieberman (Conn.), and ask them:

“Give me your proposals to create new jobs, achieve energy independence and reform abuses in the tort law system, and improve public education — and let’s write legislation — together — finding something we all can support.”

And this is how Social Security dies, to the strains of “Kumbaya.”

Anyway, in regards to Evan Bayh, at least, we can say of Lanny Davis, “Après le wank, le douche.”